Keep on fighting for maximum turnout and ‘Yes/Yes’ vote!

Pippa Evans, PCS NEC member, personal capacity

Members of the civil service union PCS are balloting nationally over pay, pensions, job security and terms and conditions. The National Executive Committee (NEC) met on 5 November, nearly halfway through the ballot, with just three weeks left to build the highest possible turnout and a ‘Yes/Yes’ vote – ‘yes’ for strike action and ‘yes’ for action short of strike.

The national campaign dominated the NEC agenda. Fran Heathcote, general secretary, reported on progress. It was clear that where reps and activists have been building the campaign, including Socialist Party members, turnout is strong, with several branches close to or above the 50% threshold for industrial action.

The report also showed that unfortunately some are lagging behind – where the Democracy Alliance, including the misnamed ‘Left Unity’ (LU) grouping, supporters of the general secretary, has a strong leadership presence. BLN NEC members gave examples of workplaces where LU reps had not spoken to members or shown a serious effort to build the ballot.

This comes after LU has repeatedly used its positions in the union, both through the union apparatus and its lay positions, to postpone, delay and undermine the national campaign. Unlike most of the reps and members who face the brunt of low pay and cuts, there are those in the leadership of our union who want to avoid a fight with the Labour government.

Members want to fight

But the good response to the ballot shows that members do want to fight for their jobs, pay and to solve the crisis facing civil service pensions. There is widespread anger over inadequate pay rises, thousands of job cuts, office closures and attacks on conditions. In DWP, for example, the interim payment of 1.75% is another reason to fight. Despite LU’s attempts to use this measly amount to argue that we should have waited for talks (ie delay the campaign further), we made it clear at the NEC that rather than ‘wait and see’ (the obvious!), the offer should be used to mobilise members. With inflation above 4% and energy bills set to rise by over 10% in January, it shows the need to fight.

We also raised the need to implement conference policy on extending access to membership data, giving elected representatives wider access to members’ contact details. This is essential to reaching members, organising effectively and building the ballot.

The NEC discussed Capita (the private company that administers civil service pensions and has presided over a debacle) and the pensions crisis. The general secretary reported on conversations with ministers about bringing the work back in-house. But we argued that, as with all our demands, discussions alone will not secure this. The government must feel the pressure from members to be forced to act.

The organising report showed membership at a three-year high, backing up what we have consistently argued: workers join and build their union when they see it fighting.

We need the biggest possible ‘Yes/Yes’ vote: a mandate for coordinated action, uniting members’ struggles and giving PCS the strength to fight on every front. BLN members on the NEC continue to fight to ensure the union’s leadership is focused on building that campaign, providing a clear strategy and mobilising our members to win.

Important items not reached

Socialist Party and BLN supporters had tabled a motion for PCS to support the International Youth Strike on 20 November. School, college and university students fighting for a future dovetails with the fight of all of our members, including our young members, for decent pay and jobs, and against austerity. It is especially important that trade unions offer not just backing in name but practical support such as stewarding.

BLN supporters also wanted to ask the general secretary what had happened at the executive meeting of the TUC General Council, where a discussion was due to take place about implementing the decision from TUC Congress to call a trade union demonstration against austerity – a motion put to TUC by the PCS. NEC members will be writing to Fran Heathcote to ask if she pushed for this and what the outcome was.

• The ballot runs till 1 December