PCS conference: Preparing for future battles

In a really excellent conference, the civil service union PCS, under its socialist leadership which was re-elected for the seventh time in succession, mapped out its strategy for the next 12 months.

Bill Mullins, 29 May 2009

The PCS's 300,000 members face an unprecedented period of attacks from the New Labour government. These attacks were outlined by Janice Godrich in her presidential address: "With a public sector deficit of £175 billion, the government is preparing massive attacks on the public sector, with some £15 billion of planned cuts on top of the £15 billion already achieved under 'efficiency' savings".

She went on to point out that in the elections on 4 June the main parties will be sunk in the scandal of MPs' expenses. But workers will have an opportunity to vote for working class candidates such as Keith Gibson from the Lindsey oil refinery construction site and Frank Jepson of Visteon.

General secretary Mark Serwotka referred to the fact that despite losing over 60,000 workers through voluntary redundancy not one PCS member has been made compulsorily redundant.

He warned that part of the planned attacks will include the civil service compensation scheme (enhanced redundancy payments) and the public sector pension scheme, which protects over 3.5 million workers.

Like Janice, Mark referred to the forthcoming euro-elections when he said later that despite the PCS Make your Vote Count (MYVC) campaign being very good, it has its limitations and doesn't answer the question: "Who should I vote for?"

He said that the slogan: "British jobs for British workers" is xenophobic but had been cut across in the Lindsey oil refinery strike by the intervention of socialists. "And now we have chance to vote for candidates from Visteon and Lindsey in the elections", he said.

In the debate on political representation, Mark said that any decision to support pro-public service candidates in elections would be subject to 12 months of consultation and a members' ballot. He made it clear though he was completely in favour of the proposal.

"It will untie our hands", he said. The proposal was overwhelmingly agreed.

The conference also gave its overwhelming support in an emergency resolution to Rob Williams, the victimised Linamar Unite convenor. On the previous day, when Mark Serwotka came to the rostrum and said that Rob was in the gallery, the whole conference stood up and turned around to applaud Rob. The union's national executive had already agreed to give £1,000 to his campaign.

In an emergency motion on MPs' expenses, Socialist Party member Kevin Greenway spoke for the national executive. He said that if PCS-supported MPs were found to have claimed excessive expenses then the union would dissociate itself from them. "To do anything else would leave us adrift from public opinion," he said, in response to a delegate calling for the motion to be remitted "because it would affect the PCS group of MPs."

The motion was overwhelmingly carried, as was a motion that called for support and a financial donation to the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign.

The Socialist Party meeting attracted 75 people to hear Socialist Party general secretary Peter Taaffe, Janice Godrich and young members' network chair Alan Warner. A magnificent £1,750 was collected for the party.

Over 250 copies of The Socialist were sold, over two issues, marking the support that the Socialist Party has in the union.

Delegates' anger

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union conference met against a background of the worst recession since the 1930s and in the wake of a budget statement that set out the government's strategy to "deal with the economic crisis" they themselves have created. This is in spite of the fact that this government has sold off more than the Tories ever did.

John McInally, PCS vice president, personal capacity

The anger of delegates at this attempt to lay the responsibility of paying for the crisis at our door was best reflected in motions calling for complete opposition to cuts and privatisation.

But these motions also set out a comprehensive programme to tackle the failure of the unrestrained free market, including the expansion of public services and the nationalisation of banking and finance under democratic control, accountability and scrutiny with full protection of the workers in that sector and compensation for shareholders only on the basis of proven need.

The motions also called for the nationalisation of the major utilities, including transport, and a major programme of public works. There were demands that we need a planned economy in the interests of the many, not the few.

The agreement on pay that the union made with the government before Christmas, which was designed to put more money into members' pockets, has been tested and has failed. The conference agreed a process of consultation with the members on a strategy to take forward the campaign, which will begin in the early summer.

In a genuinely historic debate, conference voted overwhelmingly to launch a consultation with branches and members on supporting trade union candidates in elections.

This move was not seen as some academic exercise but a vital initiative to effectively back up our campaigns on the industrial front with that of the political front.

Everything has changed with the passage of this motion - it means a major trade union, along with the transport union RMT, has now made it clear that a radical change is required. Standing candidates against those who represent the interests of the bosses rather than the workers must be a core part of that change.

Young members' voices heard

PCS has a strong left leadership, including members of the Socialist Party, that challenges the way trade unions act and fight on behalf of their members.

Tracy Edwards, PCS young members' network, personal capacity

This left leadership set up a young members' network in 2004 which has grown in strength and organisation in recent years. This year, more young workers were engaged in main discussions around our conference agenda.

Nick Parker, Youth Fights for Jobs steering committee and PCS Lincolnshire youth convenor challenged criticisms by a small minority, of the Lindsey oil refinery dispute. Workers and unemployed can be united, clearing away the lies of far right parties through strong trade union organisation and a working class alternative.

There was unanimous support for a motion calling on PCS to support the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign, which the PCS national youth committee plays a role within. This means we can begin to produce joint material.

A motion calling for a national framework to ensure all call centre workers have minimum trade union standards means PCS can unite our call centre campaigning work. This follows on from the recent HMRC dispute which saw the employer concede on nearly all the demands because nearly 100% of PCS members working for HMRC call centres voted to take selective action.

This would have seen them walk out together for 1-2 hours at a time, disrupting HMRC's ability to answer tax queries. Management probably didn't like it much when over 250 people joined the union during the two week ballot period!

Our young members' fringe meeting attracted over 50 people, young and older. Helen Irving from Benton Park View branch HMRC in Newcastle spoke about young people getting involved in the Youth Fight for Jobs campaign because the world leaders will not sort it out for us. It's up to young people to shout a bit louder.

DWP youth officer, Helen Flanagan from the North West reminded the meeting about the importance of having a key set of demands for young people and pointed to the PCS Young Members' Charter as a template.

Many congratulated the young members' network, saying how good it is to see so many new and young faces having a influence in our union and campaigns.

On our stall we distributed 'rights at work' leaflets, jargon busters and our young members' materials. We obtained key contacts from branches interested in organising young member activity in their workplace. We sold T-shirts to young and older, raising over £350 for the PCS hardship fund.

There was a buzz around conference this week. I can't remember seeing this many people being so excited about the future and direction our union is moving in. In this environment, I'm sure our young members' network will continue to grow.