I work in HMRC in Nottingham. I am a current member of the  National Executive Committee (NEC), Vice Chair of the PCS Midlands Regional Committee, and an Assistant Group Secretary in the PCS Revenue & Customs Group. I have been an active trade union member and activist since the late 1980s with over 28 years’ experience as a union representative with PCS and legacy unions, supporting, defending and representing members’ interests and campaigning for improvements in pay, terms, and conditions. Over the years I have been active in multiple campaigns to defend and further the interests of our members across all sectors of our community and have been active in the anti-racism movement.

The cost of living crisis, presided over by the current Government, has continued to see thousands of our members struggle to make ends meet. Increasing numbers of our colleagues are having to resort to using food banks and to claiming in-work benefits. In April 2024, due to ongoing low pay, thousands of our members will have to receive a pay increase just to prevent their salaries dropping below the National minimum wage, again. Across all pay grades members are choosing to leave the Civil Service in ever increasing numbers due to over a decade of low or no pay growth, austerity politics and years of neglect by successive Governments. It’s not that long ago that Civil Servants were classified as Key Workers, keeping the UK functioning through the Covid pandemic. Proper recognition for this is long overdue. The below inflation pay remits from the Treasury have been derisory.

Over the past year, PCS embarked on a strategy for fighting for a reasonable pay rise across the Civil Service, for the recovery of our overpaid pension contributions, against detrimental changes to the redundancy scheme, and to protect jobs against cuts and privatisation. The Democracy Alliance led NEC agreed a strategy that successfully forced the Government to move on pay and stall their plans to reduce the value of the redundancy scheme.  The first time in our union’s history that PCS has successfully forced the Government to change their decisions and plans. This was entirely down to the successful industrial action, including strikes across the majority of the Civil Service and targeted action taken by our members in individual departments. Levels of support from PCS members had never been higher, and this is reflected in the increased membership of our union. Moving forward, the campaign is not over. PCS continue to pursue the pension overpayment issues through the courts and await the next hearing on compensation for the ending of the system used for paying our union subscriptions, known as Check Off.

Obviously, we did not win everything we demanded, which is why we need to build on the strategy and continue to fight for meaningful real terms increases in pay and the restoration of our salaries to the level they should be at, had they only kept pace with inflation. Also to continue to defend our redundancy and pension rights. It is my belief that the sensible and realistic Democracy Alliance led strategy, that keept the impact on members as low as practicably possible while demonstrating the value of every single Civil Servant in our campaign for a better deal, that brought the membership with it and beat the Government’s draconian anti trade union laws, can succeed again. We forced the Government to move from their original position last year and can do so again. We need to continue to challenge the draconian anti trade union laws and the most recent attacks on the right to strike and minimum service levels being imposed by the Government. This year is an election year and the Government, including those at the head of it, know that are not strong and are on unstable ground. This is why not only do we need a strategy that challenges the current Government but one that recognises that there is likely to be a change of administration before the end of 2024.

As a socialist and member of Left Unity I am proud of all our union has done, and continues to do, to support, defend and further our members interests.

We must not forget that PCS, under the current Democracy Alliance leadership was instrumental in defeating the Governments plans to deport immigrants to Rwanda, helping to convince the highest courts that the plans were unlawful, as PCS and other organisations contended. We should continue to fight for the rights of refugees and other vulnerable people in wider society and defend their human rights against the continuing threats from the current Government.

I am standing for re-election to the NEC so that I can continue using my experience, as part of the Democracy Alliance team.  To continue the fight to improve members’ pay terms and conditions, fight against the pensions robbery, defend jobs against privatisation and outsourcing, against cuts to our redundancy terms, to keep our workplaces safe, and for the equality and equity every one of our members deserve. To continue to build our union, recruit more members, recruit and train and support more union representatives right across the entire Civil Service and in the commercial sectors.

I encourage you to use your vote in these elections and to vote for the Democracy Alliance candidates.