NEC Elections 2024 –

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a message from Left Unity’s newly elected National President

Firstly, can I take this opportunity to thank all members of Left Unity and our comrades in the PCS Democrats, for your support in my election as the new National President of PCS. It has been an honour to have acted as president of our amazing union since February, following Fran Heathcote’s election to General Secretary, and it is an even greater honour to now be given that role by the members.

In general, there can be no doubt that last Friday’s announcement of the NEC election results will have been a disappointment to many, though perhaps not a total shock.

Many in Left Unity, including the LUNC, had acknowledged the closeness of December’s General Secretary election result, coupled with Democracy Alliance candidates receiving fewer branch nominations for the first time in decades, meant that this year’s election was always going to be keenly fought.

Of course, there was genuine hope, rather than perhaps expectation, that PCS members would see through the false narrative and promises of our opponents, and look at the record of the current leadership, to keep faith with both Left Unity and the Democracy Alliance. We now obviously know that for the first time in 20 years the Democracy Alliance doesn’t have a majority on the NEC, and I know many are worried about the impact this will have immediately on the national campaign, and for our members over the course of the year.

That is understandable, especially in light of the statements already coming out from the BLN about their keeness to depart from our industrial action strategy, which forced the first concessions in decades from government and protected members pockets, in favour of a more “militant industrial action strategy”. Of course we already know what that means, as they have been arguing at various times over the last 18 months that they want less paid targeted action, in favour of more unpaid national action. Their current NEC members have also consistently argued for the levy to be voluntary, which would almost certainly reduce the amount of money available to pay strike pay.

There was little evidence of these facts produced in any of their election materials, of course, and it remains to be seen whether their partners in the so called coalition for change, will support the move now they form a majority on the NEC.

What I do know though, is that these tactics, rather than herald the change in direction that our opponents promised members, actually sees a return to the industrial strategy that proved unpopular with members over the years, and has been rejected in successive ballots since 2022. I also know that myself and the other Left Unity comrades elected to the NEC, will keep our promise to members and argue for the successful strategy of the last 18 months to be retained at the forefront of our national campaign on pay, pensions, and job security.

A crucial period for our union

I would also urge all of you not to dwell too long on this set of results. Left Unity is still the largest single faction on the NEC for the year ahead, and we can still successfully retain the leadership in the largest groups over the next few days.

The group elections are, of course, always of critical importance, but this year now even more so. The two biggest groups in particular, DWP and HMRC, will no doubt be closely contested and our opponents in the coalition of convenience will be buoyed over the next two days. That is understandable, but we too should remember what we bring to the table.

I am immensely proud of the successes Left Unity have achieved over the years both nationally and at group level. We must remember that every major success, every achievement, delivered for members in our two largest groups, has been achieved by Left Unity, not those individuals that now oppose us in group elections. We should remember that over the next 40 hours or so, when we are speaking to members and making sure they have voted by 12 noon on Tuesday. That is our task now. Putting in the work that can see Left Unity retain the leadership of the major groups in PCS. It is important that we deliver the LU majority that will support Angela Grant as the new DWP President, that Lorna Merry retains the presidency of HMRC alongside other LU comrades to support her, and that the Democracy Alliance holds the MoJ group.

In the longer term we will take stock and see what we can learn from these elections, but all the time we must never forget the role we have played in making PCS the union it is today. It is Left Unity that changed the mindset and core of our union compared to its predecessors, and it is Left Unity that has protected and won for members over the last 25 years.

Despite the sectarian attacks on the Left Unity leadership over the past 5 years, and the accusations made against us, we must hold firm to our identity and our record for members.

We are socialists. Not based on our affiliation to a party with the word socialist in its name, or the dues we pay, but based on our ideology, spirit, conscience, and deeds.

There is no doubt that the next year will be difficult, but I promise you that I will continue to give my all for our members and our union, while holding true to the Left Unity values that have served us so well for so long.

