For R&C GEC

At the time of writing the ballot for industrial action is coming to an end.

In the last 13 years we have endured amongst other things austerity, a global pandemic and now a cost-of-living crises.

However, it is our members and all working people of low and middle incomes who despite being at the sharp end of this cost-of-living crises are, like always, the only ones who are being sacrificed at the altar of “trickledown” economics.

Whilst those who have profited from all the crises of the last 13 years are rewarded

Say that “trickledown” works to:

•13,000 of our colleagues who will be on minimum wage in April.

•Our colleagues who are struggling to feed themselves and their loved ones and are being compelled, despite being in work, to using food banks.

. Those of our colleagues struggling to pay their energy bills and are find it increasingly difficult to keep themselves and their families warm.

It is therefore imperative that we hit the government imposed 50% threshold and join our comrades on strike in other parts of PCS and in other unions operating in both the public and private sector.

This campaign is about justice and asking our employer and their government paymasters to give us the fair and equitable pay rise that we demand and deserve.

As well as the campaign we have our day-to-day issues. The understaffing being the most fundamental. This means that the current staff are given unachievable targets and are therefore under increasing pressure to deliver on the unrealistic delivery expectations (given its very low operational budget) that the government has of the employer. It is therefore not a surprise that stress and mental health related issues is the biggest cause of sickness absence in the department. The left unity led GEC will, if elected, continue to push the employer to recruit more staff as well as of course ask for better pay and conditions for existing staff.

There is also the constant revision of the PACR agreement that the employer undertakes especially in CSG. The left unity led GEC has consistently pushed back against these revisions and do maintain through branches and the BTUS structures a constant watching brief on these issues. An example of these issues includes the dilution of hard-won contractual rights to flexible working which seems to be happening across all business streams.

As a rep of many years’ experience in personal case representation and industrial relation negotiations at all levels including GEC I am asking for you to vote for me and my Left Unity colleagues.

I do believe that in order to succeed in our current and future campaigns we need a strong and united GEC to work alongside a strong and united NEC.