PCS Left Unity presidential candidate Martin Cavanagh spent time on the Heathrow picket line today (Tuesday, 30th April) supporting members in Border Force on strike about imposed rosters by the Home Office.
Martin says…
The way the Border Force are treating these workers is a disgrace.
Hundreds of our members have had revised rosters imposed upon them, with no meaningful consultation, and which severely restricts their work-life balance. These members have over a thousand years of experience between them and have given years of loyal service. Many of them have regularly missed important family occasions such as weddings, and even holidays, to work their previous shifts. Their thanks for outstanding service and commitment, is the employer forcing new rosters upon them which are seriously detrimental, with no flexibility.
The new rosters can impose up to a 50 hour week on our members, and particularly disadvantage those with caring responsibilities, health issues, or disabilities.
It is outrageous. A number of members have been forced to leave their jobs as a result, with over 1100 years of experience and service being lost. That is irreplaceable.
Members have understandably decided enough is enough and delivered a brilliant strike ballot result and are now taking an initial four days of strike action this week (29th April – 2nd May).
Our leadership will continue to support these workers in their fight for fairer rosters and an end to this treatment, which is effectively “fire and rehire.” Our members have earned the right to be treated with dignity and respect, not such callous disregard
Our members understand how important it is to deliver a mandate in strike ballots, and all members, in every employer group, should take inspiration from these members at Heathrow, and those in National Museums Liverpool, and the Pensions Regulator, to deliver another huge vote in the national campaign ballot for better pay, pensions justice, and job security.
2023 saw PCS members take 3 days of national action and hundreds of days of targeted action. As a result we gained a significantly improved pay award and a £1,500 cost of living payment.
Unity Square picket line Nottingham
These gains were the direct result of the Democracy Alliance led NEC strategy of national and targeted action paid for by a membership levy.
As a result of the improved pay offer members voted to pause the industrial action, but your NEC always expected that this would be a temporary situation. Despite some progress in talks with the Cabinet Office it is clear that we need to increase the pressure, and so we have launched an industrial action ballot which closes in May.
In the coming year we need to make sure we continue to deliver a clear and coherent strategy across the union and so we are asking you to vote for the Democracy Alliance candidates.
Other achievements in the last year include
· Guaranteed no cuts to the compensation scheme
· Reconstituting the Young Members Network
· Constituting devolved nation executives in Scotland and Wales
· Legal action against pushbacks and the Rwanda scheme
The last year has demonstrated PCS at its best and most vibrant; but the job is not finished. Our candidates are committed to continuing to –
· Increasing membership
· Recruiting and training a new layer of activists
· Fighting the scourge of low pay
· Continuing and extending the use of effective, targeted and sustained action
If you would like Democracy Alliance election material for use in your branch you can download it here
As PCS’s representative on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) Women’s Committee, and heading into International Women’s Day (IWD,) I was proud to represent PCS at ICTU’s Women’s conference. Looking at the events of the last few weeks, I’ve considered what this means for me and for others and the progress we’ve made since IWD was first suggested in 1910.
The conference in an important marker in the trade union movement’s calendar. It represents a fantastic opportunity to stand in solidarity with our sister unions over issues that are present in the workplace, the trade union movement and wide society, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and violence. Although saddened these issues are still on the agenda, I was inspired to see so many women attending the conference, incredible women, tirelessly working to make things better, for themselves, their colleagues, and future generations.
The conference looks to bring women to the heart of policy making bring their experience to the fore. It reinforces that women in a trade union make real difference standing up to injustice and giving a voice to many who cannot speak for themselves. With more and more women in the workplace and the trade union movement than ever before, women have a right to expect more. They deserve a trade union movement that recognises their experience, their value, their contribution. I was proud to show PCSs commitment to supporting women who have and will continue to achieve so much as we move forward, not just for themselves but for all.
The wider theme of the conference was something we all can appreciate, ‘valuing care in all its forms’. Being a carer is something that impacts us all at some point in our life, from childcare to caring for a loved one or partner and caring for elderly parents. As a carer for my daughter on the autism spectrum and for 2 elderly disabled parents this is something close to my heart.