Solidarity!

Martin Cavanagh

PCS President Elect

Solidarity with GMB security guards strike in the DWP

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DWP Left Unity in PCS are sending solidarity to GMB security guards who work for G4S. 

They are on strike on Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th May.

They have been on low pay for years and during the pandemic they did not get paid by G4S for the first 3 days they had covid.

This demonstrates some of G4S working practices.  This is why we are.not surprised that they are looking for agency volunteers to try to sabotage the strike.  As well as being immoral it is illegal and would not make our offices safe.  Doing security in a nightclub or concert is not the same as being a security guard in a DWP office.

Security guards in our offices work with our safety reps and office managers to keep our offices safe.  They are a valuable safety control measure as well as maintaining office security.  We value them and recognise making minimal changes to an office does not make them safe.  If there are no guards the office should close.

This is their first strike and we hope that all their members join the action and that the message gets out there that guards who aren’t members can join up to and including the day of the strike.

The department have said they will look sympathetically on staff that don’t want to cross the picket line which is something we welcome.  Safety reps will be doing all they can to keep our offices safe whilst fully supporting this necessary action

More information https://www.gmb.org.uk/private-sector/security-services/g4s-dwp-noticeboard

PCS Left Unity Statement on the election of DWP President

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It is just over a week since we learnt the surprising news that our candidate for DWP Group President, Angela Grant, had been declared elected unopposed in the election statement booklet.

In that time Left Unity have not made comment or speculated on what may or may not have happened. We have made no public fanfare of the election of our candidate or gloated about retaining the important role Left Unity have held for over 20 years. We have not shouted from the rooftops the election of the first Black Woman candidate into the role.

Now, however, both BLN and IL have issued separate statements. In light of the content of those statements, and comments made, particularly on the BLN Facebook thread, PCS Left Unity can no longer remain silent.

While the two factions statements are different in detail, they both seek to use the absence of their candidate in this election to accuse the leadership of PCS and declare it as further evidence of the need to “vote for change” in both the NEC and Group elections.

Unprincipled and dishonest

This is a fundamentally unprincipled and dishonest position to take. Both BLN and IL know, that none of the candidates standing in these current elections have or would play any part in the running of PCS elections. It would be inconceivable to allow any lay representative to have a role in the administration of elections they were standing in. It has never happened in PCS and would never happen. Of course, the leading figures in both BLN and IL know this, as do their newfound comrades in the so-called Alliance for Change, yet neither make reference to it in their respective statements.

Our union is one of, if not the, most democratic of unions in the movement. We have a proud record of election by the full membership for our leaders in PCS, from candidates nominated by branches through membership participation. To now suggest some sort of anti-democratic bias is scurrilous and does not stand up to scrutiny.

The accusatory nature of both statements shamefully calls into question the integrity and propriety of some of the most loyal and hard-working staff in the entire trade union movement. Staff employed by PCS, not lay representatives, who have successfully administered democratic elections for over 20 years, now reading articles that they are complicit in some sort of stitch up to block a candidate is low even by their recent standards.

Arguments don’t stand up to scrutiny

Reading between the lines of the IL statement, in particular, it appears that the issue might have been non-compliance with the regulations for 2024.

It is important to note, therefore, that the electoral regulations for 2024, agreed by the NEC months ago, are applied to all nominees, and are fundamentally the same as those used in every national and group election for years.

It should also be noted that the BLN/IL candidate for DWP President is a current elected member of the NEC that agreed the regulations, and apparently has been able to successfully navigate the acceptance process to stand in this year’s NEC elections.

The same individual, a long-time member of IL, has also stood in group elections for years, indeed being a DWP Presidential candidate for the last decade or so. Being runner-up in each of those elections. They must surely, therefore, know that they failed to comply with the regulations in the same way as all previous elections?

