This article sets out what happened at the 11th June NEC, what the NEC standing orders are, and why members should care about any of this.
By far the most important function and duty of the PCS National Executive Committee (NEC) is to implement policies as determined by our Annual Delegate Conference.
At the moment, this means launching the campaign to improve pay, to protect jobs and working conditions and to ensure that we tackle the relentless cost of living increases on our members. Additionally, holding the government to account on the Capita pensions crisis; responding to the EHRC code of practice; and defending our victimised reps in HMRC. The NEC was mandated to act on all these issues, and more at Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) last month in May, and indeed at last year’s ADC too.
Members rightly expect the NEC to progress these issues quickly, and to take our responsibility seriously. Members of the Coalition between BLN, Independent Left and Alliance for Change (“the Coalition”) that make up the newly elected NEC majority including the National President Bev Laidlaw are committed to launching a fighting campaign to win for members. The General Secretary, Fran Heathcote, has attempted to sabotage the NEC, and prevent it from meeting or making decisions, to try to block any of this business from being taken forward – this isunacceptable and unconstitutional. This culminated with the General Secretary and the NEC minority walking out of a properly convened meeting which took place on the 11th June.
This is the most recent example of the General Secretary (GS) stalling progress. The GS is responsible for issuing communications, but to date nothing has been published to members telling them about the policy carried by ADC in May to launch a cost of living campaign to improve pay, defend jobs and a number of other issues. Nothing has been published telling members that at the emergency NEC meeting on 29th May agreed to reject the insulting and insufficient unfunded pay remit of 3.5%, submit our pay claim for a 10% pay rise and demand national talks are reopened with the Cabinet Office. Articles written and submitted by the Deputy National President Dave Semple for the PCS website explaining the campaign and need for members to get ready to fight have been actively blocked from being published by the GS. A significant amount of the NEC’s instructions have not been carried out.
What happened at the 11th June NEC?
Within 30 minutes of the meeting starting, the GS incorrectly claimed the meeting was in breach of the union’s rules as the NEC majority wished to adopt a new set of standing orders, which are the procedures governing how the NEC meetings are conducted, instead of the GS’s suggested version. A full factual account of the meeting can be read here. After some debate, the GS declared the NEC was “out of order” (something only the President can do) as we would not adopt her standing orders, and so the committee couldn’t decide any business. The GS left the meeting and encouraged her allies on the NEC to do the same. The President was then removed as a co-host of the Zoom call and the call was ended despite the NEC still being quorate (a majority of voting members present.)
This is particularly odd, as the NEC has already met this year without standing orders being adopted – the emergency NEC on 29th May met to discuss and agree a response to the UK Civil Service pay remit, and instructions agreed at that meeting were taken forward by the GS (though many remain outstanding as mentioned.) None of the NEC nor the GS challenged this approach at the time.
The President restarted the 11th June meeting at 14:30 after a brief adjournment. Theentire NEC, GS, Assistant General Secretary (AGS) and all Full-Time Officers (FTOs) usually present were invited and sent joining details. 20 voting members of the NEC from the Coalition including the President, Deputy President and two vice Presidents joined the NEC meeting, making it quorate and valid. AGS John Moloney also attended. The GS and all NEC members from the “Democracy Alliance” slate chose not to attend. The NEC adopted new standing orders, and dealt with all items of members’ business including to immediately progress work on a cost-of-living campaign in line with motion A375 agreed at ADC 2026, including advice for delegated bargaining areas.
In short, the GS used her control of the PCS systems to try to suspend the NEC. This is in direct contravention of PCS rules. She undermined the power of the NEC and President to conduct the business of the union, which is enshrined in the PCS Principle and Supplementary rules. Principal Rule 8 states: “The management and control of the Union, and the handling of its whole affairs, shall be vested in the National Executive Committee” and Supplementary Rule 7.12 states: “The President shall preside at all NEC meetings, put such motions to the vote as may be seconded, and be the judge of order.” Principle Rule 14 states: “In case of conflict between a principal rule and any other rule of the union, the principal rule shall prevail.” It is clear therefore that even if the standing orders are to be considered rules, they cannot prevent the NEC from exercising the full control of the union vested in the NEC by principle rule 8.
