Fran Heathcote and Paul O’Connor are the Left Unity candidates in the PCS General Secretary election that starts on 4th September when the election regulations will be issued to branches. This is the most important election in PCS for over 20 years. A Left Unity victory is essential to maintain the growth and power of our union. This article explains the work done by Left Unity, gives background information about Fran and Paul and explains how you can help win the campaign.

A union transformed
Left Unity has led the union since Mark Serwotka was elected in 2002. In the last 20 years the union has been transformed. Mark and Left Unity inherited a right wing union that was unwilling to fight for members and was treated as an outcast by the rest of the trade union movement. The work of Mark and Left Unity has gradually transformed PCS into a respected, fighting union feared by the government.

A record of achievement
Left Unity set up Regional Committees to help build our strength on the ground. Left Unity negotiated the national redundancy avoidance protocols that have saved thousands of members jobs. Left Unity led historic strike action in 2013 that won protection for our pension scheme, and more recently legal action by Left Unity has blocked further attempted attacks on our pensions and secured key protections through the McCloud judgment. Left Unity organised the fight back against the end of check off. Running a successful campaign to get members to stay with the union that has been followed by other unions across the TUC, and by winning millions of pounds in the high court in compensation.

Protecting members safety
Throughout Covid, the Left Unity led National Executive Committee protected members safety, issuing legal advice and organising massive strikes at DVLA.

A successful national pay campaign
Left Unity has led the national pay campaign that has won historic and significant concessions from the government and put extra money in members’ pockets. Many long serving union members will remember past campaigns over the last 40 years that relied on one day strikes. Those campaigns never won, and our best reps swore never again to a campaign of one day strikes that meant members had to lose a day’s pay and do 5 day’s work in 4 days.
Left Unity members on the NEC devised and planned both the levy and the very popular strategy of targeted action alongside national action. On a day to day basis, it was implemented by Paul O’Connor, the secretary to the National Disputes Committee and the Left Unity candidate in the Assistant General Secretary election.
Supported with full strike pay, members across the union working in the DWP, HMRC, Passport Offices, Borders, Airports, DVLA, DEFRA, Land Registry and many more have caused massive disruption to their employers.
The Left Unity led NEC called on all members to make the sacrifice of a one day strike just three times, when it could have the most impact, alongside other workers in dispute, on the same day as teachers and NHS staff.
As a result of this Left Unity strategy, our union has made real progress and for the first time ever our union has won significant concessions from the Tories. This is the first time ever that we have won concessions on pay centrally from any government due to an industrial action campaign. On every previous occasion the Tories have refused to shift and insisted that all talks must be at departmental level. This winning strategy was devised by Left Unity.
As a result many more members have joined the union. Many members have become new reps in offices. Hundreds of new, mainly young, activists have got involved. Groups previously not at the national forefront of the union, like DfT and EFRA have delivered big contributions to our fight with solid targeted action.
Fran and Paul have been key leaders
Throughout all of the period Fran and Paul have been key national leaders of PCS.


Fran has been the union’s leading activist.


Leading the DWP
She was first elected as DWP Group President in 2012 after 7 years as DWP Group Organiser. As Organiser, she led campaigns that saw DWP membership grow. As DWP Group President, she negotiated on many issues, including steering the group through the removal of check-off. Elected to the NEC in 2014, Fran was elected as Vice president in 2017, before becoming Deputy President, then President at the end of 2018.
Fighting austerity and building the union
A seasoned anti-austerity campaigner, with a background of fighting for better social security, Fran is well known for her work as an activist, whether that be supporting our members on picket lines, working with other unions to build for coordinated action or representing PCS at the People’s Assembly, where Fran holds a seat on the steering committee. A tireless advocate for equality and increasing participation within underrepresented groups, Fran is passionate about organising and campaigning, with the bargaining experience to back that up. Fran has a proud record of working with regions and branches, building unity across the union.


