The leadership faction in the PCS civil service union, “PCS Left Unity”, are in a civil war over whose turn it is to stand for Assistant General Secretary when it comes up for election in 2019 (nominations open 17 January, balloting 16 April to 9 May).
Rogue SP member and current lay President of the union Janice Godrich is challenging incumbent SP loyalist Chris Baugh for the nomination. LU holds its final meeting to decide its nomination later in November. Whether the loser will accept the result and not stand against the LU nominee remains to be seen.
Currently we don’t believe there will be a challenge from the right-wing. PCS Independent Left will be nominating John Moloney for the election.
● John is standing on a worker’s wage. If elected he will take no more than the EO London rate minimum in DWP (around £29,000), not the full £85,000 taken by Baugh since elected in 2004.
● For a genuine return to national pay bargaining. An end to atomised bargaining units across government where employers can engage in a race to the bottom on terms and conditions.
● For a serious strategy to win the pay ballot. We need to announce our intention to members early, commit organisers where we’re weakest and be open with members about what’s needed to win. Co-opt proven lay-organisers to the union for the duration of the ballot. Maximise social-media, but most importantly face-to-face, shop-floor contact with members.
● Strengthen the confidence of the Rank and File: To rebuild the union from its low ebb we need to organise, support and allow members locally to take action on issues. Historic low rates of membership in key departments can only be reversed by building confidence in members’ ability to fight and win battles locally as well as nationally.
● Not an inch on compulsory redundancies
● For a re-orientation to rank-and-file organising: We need to re-engage members, including the 90%+ who don’t vote in national elections. For complete transparency and membership involvement in all negotiations. John will work to end secretive “embargo” agreements.
● A serious industrial and political strategy. Not just a catch-all “national campaign”. More focus on service and workplace campaigns and disputes. For example, extend the HMRC cleaners’ campaign union-wide, and channel the anger among telephony and processing members into a wider dispute across the public and commercial sectors.
● Get rid of this government and replace it with Corbyn-led Labour. Affiliate to the Labour Party, not to cheer-lead for Corbyn or water-down our positions, but to ensure our policies are on the Labour agenda and enacted in government.
