PCS Conference in May voted in favour of a motion instructing the National Executive Committee to build a serious campaign, capable of winning on jobs. pay, pensions and the huge number of other issues facing PCS members day in day out. That campaign needs to be built, if there is no satisfactory movement from the employer in meeting our demands.
There has been no movement. A new Prime Minister has not meant a new direction – for any worker, let alone PCS members. A 3.5% pay remit, potentially condemning our lowest paid grades to the minimum wage forever, goes nowhere near meeting our claim for 10%. Jobs and livelihoods at risk, with members taking matters into their own hands in disputes across the union – striking to protect jobs and conditions. Thousands of pensions still not being paid to members or their families, condemning many to severe hardship, sees little sign of remedy as the Cabinet Office continues to refuse to bring this service back in house. In fact, to the contrary, private profiteer Capita, awarded more work!
This is just the tip of the iceberg as prices continue to rise and workers pay the price for a cost-of-living crisis which is set to become worse. The employer needs to demonstrate concrete “respect” for civil service workers and others, including private sector workers, who work on the contracts dished out by government without a second thought about the jobs, pay and conditions of those who work on them. Burnham, since July, has created lots of “sound-bites” but little else.
If we are to make progress, then it is vital that we build a campaign across PCS as set out and agreed in motion A375. The NEC Left Coalition majority remain determined to build this campaign.
The saga to do so has been going on since 29 May. This was when the first meeting of the new NEC took place, immediately following conference. And with the specific intention of moving quickly to put the plans in place to launch a cost-of-living campaign on pay, jobs, pensions and other crucial issues and as set out and agreed only the week before at our Annual Delegate Conference.
Unfortunately, at this stage, equally clear, has been the determination of the PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote and her “Democracy Alliance” allies to frustrate and block any national campaign. This determination was on show immediately after the close of Conference, when the General Secretary published her article lauding the 3.5% civil service pay remit as “above inflation”.
Setting aside that the General Secretary was using the government’s measure of inflation, not that used by trade unions, this publication bypassed the NEC in a way that up until now has been exceedingly rare. It is now common. This is despite clear NEC instructions to the contrary – for example on Pensions, where Heathcote’s name appears alone at the bottom of branch bulletins, these mainly just reflect updates from management and whilst there are references to insourcing there is no clear strategy on how we need to implement our policy to make this a reality.
On 2 June, when the National Disputes Committee met, to implement the decisions of the 29th May, material prepared by members of that Committee was condemned by the General Secretary as “disrespectful”. There is still nothing published telling members that the priority of PCS, as overwhelmingly supported at conference, is to build a campaign win on the issues that matter to them most – jobs, pay, pensions and conditions.
On 11 June, there was the General Secretary’s infamous walkout – which was nothing to do with the Standing Orders and everything to do with the determination to shrug off lay control of the union by its elected leadership
Following pressure from ordinary members and reps, the General Secretary was forced to back down.
At the NEC on 15/16 July, further recommendations were agreed to put the necessary steps in place to build the campaign. But the delaying tactics continued with information not forthcoming and still no sign of any publicity to the activist layer or members.
Pay negotiator forums were called for, but the agreed date was simply missed and was neither published or built for. To date no clear plan has been communicated to branches, groups or regions and the delaying tactics continue.
NEC of 19 August
At an emergency NEC which took place on the 19 August, the NEC instructed the General Secretary to get on with it.
A motion put to the NEC by BLN member, Fiona Brittle, laid out some clear and high-profile methods of raising the visibility of the campaign, and some urgent communications for members and activists, including on the crucial question of finance and paying for the cost of a serious campaign of industrial action. This motion passed, despite Democracy Alliance/Left Unity members voting against it. Crucially it also instructed the General Secretary to prepare for a statutory ballot to be launched on the 30th September with the final decision to be made at the NEC taking place at the beginning of September.
It is clear that the DA/LU alliance minority, including the General Secretary (who has been elected to implement conference policy, not blatantly obstruct it) are hoping that because DWP, MOD, MOJ and other areas have not started delegated pay talks they will be excluded from any national response. Likewise for those areas in a multi-year deal. This is a nonsense, not least because the campaign includes jobs, pensions and conditions, but also because we already know that the pay remit of 3.5% will not meet our demand of 10%, will not remove thousands from the horror of low pay and doesn’t protect pensions or jobs.
The argument that because delegated pay talks in these areas have not begun, a ballot cannot commence, is spurious. DWP balloted last year because the employer simply ignored the views of the union in delegated pay talks about how last year’s pay award would be spent. A ballot during pay talks, agitated by reports from the front line of negotiations, would easily achieve membership buy-in.
When the pay and jobs ballot was launched back in September 2022, the mandate was designed to last through to Spring 2023, so as to overlap the period when the government would make decisions about the Civil Service Pay Remit. At that time, multiple groups had not concluded delegated pay talks – but went for it anyway, recognising that the cost cap of the pay remit would not allow for a good award.
That is exactly the current situation. The cost-cap is 3.5%, set by the pay remit, and any flexibilities appear to be accessible only by screwing over AA grades and confining them permanently to the national minimum wage, which should not be acceptable to any serious union rep – though the General Secretary lauded this flexibility too, in her outrageous message on the website back in May.
There is clear industrial logic for the launch of a campaign this autumn, and Conference policy is clear: launch by the end of September.
Broad Left Network members are absolutely committed to the launch of a campaign, to the faithful discharge of Conference policy and to pushing against what is an unstable government predisposed to do us no favours unless it really has to. Anyone not willing to participate – especially those in DA/LU thinking they can block the campaign at Group level – should get out of the way. The General Secretary should respect conference policy and work tirelessly to implement it and stop blocking progress and we hope that all members and reps, no matter what their personal view, will campaign vigorously to build support and win the vote. To not do so, will give strength to the employer at a time when they remain weak and vulnerable.
PCS has a history of being a fighting, democratic union, whose proud traditions defended pensions, established and defended the civil service compensation scheme and who can now play a crucial role in fighting the cost-of-living crisis. Let’s rewin those traditions and build the campaign to win. If you agree, and you want this to continue, we urge you to join the Broad Left Network.
PCS Broad Left Network 