Sometimes becoming a carer is something that happens suddenly, after an accident or health scare, circumstances that offers us little time to prepare for the immense changes that being a carer makes to our lives. Sometimes being a carer is a gradual transition as our commitment to caring become more as a loved one’s health declines or they age. Either way, becoming a carer is a huge commitment that impacts every aspect of someone’s life, impacting social activity, family relationships, mental health, and work life. A change that is often not recognised, an impact that goes unnoticed, and a role that is undervalued.
The majority of carers are women. Carers are often forced out of the workplace, resigning women to becoming a hidden voice in society, something that we as a trade union movement have long campaigned against. As a trade union moment, we cannot stand by and watch as women are forced back into the home. Therefore, I was inspired to see the trade union movement as a whole embrace this issue as a priority.
The ICTU conference and IWD celebration is not only an opportunity to remember the struggles that women have faced and recognise how far we have come, but also an opportunity to identify current issues and how we will overcome these for future generations. As the fight for equality continues its important that as a trade union movement we continue to fight for equal pay, equal work and equal opportunity. We will continue to challenge inequality in the workplace and society, and a movement we will challenge inequality in our workplaces.
The old adage remains the true, together we are stronger and together we will make a change.
A personal message from Martin Cavanagh – Acting National President
Last year when the LU-led NEC recommended pausing industrial action as part of our national campaign on pay, pensions justice and job security, we did so with a promise to PCS members.
The promise that we would re-ballot our members for further strike action if sufficient progress wasn’t made in talks at both Cabinet Office and delegated levels. The recommendation was overwhelmingly supported by PCS members with over a 90% yes vote on a 47% turnout in last summers consultative ballot.
The NEC decision of the 7th March to move to a ballot of all UK and Welsh Government members on updated demands delivers on that promise to members.
While progress has been made in talks, and for the first time since the imposition of delegated pay in the early 90’s, there is an acknowledgement that the current pay system doesn’t work, that doesn’t deliver the pay rise our members need right now.
As a result I believe the NEC was absolutely right to call a ballot of members starting today (Monday 18th March).
Not a ballot for ballots sake
Unlike our opponents, who opposed the pause of action last year and now argue we are balloting too soon, the LU-led leadership is clear that when we ballot and subsequently strike, we should do so for maximum effect.
The truth is the anti-union threshold is aimed at making it more difficult to take strike action. We also know from past experience, whenever we ballot, against the backdrop of the 50% threshold, it is always a challenge to meet that target. In that context there is no ideal time to ballot.
However, members should be able to trust that their union will only ballot when it’s necessary and at the optimum time to do so. LU are clear now is the optimum time.
We aren’t simply balloting for ballot’s sake. It is crucial to our strategy of maximising leverage on the government, that we do so with a clear intent, that being the upcoming Treasury remit.
Every year the Treasury issues it’s remit guidance to government departments, which acts as the framework for delegated talks. The LU-led PCS leadership is clear that we need to up the pressure on government ahead of that remit being published, and to try and get it increased before delegated talks are underway.
That was successful last year, when we knew 2% was the intended remit, but our strike action at the end of 2022 and early in 2023, forced the government to more than double that to 4.5%.
Balloting now and getting a huge mandate across the UK and Welsh Civil Service can act as a similar catalyst.
It is also why we were right to reject calls to push the ballot timetable back to later in the year. Initially those calls from opponents of LU were to push it to the summer, showing a lack of confidence in members and activists. More recently the calls were to move it to April, to give us more time to be ready for the ballot, ignoring that the NEC have been asking branches to get ballot ready since late last year, and that we would miss any opportunity of influencing the remit for 2024/25.
Let’s deliver even bigger than before
Between now and the 13th May it is critical we leave no stone unturned in driving out the vote in the statutory ballot.
We showed last year that action can deliver concessions from this government, and whilst they weren’t enough to settle our dispute, members can and should be confident their actions can win more.
In a General Election year, we now have the opportunity to remind the current government, as well as laying down a marker for the next one, that we are ready, willing, and able to fight for the pay we deserve, for pensions justice and a refund of what is rightfully ours, and for long-term job security.
