UNISON

The recession is having a devastating impact on the economy. And now we’re starting to feel the effects. With government debt at 54.7% of GDP, all political parties are talking about cuts. And that inevitably means public spending cuts. Of course, what that really means is threatening the jobs of the millions of public sector workers that Unison represents. It means lollipop ladies and hospital porters. Care assistants and dinner ladies. Refuse collectors and teaching assistants. Our job was to make the case for these people.

The strategy
UNISON launched A Million Voices for Change in July 2009 to make the voices of their members heard in the run-up to the Autumn Party Conferences and the General Election. We aimed to integrate all campaign activity under this banner and make Unison a strong voice in the debate.

The idea
Many people are attracted to the idea of ‘public spending cuts’. They sound fairly neutral. What they don’t like is the idea that crucial workers, the people who help to look after our children, old, disabled and sick people, will lose their jobs. So we needed to make that link clear – because that’s who public sector cuts would affect. Hence the campaign line: Don’t wait till they’ve gone to defend them This was a fully-integrated campaign combining online display and Facebook ads, press, and room drops in the conference hotels. The campaign culminated with ice sculptures of firemen, lollipop ladies and hospital porters unveiled at the political conferences themselves – sculptures which slowly melted away to show the threat to these vital people. At the microsite, unison.org.uk/dontwait, supporters could add their message supporting public service workers to a virtual sea of placards.

What's good about it?

The true result will be seen after the next election when the next government plans its spending cuts. However the campaign was seen by all to have major cut-through at a time when many organisations and causes are vying for their share of attention.