As a sitting member of the NEC, I have seen firsthand the damage being done by the ‘Coalition of Chaos’. They have blown up our successful national campaign, replacing unity and coherent strategy with division and confusion.

Their lack of ideas and experience, coupled with a politically motivated desire to settle scores, has seen any momentum lost and members left questioning the role and competence of their union.  

Their stubborn refusal to even consider postponing the levy, despite there being no targeted industrial action underway or even under consideration, has seriously damaged the credibility of our union. Month after month members are leaving PCS or not joining, citing the additional cost of the levy as the reason.

Instead of seeking to build a consensus on the NEC to take forward any campaign, they insist on bringing rafts of politically motivated motions, destined to be rejected as unworkable or unachievable, so that they can blame the democracy alliance for their lack of progress.

Such posturing is having real world consequences. The new government, although originally painting themselves as a potentially more sympathetic employer, has continued with the tired old solutions of more funding and staffing cuts.  

Our members continue to face the cost-of-living crisis, with a totally inadequate pay mandate of 2.8% already announced for this coming pay year. Barely adequate to keep pace with inflation, let alone address the long-term damage caused by 14 years of pay restraint.

Ever increasing workloads and the continued insistence on 60% attendance in office for all staff add to the pressures on members. We need to champion a changed world of work, where increasingly staff can work flexibly and from a variety of locations, not just in one workplace.

We must rebuild our successful national campaign, looking to involve and engage many more groups and members in future action to secure better pay and conditions. For that we need to set out a credible campaign, backed by the potential for achievable industrial action, which the democracy alliance has successfully taken forward before.

As an experienced national negotiator and current NEC member I believe that I can add an important perspective to the work of the national executive committee and the creation of that winning campaign strategy.

I am currently the president of the defence sector group and joint chair of the MOD trade union side, having been a TU activist all my working life.

I am a lifelong socialist and member of left unity, with wider experience from being a local councillor and chair of a secondary school governing body.

We are sadly now engaged in a fight for the future of our union, when we should be using all our energies to win improvements for members. It’s time for us all to get involved and play our part to secure a victory for the Democracy Alliance and strategies that win for members.

Make sure you use your vote for the NEC this year wisely!