What is the current status of the members levy?

The Members levy is currently ongoing and continues to be paid by every PCS member covered by the National Campaign.

The General Secretary has proposed that the levy be temporarily paused altogether whilst national talks with the new Government on a range of pay and related issues are ongoing and until a point where continuing these talks becomes untenable.

Left Unity supports the GS proposals but the NEC majority have repeatedly voted them down.

What is the purpose of the levy?

The membership levy was devised and supported by Left Unity members at the start of the National Campaign in 2023 to enable the NEC strategy of paid targeted action by groups of members with specific industrial leverage to maximise disruption on the employer and minimise the financial impact of members taking action. This strategy including the introduction of the levy was endorsed by an all-members ballot at the time.

It helped to support hundreds of days of such action during the pay campaign which contributed to an increased pay remit and a lump sum payment for members across the board.

Why does Left Unity support proposals to pause the levy at this time?   

Members will be aware that a new Government was elected on 5^th July. Fairly early in their tenure they confirmed a 5% pay remit for Civil Service bargaining units to follow which is over and above current rates of inflation. They also agreed to continue and step up national talks on fixing some of the long term structural deficiencies in our pay systems.

The General Secretary supported by Left Unity NEC members concluded that a period of placing demands on the new government and maximising the 5% remit in all of our Bargaining areas should take place before considering further swathes of industrial action at this time.

Left Unity stand in NEC elections as part of the Democracy Alliance and unfortunately this group was unable to secure a majority of seats on the NEC this year to support worked out proposals from the newly elected General Secretary, Fran Heathcote. Any proposals she puts forward get voted down by the current NEC majority, often by just 1 or 2 votes difference.

Who are the NEC majority?

The current NEC majority consist of three groups – the Broad Left Network, the Independent Left, and HMRC Alliance for Change which is the general name these groups have adopted for electoral purposes. The main thing they have in common is opposition to the elected General Secretary and her supporters. They secured a slender majority on the NEC this year.

PCS members are now literally paying for their project to unseat the elected General Secretary and elected President at the earliest opportunity.

Don’t let the members pay for the failures of the NEC majority

Pause the levy now. Ask your branch to contact the NEC.

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