Members will have seen the previous Left Unity article (click here) reporting on the chaos created at PCS Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) by members of the newly aligned coalition ‘for change’ – a coalition of minorities, small numbers from the Broad Left Network (BLN, the Socialist Party front), the Independent Left (IL, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty front) and the Alliance for Change (AfC) , that banded together, as it was the only way to scrape a win against Left Unity.  Using non-PCS members to leaflet outside offices while Left Unity reps were busy supporting members inside, using Socialist Party funds to oust Left Unity members from leadership.

Having secured a slim majority on the NEC standing for ”change” it’s worth noting that their Presidential candidate and a number of their elected NEC members want to turn the clock back to some of the failed tactics of the past when they were previously on the NEC.

Left Unity members on the NEC have always sought unity on the key issues affecting members and reps, putting any tactical differences we may have on occasion to one side and concentrating on unifying our members to take forward the PCS agenda determined by our Annual Delegate Conference. This included, as part of the national campaign, the innovative decision to use minimum levels of unpaid industrial action, with unprecedented levels of paid action supported by the levy, which saw us win a pay rise that was more than double the Civil Service pay remit, which was to be imposed at 2%, and forced the Tory Government to withdraw from their manifesto commitment to cut Civil Service compensation payments by 33%. The union for the first time ever, achieving a payment of £1500 for the previous year as a cost-of-living payment, from a rabid right wing Tory Government. 

Our members won that, and those gains are not insignificant no matter the claims of the coalition.

The same can be said of the successful dispute in National Museums Liverpool. It is our strategy of sustained, targeted paid action, and members’ bravery in supporting the action, that has won concessions from the employer which have now been accepted by members in a ballot.

The return of the Socialist Party into positions on the NEC has already seen threats of more ‘militant’ all out action added to their continued call for substantive levels of unpaid action.

In their desperation to beat back your elected Left Unity led NEC of 2023, this coalition gleefully caused so many delays in the conference proceedings that 65% of motions, motions written by branches to set PCS policy, were not heard. This was not due to, as has been claimed, the coalition pressing for democracy, but due to numerous speakers levelling a barrage of attacks and unfounded allegations at the outgoing NEC. Coalition acolytes calling on conference to vote for anything but the motions moved by the NEC, leaving PCS now without a unified national pay campaign, and without an organising strategy for the year ahead. Such petty and irresponsible behaviour belongs in the schoolyard, not on a conference platform, and not at the NEC.

Just as they jettisoned the motions at conference, the same behaviours to delay proceedings have already spilled over into the NEC where we have now seen items of importance on the agenda not debated. 

No Unity Required Here!

Back to square one with a stagnant campaign, as per the returned members of the Socialist Party’s record on the NEC, but a new move introduced was the argument against the NEC building unity.

It is expected that there will be debate amongst reps on committees, often robust and even heated at times, but once a consensus is reached members expect a degree of unity from their union leadership.  Do they not? Extremely concerning then to have heard the BLN state quite proudly that there is no expectation for a union to work in unity – crowing in their arrogance at winning a small majority on the NEC, the BLN now claim that ‘unity’ is the language of the outgoing NEC, unity has been ‘rejected’ by members, along with the national campaign strategy. 

Left Unity do not believe that this is the ‘change’ members voted for, members do not want to see a divided union, which is why every member of Left Unity has committed to fixing the divisions within PCS, no matter how difficult BLN seek to make it happen. It is clear to Left Unity that the BLN is actually out of touch with the membership and had they put their real intentions of ‘no unity’ and ‘higher levels of unpaid strike action’ into their election addresses, it would be a surprise if they won any seats at all, let alone a small majority.

Nor do Left Unity believe that members have rejected the national campaign that saw us win gains for the first time in decades. The BLN are as out of touch with PCS members as they are with the rules of the union and the protocols that allow meetings to progress.  Debate is good, and of course all’s fair in love and politics, but to put factional demands above the needs of our members is not acceptable, and to see the pantomime that began at ADC spill over into Tuesday’s NEC meeting was not at all entertaining, and extremely concerning for the future of our union.

Shocked.  Not Shocked.

Before the NEC was even underway, the National President was challenged via a point of order raised by the BLN – not for breaching the unions rules, but shock of all shocks, for beginning the meeting with the standing orders from the previous year, as happens at every meeting, at the beginning of every year.  Until the new standing orders are agreed by the new committee, as is the correct democratic process, the only option available is to begin with the rules that are already in place.  This point of order saw the elected President leave the Chair as his ruling was challenged.  The challenge was not upheld by two thirds of the Committee, so the President’s decision stood.  Pointless point of order, time wasted, but sectarian is what sectarian does, and that set the scene for the remainder of the meeting.

The new standing orders presented by the President were then challenged, not by amendments as would normally be the case if there was disagreement, but by a motion that called to ‘delete all’ of the President’s paper and replace it with a set of standing orders moved by the BLN.  Both were heard and neither reached the two thirds majority required to agree the new standing orders.  The meeting was left with no rules to work with, and the President was forced to adjourn. 