Give the LU-leadership of PCS the mandate we need, and we will again lead you into action, that will maximise the impact on government and minimise the financial cost to you and your families.
Last year the industrial action, which included 3 days of national strike action and hundreds of days of targeted action paid for by the national levy, saw a significant improvement in our pay deal and a £1500 back pay for the cost of living. In a consultative ballot members voted overwhelmingly to pause the campaign, but we made it clear that the campaign was not over.
In recent talks there has been some progress with the Cabinet Office but nowhere near enough for us to assume we could receive a decent increase this year. We are demanding a cost of living increase plus pay restoration for the many years of declining pay. The strike levy will be reinstated at the end of May.
The ballot will run from 18th March to the 13th May.
Surprisingly supporters of the BLN and IL on the NEC proposed delaying the ballot start into April. This from the people who said we were selling out the dispute last year when we paused the action. They proposed that we need more preparation time, but we decided that coming straight out of the online survey into a ballot would be better than losing momentum.
With the ballot opening in a week’s time Left Unity is calling on all our supporters and all activists to put our backs into getting the vote out. It is crucial that we get every group past the 50% strike threshold and are in the position to take strike action if needed.
In the coming days we need to make sure every member is in the correct branch and we have a ballot address for them and correct contact details.
Start planning your branch activity to deliver the ballot – leafletting, meetings, calling people.
Make sure you use PCS digital to record who has voted so we know who we need to talk to.
The cost of living remains exorbitantly high for working class people. Councils are pushing up council tax, services are being cut and this government of millionaires continues to attack our class. As other unions begin to ballot again for this year let’s deliver a spectacular strike vote that allows us to go into PCS Conference in May ready to take a stand.
At this week’s NEC, a member of the Broad Left Network astonished members by calling for PCS to affiliate to the Labour Party now in order to ‘change it from within’.
This faction was set up by the sectarian Socialist Party, which has run a vicious campaign of division within PCS and which has boasted that they intend to ‘tear down the lot’ if their preferred candidates do not get the positions that they demand.
The Socialist Party are in an unprincipled alliance with the Independent Left, which is dominated by the Alliance For Workers’ Liberty, which has a long-standing commitment to Labour Party Affiliation. The fact the Socialist Party, which does not support affiliation to Labour, and in fact, runs its own electoral organisation – TUSC – is prepared to press this demand within PCS, is scandalous, but also shows how far they have stooped.
Left Unity, and previous general secretary, Mark Serwotka, with the full backing of activists and members, developed the union’s political representation policies, through years of consultation, which included a national members’ ballot – the Left Unity NEC established the Political Fund, set up parliamentary groups in Westminster, Scotland and Wales, and worked with politicians across the board in Northern Ireland.
PCS’s political strategy has been based on the central principle that all its political campaigning starts from the basis that it must relate to the union’s campaign to protect jobs, conditions and services.
PCS has worked on the basis of being political, not party-political.
It is shocking that BLN has taken this position. Starmer’s Labour Party is committed to cuts and privatisation – just like the Tories.
While we want to see an end to the Tory Government, PCS Left Unity, the true socialist organisation within PCS, will never do what BLN and the Independent Left propose – get into bed with the Labour Party, by affiliating to them – something that we are confident has no support amongst members.
What is at stake?
Left Unity has repeatedly warned of the divisive behaviour of the BLN. Its personalised methods of disrupting, rather than building unity, has nothing to do with ‘socialism’ as they claim. The fact they support calls for a cosy relationship with Keir Starmer is a new low.
We have predicted sectarianism – which they represent – is a giant step towards the re-emergence of an organised right wing in PCS. Early signs of this are apparent already in the HMRC where the candidate set up to challenge the existing group president claims he isn’t really standing against her, they just want rid of Left Unity.
This call now for Labour Party affiliation, is evidence of the dangerous role they are playing, and is happening at the same time they have opposed moving to a statutory ballot to win better pay for members.
Left Unity don’t play games with members’ pay, terms and conditions. The issues at stake are too serious. When the PCS elections begin, and you have a choice to make about who represents you, vote for a leadership that doesn’t play games. Support the Democracy Alliance candidates – for a leadership that works for you.
