Join us today!
Printable version
Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/1095/31078
From The Socialist newspaper, 15 July 2020
PCS executive majority cancels union democracy
PCS strike in 2013, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)
Dave Semple, PCS union national executive committee (personal capacity)
At its meeting on 8 July, the controlling majority of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) National Executive Committee rejected moves to resume this year's union elections. The proposal from the Broad Left Network - the left group in PCS supported by Socialist Party members - would have restarted the elections in August.
PCS holds elections annually for president, vice-presidents and national executive committee. But arrangements for the 2020 elections were suspended part-way through March this year.
The elections, which are by postal ballot, could have gone ahead at that time. Socialist Party members argued in favour of this and suggested extending the ballot period by a month to allow for postal delays during the pandemic.
The decision to suspend the elections was taken by the Left Unity (Socialist View/SWP) majority bloc on the executive, which argued it was impractical to hold ballots during the pandemic, but said it would keep the situation 'under review'.
Astonishingly, Left Unity's justification for now entirely cancelling the elections ranged from 'there are many different ways of engaging with members other than elections' to 'members are not knocking at our door demanding elections'!
The executive's decision to keep itself in office without elections is as shameful as it is unsurprising. Its failure on the 2020 pay campaign; the refusal to lead a collective response to the health and safety threats faced by members during the Covid pandemic; and the continued drop in union membership, is a record not easy to defend. Why would it want elections!
At the same executive meeting, the Left Unity majority rejected a Broad Left Network amendment to a Trade Union Congress motion: "To defend jobs and communities [by taking] into public ownership companies that threaten mass redundancies and closures." Rejecting such a basic workers' demand exposes the hollowness of any claim they might have to be a 'left campaigning organisation'.
Join the Broad Left Network and fight for a leadership that will lead!
Donate to the Socialist Party
Finance appeal
The coronavirus crisis has laid bare the class character of society in numerous ways. It is making clear to many that it is the working class that keeps society running, not the CEOs of major corporations.
The results of austerity have been graphically demonstrated as public services strain to cope with the crisis.
- The Socialist Party's material is more vital than ever, so we can continue to report from workers who are fighting for better health and safety measures, against layoffs, for adequate staffing levels, etc.
- We must be ready for the stormy events ahead and the need to arm workers' movements with a socialist programme - one which puts the health and needs of humanity before the profits of a few.
Inevitably, during the crisis we have not been able to sell the Socialist and raise funds in the ways we normally would.
We therefore urgently appeal to all our viewers to donate to our Fighting Fund.
In The Socialist 15 July 2020:
Socialist Party news and analysis
Workers and young people need planning for jobs, not handouts for bosses
Lockdown Leicester: trade unionists and parents fight for safety
Sexist dismissal of women's health: NHS needs democratic control
Palace letters show the monarchy is a weapon for capitalism
Defend free TV licences for pensioners!
Water shortage warning: nationalise now!
Hillingdon Hospital corona outbreak: workforce not to blame
No going back
A socialist programme for schools
Workplace news and analysis
A fighting programme for Unite
PCS executive majority cancels union democracy
'Hands off our pensions!' demand angry Nissan workers
Tower Hamlets council workers strike back
Ratcliffe rats on Bridgend workers
Socialist history
How capitalist restoration led to war and 'ethnic cleansing' in the Balkans
Black Lives Matter
How the FBI and Chicago police murdered a Black Panther
Will boosting the 'black pound' improve black workers' lives?
BLM protests - another injustice exposed
Readers' opinion
Books that inspired me: The Mother
TV: Ross Kemp - Living with Forced Out Families
Socialist Party reports and campaigns
Jobs, homes, services and a future for all!
Socialism 2020 - ideas to change the world
Nottingham trans rights protest: Our demands are the same as everyone's
Why I joined the Socialist Party
Donations help us campaign and fight for socialism
Selling the Socialist in Swansea
Home | The Socialist 15 July 2020 | Join the Socialist Party
Subscribe | Donate | Audio | PDF | ebook
2020