It also begs the question, what sort of president would they have made? Are members really expected to want a president so happy to waive the rules of the union, when if elected, they would be the upholder of the rules within DWP group.

While Left Unity can understand a degree of disappointment and even perhaps frustration on the part of our opponents, it is disappointing, though sadly not surprising, that they have sought to use the situation in this way, creating a narrative that suggests malpractice, rather than own any error made by their candidate.

It is not the first time a candidate has been excluded from a ballot, and certainly wouldn’t be the first for not complying with the election regs if that is what has happened.

Indeed Left Unity candidates have been excluded in the past by the application of the same election rules.

Who is really behaving like the right wing?

It has been a fairly common go-to insult for IL and BLN in recent years to try and paint the current socialist leadership as similar to the right-wing in the early days of PCS and previously CPSA.

A right-wing, who despite describing themselves as “moderates”, sought to undermine elections by officially placing their own political narrative next to our candidates in the election statement booklet, were thought to have gerrymandered numerous elections, and attempted a coup against Mark Serwotka’s election as General Secretary.

Breaking or bending the rules to suit themselves is what many on the left in PCS will remember them for. It is, therefore, slightly ironic that those who now suggest the election regs should be bent or waived to accommodate their candidate in an election, should allow, unchallenged, individuals on their social media threads, who should know better, to claim it is the current leadership behaving like the old right-wing.

What should be of real concern to members and activists alike, is that the BLN/IL coalition, who have painted themselves as the defenders of democracy in recent times, seem to be suggesting that the rules could be bent to accommodate a senior position for someone who has been a candidate for years. Effectively saying that if they were in power, they would bend the rules to suit their friends.

This is exactly why they shouldn’t be given the opportunity to lead our union.

Vote for integrity

It is absolutely vital that PCS members understand the truth behind these slurs and thinly veiled accusations.

Whatever has happened in the election for the DWP President, it has nothing to do with PCS Left Unity candidates in group elections or the Democracy Alliance candidates for the NEC. We could not allow the deceitful antics of our opponents to go unchecked on this issue, but will now continue to focus on winning the strike mandate from members in the national campaign ballot, and urging PCS members to elect a Democracy Alliance-led NEC and Left Unity-led GEC’s for leadership and integrity.

Solidarity with Heathrow Border Force strikers

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PCS Left Unity presidential candidate Martin Cavanagh spent time on the Heathrow picket line today (Tuesday, 30th April) supporting members in Border Force on strike about imposed rosters by the Home Office.

Martin says…

The way the Border Force are treating these workers is a disgrace.

Hundreds of our members have had revised rosters imposed upon them, with no meaningful consultation, and which severely restricts their work-life balance. These members have over a thousand years of experience between them and have given years of loyal service. Many of them have regularly missed important family occasions such as weddings, and even holidays, to work their previous shifts. Their thanks for outstanding service and commitment, is the employer forcing new rosters upon them which are seriously detrimental, with no flexibility.

The new rosters can impose up to a 50 hour week on our members, and particularly disadvantage those with caring responsibilities, health issues, or disabilities.

It is outrageous. A number of members have been forced to leave their jobs as a result, with over 1100 years of experience and service being lost. That is irreplaceable.

Members have understandably decided enough is enough and delivered a brilliant strike ballot result and are now taking an initial four days of strike action this week (29th April – 2nd May).

Our leadership will continue to support these workers in their fight for fairer rosters and an end to this treatment, which is effectively “fire and rehire.” Our members have earned the right to be treated with dignity and respect, not such callous disregard

Our members understand how important it is to deliver a mandate in strike ballots, and all members, in every employer group, should take inspiration from these members at Heathrow, and those in National Museums Liverpool, and the Pensions Regulator, to deliver another huge vote in the national campaign ballot for better pay, pensions justice, and job security.

NEC elections – Vote Democracy Alliance – Democracy, Listening, Delivering

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2023 saw PCS members take 3 days of national action and hundreds of days of targeted action. As a result we gained a significantly improved pay award and a £1,500 cost of living payment.