After the NEC meeting, the GS sent out an all-members email, published a video on social media and put an article on the PCS website giving her view of events. None of these were sanctioned by the NEC. These gave an inaccurate and biased account of the NEC meeting, without any detail or explanation to back up the GS’s accusations. No opportunity was given for the President or NEC majority to explain their reasoning or decisions to members. Even more concerning is the GS’s statement that she will ensure the “day to day” business of the union continues – this means making decisions without the required NEC control or oversight. This is completely against the PCS rules.
Why do the standing orders matter, and why should members care?
Simply put, if the GS uses a fight over standing orders to refuse to enact or allow her staff to enact any of the NEC’s decisions, it will be almost impossible to organise a campaign and strike ballot if acceptable improvements aren’t achieved through talks.
The standing orders are a set of principles and procedures that the NEC agree will govern their meetings for the year. It contains things like how debates will be conducted, who has the right to speak, and who has the right to bring business to the NEC and when and how votes will be taken. It sets out the powers of the President as the Chair of the NEC. There is nothing in the standing orders agreed by the majority of the NEC which, “break union rules designed to protect members’ from organised factions” as the GS has claimed. This is total red herring in order to mislead the membership.
It is important therefore that these procedures are democratic and allow for maximum debate and clear procedures for decision making. In 2024 when the Coalition first had a majority on the NEC, former National President Martin Cavanagh used the Standing Orders as a mechanism to veto any motion submitted by NEC members that disagreed with the recommendations in papers submitted by the GS. He knew that, without a Left Unity majority, Coalition NEC members’ motions to build for a national campaign and strike ballot in September 2024 (in line with union policy) would be agreed if he allowed the vote to happen. So a set of Standing Orders were forced through – despite the majority of the then NEC disagreeing with them, to enable him to do this.This created a log-jam situation where the NEC majority could vote down the GS’s papers which capitulated to the employer, but were prevented from voting through our alternative fighting strategies.
So, this is not a petty squabble over obscure rules and procedures. The GS has declared that the NEC cannot meet or decide things until her standing orders are accepted. This seems in keeping with the actions of Cavanagh and the GS in 2024, doing anything possible to prevent motions progressing a fighting campaign they and the rest of Left Unity don’t want. They have tried to pursue a partnership-like cosy relationship with the Cabinet Office for years, providing industrial peace at the expense of members.
The GS’s actions are actively harmful to members interests and progressing the campaign to win them a long overdue fair pay award and protect their terms and conditions, job security. Having now lost the NEC majority and the position of President (and all motions supporting their policy stances at Conference), Left Unity apparently will now stoop to using legal advice paid for by members and the PCS bureaucracy to block the democratically elected NEC.
This is an unacceptable power-grab by the general secretary. The rules are explicit that the general secretary does not decide how to take forward members’ business; that is for the annually elected lay NEC to do underPrincipal Rule 8. The general secretary does not interpret the rules; that is for the President to do underSupplementary Rule 11.6: “The President shall determine any questions as to the interpretation of the Union’s Rules, including any questions as to whether or not the Rules are silent.” The general secretary is explicitly at the direction and under the oversight of the NEC under Supplementary Rule 8.1.
Ask the General Secretary to change approach, and join the NEC in the fight
Members elect an NEC and President to carry out the will of all members agreed at ADC. The General Secretary has acted undemocratically, trying to prevent that from happening. We ask that she changes her approach and join us in fighting toimprove members’ pay, jobs, pensions and working conditions.
Help us to regain proper lay-led, democratic control of our union – join the Broad Left Network today and send this to any reps and branches who want a fighting PCS governed by socialist principles, who will challenge the employer rather than doing their dirty work for them.
PCS Broad Left Network 