Members are being urged to put themselves forward and stand as a workplace rep in PFEW’s triennial elections which kick off today, Thursday 1 July.

Elections take place every three years and give members the opportunity to vote for the colleagues they want to represent them locally and nationally.

The process starts with nominations for workplace representatives. Subscribing members from across England and Wales are encouraged to put themselves forward to be the voice of their officers locally.

The nomination stage is open for three weeks, closing on 22 July, before voting then commences. Both members and non-members can vote for their local Fed reps, however, only subscribing members are able to stand as a Fed rep.

PFEW National Secretary Alex Duncan, said: “Fed reps are the backbone of the Federation, providing vital support to our 130,000+ members across England and Wales.

“They advise their fellow colleagues on matters such as conduct, pay, allowances, terms and conditions, equality, professional development and operational policing issues, often supporting colleagues at the most difficult time in their professional or personal lives.

“It is really important that our reps reflect our diverse membership therefore we are encouraging our members, no matter what their background, age, length of service, or area of policing they work in, to stand in our elections and be the voice of their colleagues.”

Throughout the coming year, elections will take place at all levels of the Federation, culminating in June 2022 with the election of the National Board, National Chair and the appointment of the National Secretary.

Alex added: “Our reps are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the organisation and their vital work and feedback enables the Federation to better support and assist colleagues in the challenging role they perform on behalf of the public. I would encourage every PFEW member to consider putting themselves forward as a rep. Being a police officer is rewarding but being a Fed rep on top of that gives job satisfaction like no other."

All PFEW members will receive an email from independent third-party electoral service, MiVoice, which will include a link to a nomination form which they will need to complete in order to stand as a rep. Members are urged to contact their local Federation branch if they do not receive the link.

You can find out more about the role of workplace reps on our Reps@Work page. 

Full details of our election process, including timescales, can be found here.