Paul began working in the then Inland Revenue in 1988. He quickly became active in a PCS predecessor union, the Inland Revenue Staff Federation (IRSF). He worked in the Inland Revenue and subsequently HM Revenue and Customs for nearly twenty years, remaining active in the IRSF, the Public Services, Tax and Commerce Union (PTC) and subsequently PCS. He served members in various roles, including Office Rep, Branch Secretary, Branch Organiser, Branch Chair and on the Group Executive Committee. He was also Chair of the PCS North West Region from 2005 to 2007.
In 2007, Paul became a Full-Time Officer of the union, serving as Group Secretary to the Home Office Group. He was promoted to National Officer for the Home Sector in 2010. He was then promoted to Senior National Officer in 2012, a role in which he has served as the unions Head of Bargaining. He manages a team of 7 National Officers and 31 Industrial Officers. He has been at the heart of re-orientating PCS’s staffing structure to make it more responsive to the needs of activists and members.
Paul is also secretary to the union’s National Disputes Committee, where he has oversight for all of the industrial action campaigns taken forward by the union. He has been instrumental in the establishment of the unions Fighting Fund and the development of our industrial strategy, targeted action funded by a levy, in pursuit of our current national campaign.


Check Off victory in the courts
Paul also has responsibility for taking forward strategic legal cases. He has led litigation against the employer which has seen PCS win seven High Court cases through judicial review, including: overturning detrimental changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, an estimated benefit to members of £100 million per year; establishing a contractual right to check off, leading to a £3 million damages settlement for the union from the DWP.




Resisting racist Rwanda deportation policy
Paul was central to defeating the government’s attempt to force PCS members to perform a dangerous pushback manoeuvre on refugees crossing the English Channel. He is continuing to oversee litigation to fight the government’s inhumane Rwanda deportation policy and is campaigning for the dismantling of the hostile environment for refugees in which our members are being forced to work.


Winning the election will be crucial to the future of PCS
Making sure that the Left Unity candidates, Fran and Paul, win this election is crucial to the future of the union. It will ensure that PCS continues to grow and develop as a campaigning union fighting to improve and protect members pay and conditions. It will ensure that PCS continues to be at the forefront of calls for united action across the TUC against the Tories’ attacks on the working class.


How you can get involved
Left Unity urges all reps and branches to support Fran and Paul.


Nominate Fran and Paul at your branch meeting. There is an article on this website telling you how to do it


Join the whatsapp groups Elect Fran and Paul 2023 and keep in touch with our campaign


Talk to your members about the election


Get your branch to issue a recommendation to your members urging them to vote for Fran and Paul


Check that they have received a ballot paper


Keep reminding your members to vote before Thursday 14 December 12.00 noon

It is important that Fran and Paul attract the maximum number of branch nominations. All supporters of their campaign are therefore encouraged to get their BECs to arrange branch general meetings to agree their nominations. We should also be encouraging reps and activists in other branches, who are generally supportive but may not normally make nominations, to consider doing so. Remember, these elections will determine the direction of PCS for the next 5 years, the stakes could not be higher!



At the recent online launch of the campaign to elect Fran & Paul for General Secretary there were a number of questions about the ballot timetable & process. It’s clear that the campaign is already attracting a number of new reps & activists who have not previously been involved in GS & AGS elections, so we have produced this guide to help people through the nomination process. This includes the election timetable, together with guidance on organising branch general meetings.



We hope you find it useful but, if you have any additional questions, have not heard from your branch about your nomination meeting by 23rd September or need any help, please contact Fran or Paul – (franhpcs@gmail.com)



GS/AGS Timetable 2023

Monday 4th September

Regulations for both General Secretary & Assistant General Secretary elections issued to branches, with call for nominations, including nomination form.

Monday 16 October 5.00pm

Deadline for receipt of branch nominations

Thursday 9 November

Ballot opens

Thursday 14 December 12.00 noon

Ballot closes



You should read both sets of election regulations carefully. Nominations can only be submitted by branches, and must be agreed by a properly constituted branch general meeting. When arranging the branch general meeting, make sure you leave plenty of time for completion & return of the official nomination form to theresab@pcs.org.uk. We recommend that, where possible, the meeting is arranged for no later than 12 October.


The notice to members calling the general meeting should be issued at least 14 days before the meeting & include the agenda for meeting.


Once agreed by the general meeting, the nominations must be submitted on the official nomination form attached to election regulations. The official nomination form must be completed giving details of the meeting you held, & the branch chair and branch secretary, or if either are absent details of another branch officer present at the meeting.


Your completed branch nomination form must be received by the general secretary c/o Theresa Busby PCS, balloting office by no later than 5.00pm on Monday 16 October.


Your nomination form must be submitted electronically either as a Word or scanned document and attached to an email sent to; theresab@pcs.org.uk.