Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) civil servants in the PCS union take strike action at the Makerfield site near Wigan to provide a decent service to claimants, credit: Socialist Party North West
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) civil servants in the PCS union take strike action at the Makerfield site near Wigan to provide a decent service to claimants, credit: Socialist Party North West

Katrine Williams, PCS member

The ballot for the leadership of the PCS Department of Work and Pensions Group (DWP) closes midday Tuesday 17 May. Members must check their emails as the ballot is online. If the union does not have a member’s valid email address, a postal vote will be provided.

The current Left Unity leadership of the DWP Group has a record of failure. It failed to organise a collective response to the threat of Covid. It failed to mobilise to demand permanent contracts for all the thousands of fixed-term appointments (FTAs) employed by the department.

Faced now with the closure of over 40 workplaces, no strategy for preventing these closures is forthcoming from the current leadership. It’s time for a change. 

Socialist Party members are standing in the DWP group election as part of the Broad Left Network (BLN) – a socialist rank and file group.

The BLN platform includes:

  • Group-wide opposition to office closures and keep services local
  • Defence of every job – permanent posts for all FTAs 
  • End micromanagement, compulsory late working and compulsory Saturday working
  • For an agreement on home/hybrid working, that secures the benefits for all and keeps people safe. Covid has not gone away. Members’ and claimants’ safety are paramount
  • A strong DWP integrated campaign around all these issues
  • A minimum 10% pay rise
  • Find more information at pcsbln.wordpress.com.

The BLN slate includes Socialist Party member Dave Semple for president. The BLN increased its branch nominations this year – the only group to do so.

A change of leadership is needed. These are the candidates who will fight for members, in action not just words.

President

  • Semple, Dave

Vice-presidents

  • Suter, Paul
  • Williams, Katrine

Assistant secretaries

  • Brown, Ian
  • Burke, Dave
  • Fearn, Jill
  • Rees, Dave
  • Tweedale, Saorsa-Amatheia
  • Worswick, Craig

Editor

  • Johnston, Sam

Treasurer

  • Scott, Emma

GEC members

  • Brown, Ian
  • Evison, Chris
  • Fearn, Jill
  • Hamer, Peter
  • Heemskerk, Rachel
  • Ilesanmi, Yemisi
  • Johnston, Sam
  • McGuckian, Stephen
  • Rees, Dave
  • Scott, Emma
  • Semple, Dave
  • Suter, Paul
  • Toomer, Catherine
  • Tweedale, Saorsa-Amatheia
  • Williams, Katrine
  • Worswick, Craig