Serious matters to deal with, but such was the sectarianism on display that the need to ‘delete all’ took precedence over voting for the standing orders that – wait for it – in the main have been in place for decades, that were certainly in place whilst those attempting to ‘delete all’ were previously on the NEC.  Never before have they called to ‘delete all’ of the standing orders so why now?

This was no more than an opportunist attempt by a Party that has built a coalition from factions with minority numbers, to capitalise on their simple majority by removing the two thirds rule from the standing orders.  The two thirds rule is an important way of ensuring checks and balances, it is a constant across the Trade Union movement to ensure that no one faction can overtake the committee or put undemocratic practices in place.  But this coalition was making a clear attempt to remove the two thirds ruling to give their miniscule majority the right to override the President’s decisions, remove the powers of the elected president and put it into the hands of the committee that they believe they hold.  Not since the days of the old right-wing in CPSA and the early years of PCS has it been known that a PCS elected President, elected by members to make decisions on their behalf, should have their ability to preside removed by a faction.  A Party that tried and tried again to win the Presidency of PCS and the General Secretary position, that did not win those positions moving to undermine the authority and responsibility of the PCS National President and the General Secretary is not a left-wing strategy, it is a clear return to the behaviour and actions of the old right wing as they refused to acknowledge Mark Serwotka as the GS; the BLN now launching their own little coup to overthrow the elected PCS President at the very first opportunity.  So bitter are they that members have voted for Left Unity candidates to lead PCS, wanting to keep safe hands on the PCS helm.

The NEC reconvened, the vote was taken again, and all but three members of the coalition, their having caused chaos and already wasted two hours, agreed the President’s paper.

A Simple Majority Takes the NEC Committees

The President again moved his recommendations for the NEC sub committees and equality fora, and the BLN again rejected the paper using their tiny majority to continue their sectarian attacks.

In a move that has never been seen before, the National President was removed from the Organising and Education Committee, to be replaced by a candidate that only won a position on the NEC by three votes.  Not only was the national president replaced, but in yet a further sectarian attack, the DWP Group President was removed from the Organising and Education Committee, and not even replaced. They did not even hide their vitriol in this case.  Removing the National President and the President of the biggest Group in the union from one of the most important committees of the NEC, when it is imperative we build a strong union in the face of an incoming government, with no rhyme, reason, or explanation, just because they want to, is tantamount to a small child taking their toys back.

Probably the most interesting statement of all in the move to take the committees was that they are “not bothered” about equality.” The Socialist Party have long said they ‘don’t do equality’, cementing Left Unity’s argument that they only shout about it at conferences to win the votes that they would otherwise, never win.  The change members are now seeing is no equality, no unity, and the BLN using bureaucracy to give the socialist Party power over PCS members. 

This is what Left Unity have been working to defend PCS members from. The statement that every vote will count, has never been more clearly evidenced. 

Faction by faction, Left Unity still holds the majority number on the NEC; the BLN, the Independent Left, and the Alliance for Change would be nowhere near the NEC if they had stood alone.  They have had to hold their noses and join together, with their opposing policies, just to win a small majority.  Bit embarrassing really but Left Unity would argue, this is an extremely serious concern for our members for decisions made in the year ahead; and why it is important that the union holds onto the two thirds rule.

The NEC continued, the BLN tried to impose a general election strategy that would force branches to support candidates who “support at least some PCS policies” regardless of whether the members agree, or if they are from the Far Right; they sought to allow NEC members to attend any union meetings, wherever they like, merely advising the President to enable their expenses claims, then a BLN member moving to stifle debate, moving a motion of order to stop elected members of the NEC speaking in a debate. This call came after the coalition speakers had been called in and three Left Unity members were waiting to speak. This blatant sectarianism has not been seen or heard of at an NEC for decades.  Attempting to gag the opposition, afraid of a bit of a challenge, that’s democracy in the world of the coalition.

They flexed their muscles throughout the meeting, drunk on the power brought to them by their miniscule majority, they again filibustered the important work that was on the agenda, calling for standing orders to be suspended so the meeting could run over time.  Again, having been told by the president that NEC members had meetings to attend so the meeting would not be quorate, they pressed to continue.  At what price democracy?

Shocked?  Not shocked. This is a clear example of how the Socialist Party works, how the Independent Left, as evidenced by the lack of reporting on that faction, despite receiving the highest votes, are the poor relations within the coalition, and how the Alliance for Change representative is no more than a hand to be raised to vote for the Socialist Party.

Members should be aware that your vote counts.  Vote for unity.  Vote for representatives that will work together and support each other, vote for those that are willing to work with other factions for the betterment of our union, that will make the right decisions when push comes to shove.

Conference delegates have already commended our National President on his fair hand and balanced judgement at ADC. Members know that under his leadership the democracy of PCS is in safe hands, no matter the spin coming from the BLN.

Please consider joining Left Unity to ensure we keep PCS on an even keel.  But more importantly, if you want a union that is not tied to any outside organisation, that works for you as a PCS member, be sure, next time the call comes, that you vote Left Unity!