Last July, the Left Unity majority NEC took the decision to run a consultative ballot of PCS members, asking for endorsement of the NEC strategy and whether members agreed to pause the industrial phase of the national campaign.
The union’s leadership were always clear this was not an end to the campaign or dispute; it was not an acceptance that what had been achieved already by member action, was enough to accept on behalf of those same members. The campaign continued.
Alongside other unions, such as the RMT, CWU, and the NEU – who had already paused industrial action to allows talks to continue on their own demands – the Left Unity-led PCS NEC took the view we should weigh-up what concessions had already been won, what the next round of talks might deliver, and to see if genuine progress could be made in talks with the Cabinet Office on pay cohesion and job security.
Gains made but the campaign continues
At that stage, our union had already taken a record amount of industrial action, over 304 days in fact, based on our strategy of targeted sustained action, backed up by co-ordinated, national strikes that could have the maximum impact on the government and employers.
That strategy, based on maximising the pressure on government, increasing our leverage, and minimising the financial impact on our members, was hailed across the movement as ground-breaking, and the success of the levy introduced to allow us to give strike pay to those taking sustained targeted action on behalf of us all, had meant we could keep that pressure on for the full 6 months.
That action had already delivered:
A doubling of the Treasury remit from 2% to 4.5%, plus another 0.5% for our lowest paid Larger percentage increases for the lowest paid in some of our key groups A £1500 non-consolidated cost-of-living payment for 2021/22 pay round The withdrawal of the government’s manifesto pledge to cut our compensation scheme and redundancy terms by a third A commitment to ongoing talks about pay cohesion and job security across the UK Civil Service A significantly improved 2-year pay deal for members across the Scottish Sector
False narrative of our opponents rejected by members
In any era these gains should be seen as significant, and proof that taking action can force concessions from even the most aggressive, and vitriolic of government’s.
Incredibly, our BLN/IL opponents who have since formed an alliance for factional and electoral advantage, argued that “nothing had been won” by our campaign and set about deliberately misleading our membership and making false claims that the campaign had been abandoned.
While this narrative was accepted by a vocal minority, particularly with a number of activists, the wider membership saw through the deceit of our opponents – who were actually demanding more unpaid national action while not being prepared to publicly state that – and overwhelmingly endorsed the NEC strategy to pause our industrial action on a 47% turnout and a huge yes vote.
NEC keep promise to members
The LU-led NEC, and wider Left Unity, were always very open about our view that we would need to move back to a statutory ballot again if sufficient progress could not be made in both the delegated and central talks, and following the December NEC these messages were once again repeated, with all branches asked to prioritise getting themselves ready for a potential statutory ballot early in the New Year.
Despite positive talks with the Cabinet Office, and an acknowledgement by senior Civil Servants, that the current outdated pay system needs to be modernised and harmonised over the next 5-6 years, the February NEC were unanimous in their view this did not represent sufficient progress to end our dispute.
The LU-led leadership have, therefore, lived up to their commitment to members and activists, and are now consulting members about moving to a further statutory ballot in pursuit of our key demands, on pay, pensions justice, and job security.
The NEC have agreed to take even greater demands to the employer, that include: A cost-of-living rise, with restoration for pay lost in previous years Pay equality across departments on the best possible terms A living wage of £15 an hour London weighting provision of minimum £5,000 a year 35 days annual leave minimum A significant shortening of the working week with no loss of pay In the Scottish Sector, members, having accepted an improved 2-year pay deal following on from the action taken last year, are being asked if they continue to support our demands on pensions and are ready to go on strike to achieve them.
Across the rest of the union the question focuses on pay – with a call for future increases to be inflation proofed, plus additional money for pay restoration, rather than a flat % increase – and whether members are prepared to take action to achieve them.
This is exactly in line with what the leadership of our union said they would do, but we have still seen accusation and acrimony in our opponents recent responses.
Opponents seek to demoralise while Left Unity remain optimistic
As happened last year, the NEC’s political opponents have gone into overdrive to dismiss the decision to consult members.