Unity Square picket line Nottingham

These gains were the direct result of the Democracy Alliance led NEC strategy of national and targeted action paid for by a membership levy.

As a result of the improved pay offer members voted to pause the industrial action, but your NEC always expected that this would be a temporary situation. Despite some progress in talks with the Cabinet Office it is clear that we need to increase the pressure, and so we have launched an industrial action ballot which closes in May.

In the coming year we need to make sure we continue to deliver a clear and coherent strategy across the union and so we are asking you to vote for the Democracy Alliance candidates.

Other achievements in the last year include

· Guaranteed no cuts to the compensation scheme

· Reconstituting the Young Members Network

· Constituting devolved nation executives in Scotland and Wales

· Legal action against pushbacks and the Rwanda scheme

The last year has demonstrated PCS at its best and most vibrant; but the job is not finished. Our candidates are committed to continuing to –

· Increasing membership

· Recruiting and training a new layer of activists

· Fighting the scourge of low pay

· Continuing and extending the use of effective, targeted and sustained action

If you would like Democracy Alliance election material for use in your branch you can download it here

or email pcsleftunity@gmail.com

International Women’s Day 2024 and ICTU Women Conference – What It Means.

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As PCS’s representative on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Women’s Committee, and heading into International Women’s Day (IWD,) I was proud to represent PCS at ICTU’s Women’s conference. Looking at the events of the last few weeks, I’ve considered what this means for me and for others and the progress we’ve made since IWD was first suggested in 1910.

The conference in an important marker in the trade union movement’s calendar. It represents a fantastic opportunity to stand in solidarity with our sister unions over issues that are present in the workplace, the trade union movement and wide society, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and violence. Although saddened these issues are still on the agenda, I was inspired to see so many women attending the conference, incredible women, tirelessly working to make things better, for themselves, their colleagues, and future generations.

The conference looks to bring women to the heart of policy making bring their experience to the fore. It reinforces that women in a trade union make real difference standing up to injustice and giving a voice to many who cannot speak for themselves. With more and more women in the workplace and the trade union movement than ever before, women have a right to expect more. They deserve a trade union movement that recognises their experience, their value, their contribution. I was proud to show PCSs commitment to supporting women who have and will continue to achieve so much as we move forward, not just for themselves but for all.

The wider theme of the conference was something we all can appreciate, ‘valuing care in all its forms’. Being a carer is something that impacts us all at some point in our life, from childcare to caring for a loved one or partner and caring for elderly parents. As a carer for my daughter on the autism spectrum and for 2 elderly disabled parents this is something close to my heart.

Sometimes becoming a carer is something that happens suddenly, after an accident or health scare, circumstances that offers us little time to prepare for the immense changes that being a carer makes to our lives. Sometimes being a carer is a gradual transition as our commitment to caring become more as a loved one’s health declines or they age. Either way, becoming a carer is a huge commitment that impacts every aspect of someone’s life, impacting social activity, family relationships, mental health, and work life. A change that is often not recognised, an impact that goes unnoticed, and a role that is undervalued.

The majority of carers are women. Carers are often forced out of the workplace, resigning women to becoming a hidden voice in society, something that we as a trade union movement have long campaigned against. As a trade union moment, we cannot stand by and watch as women are forced back into the home. Therefore, I was inspired to see the trade union movement as a whole embrace this issue as a priority.

The ICTU conference and IWD celebration is not only an opportunity to remember the struggles that women have faced and recognise how far we have come, but also an opportunity to identify current issues and how we will overcome these for future generations.  As the fight for equality continues its important that as a trade union movement we continue to fight for equal pay, equal work and equal opportunity.  We will continue to challenge inequality in the workplace and society, and a movement we will challenge inequality in our workplaces.

The old adage remains the true, together we are stronger and together we will make a change.

