For PCS NEC

I am standing in the upcoming elections for a position as NEC member. I am currently on the NEC and also Vice President of DWP Group and Vice Chair of the NW Regional Committee.

I have been honoured to serve our members on those committees and also on the Disability, and Black Members forum as NEC delegate.

A strong, vocal advocate for equality I have worked to ensure our members’ collective voice is heard at every table. Being immersed in personal case work and local matters I bring members’ real experiences to the committees and so have been integral in putting equality at the heart of the union’s bargaining agenda. Where cases of race discrimination were not being taken up due to the difficulty with burden of proof, I pressed this at the UKCS Bargaining Committee resulting in agreement that the bar will be lowered where there is not an obvious prospect of success, giving PCS the ability to better support Black Members. Under the Left Unity led NEC we have seen massive improvements in the access to legal support and improvements to the knowledge base on the digital platform.

I am proud to have been part of a Left Unity leadership that leads from the front. As the crisis hit, fuel and living costs rose at an exponential rate, the NEC moved to build a tactically viable campaign of paid targeted and sustained action, supported by a levy to allow full pay; with national action to be kept under review, to be taken when we can strike with other unions in a mass turn out to put pressure on Government. As some called for higher levels of unpaid action, the Left Unity leadership held to the agreed way forward, to maximise the impact on government and minimise the impact on our member’s finances.

As PCS members and their families face the worst effects imaginable during this economic crisis, it is imperative that we keep this strategically able leadership at the helm.

As a socialist I constantly fight for fairness and improvements for all, so I was never prouder than when we as an NEC took a decision on behalf of Border Force members to protect people crossing the Channel seeking safe asylum. PCS saw government’s appalling ‘Pushback Policy’ withdrawn and took court action against the abhorrent Rwanda Deportation Policy. We have now ensured that the asylum seekers that were to be taken to Rwanda each have leave to appeal their case.

I am always honoured to speak on PCS policy and I will be delegate to Women’s TUC this year, representing our union as I did at the Black Workers TUC and Scottish TUC. I want to continue this work and so would ask you to give me your vote.

In order for me to continue to do the work I have done I need good allies beside me so I am also asking that you vote for all members on the Democracy Alliance slate. I believe we are the best team for the job, and that the alliance will ensure that conference policy, and all democratic decisions made by PCS’ elected bodies are implemented on your behalf.