Having your say - membership survey results

More than 3,000 members responded to the FDA's 2010 online survey, which was carried out during September and early October. We are grateful for you taking the time to let us know your views, which in turn help determine the best way for us to provide a service for members.

The survey revealed falling morale within the civil service (76% of members said their morale had decreased over the past year). But against this bleak picture, members are, overall, positive about the work of the FDA. Only 12.4% were dissatisfied with the FDA's performance as a national union and only 7.9% would be critical if talking to a non-member.

A total of 77.7% of members agreed that "the FDA nationally represents my interests" and 73% said the FDA nationally represents their professional/specialist interests sufficiently.

When asked what they regarded as the top three priority issues for the FDA over the next year (other than pay, which will always be a major issue), members identified pensions, job cuts and efficiencies, and compensation for job loss as the top issues nationally; and training and skills, the performance management process, and promotion opportunities and mechanisms, as the top issues locally.

The majority of members (60.9%) believe the FDA is "getting it about right" in its constructive engagement with the Government (as civil servants' employers) over proposals affecting members, and a further 34% want to FDA to engage even more. While 56% of members believe the union is getting it about right in its speaking out in the media, 40% thought the FDA should be more outspoken.

While only 28.8% of members attend branch or section meetings regularly (a further 25.5% do so occasionally), 66% know who their local rep is and 60.2% know who in the FDA to contact with a problem or question.

Members were also asked about their participation in the union's professional and equality networks. The survey showed that 10.1% are active in one or more of them.

As with the last FDA survey, members said they preferred the union to communicate with them by email newsletters (chosen by 44.6%), followed by the website (13.4%). A total of 95.9% of members felt that the FDA nationally keeps them well informed (either very or fairly).

A more comprehensive analysis of the survey will be published in the spring 2011 (February) issue of Public Service Magazine.