Cathy Darcan.

Cathy is standing for the NEC as a part of the Democracy Alliance https://pcsleftunity.org/2024/01/25/left-unity-recommendations-for-nec-candidates/

Left Unity Leadership of PCS keeps its word to members – VOTE YES

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A personal message from Martin Cavanagh – Acting National President

Last year when the LU-led NEC recommended pausing industrial action as part of our national campaign on pay, pensions justice and job security, we did so with a promise to PCS members.

The promise that we would re-ballot our members for further strike action if sufficient progress wasn’t made in talks at both Cabinet Office and delegated levels. The recommendation was overwhelmingly supported by PCS members with over a 90% yes vote on a 47% turnout in last summers consultative ballot.

The NEC decision of the 7th March to move to a ballot of all UK and Welsh Government members on updated demands delivers on that promise to members.

While progress has been made in talks, and for the first time since the imposition of delegated pay in the early 90’s, there is an acknowledgement that the current pay system doesn’t work, that doesn’t deliver the pay rise our members need right now.

As a result I believe the NEC was absolutely right to call a ballot of members starting today (Monday 18th March).

Not a ballot for ballots sake

Unlike our opponents, who opposed the pause of action last year and now argue we are balloting too soon, the LU-led leadership is clear that when we ballot and subsequently strike, we should do so for maximum effect.

The truth is the anti-union threshold is aimed at making it more difficult to take strike action. We also know from past experience, whenever we ballot, against the backdrop of the 50% threshold, it is always a challenge to meet that target. In that context there is no ideal time to ballot.

However, members should be able to trust that their union will only ballot when it’s necessary and at the optimum time to do so. LU are clear now is the optimum time.

We aren’t simply balloting for ballot’s sake. It is crucial to our strategy of maximising leverage on the government, that we do so with a clear intent, that being the upcoming Treasury remit.

Every year the Treasury issues it’s remit guidance to government departments, which acts as the framework for delegated talks. The LU-led PCS leadership is clear that we need to up the pressure on government ahead of that remit being published, and to try and get it increased before delegated talks are underway.

That was successful last year, when we knew 2% was the intended remit, but our strike action at the end of 2022 and early in 2023, forced the government to more than double that to 4.5%.

Balloting now and getting a huge mandate across the UK and Welsh Civil Service can act as a similar catalyst.

It is also why we were right to reject calls to push the ballot timetable back to later in the year. Initially those calls from opponents of LU were to push it to the summer, showing a lack of confidence in members and activists. More recently the calls were to move it to April, to give us more time to be ready for the ballot, ignoring that the NEC have been asking branches to get ballot ready since late last year, and that we would miss any opportunity of influencing the remit for 2024/25.

Let’s deliver even bigger than before

Between now and the 13th May it is critical we leave no stone unturned in driving out the vote in the statutory ballot.

We showed last year that action can deliver concessions from this government, and whilst they weren’t enough to settle our dispute, members can and should be confident their actions can win more.

In a General Election year, we now have the opportunity to remind the current government, as well as laying down a marker for the next one, that we are ready, willing, and able to fight for the pay we deserve, for pensions justice and a refund of what is rightfully ours, and for long-term job security.

Give the LU-leadership of PCS the mandate we need, and we will again lead you into action, that will maximise the impact on government and minimise the financial cost to you and your families.

VOTE YES!

Martin Cavanagh

Acting National President

(on behalf of PCS Left Unity)

Let’s get behind the ballot

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On Wednesday the Left Unity led PCS NEC voted to launch a strike ballot across the civil service. See https://www.pcs.org.uk/news-events/news/pcs-launch-strike-ballot-over-pay-campaign

Last year the industrial action, which included 3 days of national strike action and hundreds of days of targeted action paid for by the national levy, saw a significant improvement in our pay deal and a £1500 back pay for the cost of living. In a consultative ballot members voted overwhelmingly to pause the campaign, but we made it clear that the campaign was not over.