The BLN article in particular comes across as confused and contradictory, now demanding that the union continue to pause the industrial phase of our national campaign, to give branches and reps more time to agitate the members. Having previously claimed, spuriously, that it is Left Unity and the NEC who lack confidence in our members, this shows an incredible conservatism at best, and a complete lack of faith in our activists and members at worst. Since 2022, even after the first historic ballot result we delivered, the BLN have opposed every decision the leadership of this union has taken on the national campaign. They opposed our strategy of prioritising paid targeted action, demanding more unpaid national action instead; they argued through their elected NEC member(s) that the levy should be voluntary, even though this would weaken our ability to fund strike pay for our members; they argued the targeted action wasn’t impactful enough, despite the obvious concessions it helped deliver. They then argued, last summer, we should go bigger and quicker with our action, just as other unions were taking stock and pausing.
Now, hypocritically, they claim we are asking too much too soon, and we should push any ballot or engagement with members back. This is neither a credible nor honest position for them to take.
Equally, their new found allies in IL have issued their own confused and irresponsible article on social media.
While repeating the same tired and false accusations about the NEC leadership, this time they have gone one step further.
Leaking the academic research that the NEC had commissioned, showing how far behind our members had fallen behind in pay over the last two decades and beyond, not only fails to acknowledge how this could confuse members about our demands for restoration of pay, but to do so on social media channels, which are open to the government, our employers, and other unions, shows an incredible lack of judgement, when they know talks are ongoing with the Cabinet Office.
The negativity of the BLN/IL response can only be seen as an attempt to undermine the leadership of PCS, dilute the positive message, that taking action can win for members, and sow seeds of doubt in the minds of members.
Left Unity, all of our NEC members, and comrades back in branches, are clear members should not be deterred or disillusioned by what you read or hear, from those whose priority is bringing down the current leadership.
Remember it is your action, combined with the strategy of the Left Unity leadership, that delivered more money in your pockets in 2023, defeated the government’s pledge to reduce your compensation terms by 33%, and has forced central talks on a better, and fairer, pay system for future. None of this would have been achieved without the action you voted for and took in the first phase of this campaign.
Our demands are fair, they are reasonable, and they are affordable, and PCS members engaging in this consultation right now, and being ready to vote for more action, if necessary, can force further concessions ahead of the Treasury remit being published.
Left Unity opponents place electoral advantage over members priorities
So why have our opponents been so quick to change their position on taking action now and pushing ahead with a ballot, when that’s been their narrative for the last 18 months?
In the modern world it is increasingly dangerous to speculate as to the reasons for positions taken by reps and activists who claim to be the real voice of the rank and file, but this year I don’t think we need too much time thinking it through.
In the same way they used the NEC position on the national campaign to launch an attack, often personal and always vicious, on our newly elected General Secretary, Fran Heathcote, during the GS/AGS elections in November and December, it is clear they see this as a point of attack in the forthcoming NEC and Group elections.
There is nothing wrong with that in principle, two different slates standing on two different platforms can be seen as good for democracy, offering members a legitimate choice in the direction they want their union to take on the big issues.
Unfortunately, the nature of the opposition tells us a different game is being played, regardless of what the consequences for the union or our members is.
A situation that sees experienced reps and activists flip-flopping between wanting to do more, quicker, and doing less, at a slower pace, does not show consistency and actually indicates dishonesty. Equally, the constant opposition to every decision that is taken by the NEC on key priorities for our members, even when such decisions are in line with previous positions articulated by our opponents do not tell the ccomplete picture.
It has felt for quite some time that opponents of the current NEC majority and Left Unity, have disagreed with a position merely because it is we, and not they, that have taken it. But this latest game is a dangerous one.
There is no doubt, that the future direction of our union, and who controls it will be decided by this year’s national elections, and the same can be said in the big groups. There is equally no doubt that there is a fundamental difference between the LU/Democracy Alliance strategy for the national campaign – prioritising paid targeted action that can be sustained over time, backed up by national action when it can have the most impact – and that of the BLN/IL alliance – mainly national unpaid action backed up by paid targeted action.
However, the response from both BLN and IL right now, has little to do with that fundamental difference, that they still seek to avoid debating in front of members, and everything to do with the timing.