In recent talks there has been some progress with the Cabinet Office but nowhere near enough for us to assume we could receive a decent increase this year. We are demanding a cost of living increase plus pay restoration for the many years of declining pay. The strike levy will be reinstated at the end of May.

The ballot will run from 18th March to the 13th May.

Surprisingly supporters of the BLN and IL on the NEC proposed delaying the ballot start into April. This from the people who said we were selling out the dispute last year when we paused the action. They proposed that we need more preparation time, but we decided that coming straight out of the online survey into a ballot would be better than losing momentum.

With the ballot opening in a week’s time Left Unity is calling on all our supporters and all activists to put our backs into getting the vote out. It is crucial that we get every group past the 50% strike threshold and are in the position to take strike action if needed.

In the coming days we need to make sure every member is in the correct branch and we have a ballot address for them and correct contact details.

Start planning your branch activity to deliver the ballot – leafletting, meetings, calling people.

Make sure you use PCS digital to record who has voted so we know who we need to talk to.

The cost of living remains exorbitantly high for working class people. Councils are pushing up council tax, services are being cut and this government of millionaires continues to attack our class. As other unions begin to ballot again for this year let’s deliver a spectacular strike vote that allows us to go into PCS Conference in May ready to take a stand.

BLN calls for Labour Party Affiliation – the truth behind the alliance

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At this week’s NEC, a member of the Broad Left Network astonished members by calling for PCS to affiliate to the Labour Party now in order to ‘change it from within’.

This faction was set up by the sectarian Socialist Party, which has run a vicious campaign of division within PCS and which has boasted that they intend to ‘tear down the lot’ if their preferred candidates do not get the positions that they demand.

The Socialist Party are in an unprincipled alliance with the Independent Left, which is dominated by the Alliance For Workers’ Liberty, which has a long-standing commitment to Labour Party Affiliation. The fact the Socialist Party, which does not support affiliation to Labour, and in fact, runs its own electoral organisation – TUSC – is prepared to press this demand within PCS, is scandalous, but also shows how far they have stooped.

Left Unity, and previous general secretary, Mark Serwotka, with the full backing of activists and members, developed the union’s political representation policies, through years of consultation, which included a national members’ ballot – the Left Unity NEC established the Political Fund, set up parliamentary groups in Westminster, Scotland and Wales, and worked with politicians across the board in Northern Ireland.

PCS’s political strategy has been based on the central principle that all its political campaigning starts from the basis that it must relate to the union’s campaign to protect jobs, conditions and services.

PCS has worked on the basis of being political, not party-political.

It is shocking that BLN has taken this position. Starmer’s Labour Party is committed to cuts and privatisation – just like the Tories.

While we want to see an end to the Tory Government, PCS Left Unity, the true socialist organisation within PCS, will never do what BLN and the Independent Left propose – get into bed with the Labour Party, by affiliating to them – something that we are confident has no support amongst members.

What is at stake?

Left Unity has repeatedly warned of the divisive behaviour of the BLN. Its personalised methods of disrupting, rather than building unity, has nothing to do with ‘socialism’ as they claim. The fact they support calls for a cosy relationship with Keir Starmer is a new low.

We have predicted sectarianism – which they represent – is a giant step towards the re-emergence of an organised right wing in PCS. Early signs of this are apparent already in the HMRC where the candidate set up to challenge the existing group president claims he isn’t really standing against her, they just want rid of Left Unity.

This call now for Labour Party affiliation, is evidence of the dangerous role they are playing, and is happening at the same time they have opposed moving to a statutory ballot to win better pay for members.

Left Unity don’t play games with members’ pay, terms and conditions. The issues at stake are too serious. When the PCS elections begin, and you have a choice to make about who represents you, vote for a leadership that doesn’t play games. Support the Democracy Alliance candidates – for a leadership that works for you.