If we are to have a debate about the national campaign this side of the elections, then members would have every right to expect it to be about strategy, the type and frequency of any action, what we include in our respective demands (BLN, actually, begrudgingly ask you to say yes for the NEC agreed demands near the end of their disjointed communication), and whether members priorities align with our own.
What we have seen instead, is a cynical attempt to try and accuse the NEC over the timing of the consultation, and a perspective ballot. So why is the timing such an important issue for them?
Simply put, it can only be one of two things, or, perhaps, a combination of the two. While it is possible their sole focus had been on winning both the GS and AGS for their joint candidates, and as such they have taken their eye off the ball in ensuring branches and members were ballot ready for the national campaign, Left Unity believe it is much more simple than that.
Both of our opponents in the alliance of convenience deliberately engaged in a hostile and negative campaign for the GS and AGS posts towards the end of last year.
There is certainly anecdotal evidence, in feedback received from branches, that this put members off voting rather than engage them on the who should be elected to the two most senior posts in our union.
A calculated gamble that, disengaging in the election, leading to a lower turnout would best serve the BLN/IL interests.
There is a train of thought that this “successful” strategy, which saw a very low turnout in the election, that was way down on previous GS elections certainly, nearly had the desired effect.
It is also, widely accepted that a key plank of their election campaign to take control of the NEC this year, will have been to accuse the current NEC majority of calling off the national campaign. Despite what they have said in their respective articles, this is plainly no longer an attack line they can take, as it is they who are asking for the NEC to continue the pause, rather than move to ballot over winning the pay and conditions our members need and deserve.
However, what is noticeable about both articles is that the negative spin remains, and with it the risk that members will once again be turned off from engaging in either the current consultation or any subsequent ballot. There should be no doubt either that a negative campaign in the forthcoming elections, and a derailing of the national campaign, will serve the electoral interests of Left Unity’s opponents far more than it will the current leadership.
Left Unity is fully committed to working with every activist and member who seeks to maximise engagement with our membership, and wants to prioritise winning the national campaign for our members. Surely, that has to be our real goal, here, winning for members!
DWP Group Elections 2024 Nominate Left Unity candidates
This is the list of Left Unity recommendations for the 2024 DWP Group elections and block-vote elections. These candidates constitute a diverse cross section of dedicated representatives from right across the group. They are committed to continuing to build a strong workplace focussed, organising group within our union, that can deliver industrially.
The current Left Unity leadership of the GEC is proud of its record on behalf of members, which includes delivering the four largest turnouts in national ballots the group has ever had, preventing hundreds of compulsory redundancies, negotiating two of the largest pay rises for our lowest paid members in decades, and leading the group through the pandemic, negotiating some of the best member-focused policies in the public sector.
A Left Unity-led GEC consulted with branches to highlight areas in DWP that could deliver sustained, targeted paid industrial action during the ongoing national campaign. This action, repeated across other groups and alongside national strike days, won more money for members, including the biggest percentage increase for our AO members many can recall, doubling the remit on offer and preventing a 60% cut to our compensation scheme. This strategy limited the financial burden on our members amidst the financial crisis, and put increased pressure on government and our employer.
The Left Unity leadership of our group have also led the response to the staffing crisis in DWP, taking our campaign direct to government, while leading the call to organise for an industrial response if necessary, and robustly opposing the Jobcentre innovation pilot.
The candidates standing in these elections are committed to working with the national union, and newly elected General Secretary, Fran Heathcote, in devising the strategy for the next phase of the national campaign, one that can win more for members, both now and in the future, while ramping up our own campaign for more staff.
Left Unity has a proud record of winning on equality issues, equality being at the forefront of our bargaining agenda, and continue to negotiate improvements to HR policies, ensuring no member is left behind.
We will continue the work of the current Left Unity group leadership, in rolling out activist training to build our organising capacity in the workplace, and increase engagement with our members on the key issues that matter to them.
Please nominate all of the candidates listed through your branch AGM and support them in the group elections that follow.
Nominate for a leadership that listens to you, will fight on your behalf, and lead from the front on the issues that matter.
PCS Left Unity 