The Socialist 14 May 2014

VOTE TUSC - For the millions not the billionaires

For the millions not the billionaires

Fight back at the ballot box on 22 May

Building Labour: when workers first formed own party

Southampton: Showing what's possible

Liverpool City Council 1983-87: "We had a choice"

Why we're standing as TUSC candidates

On the campaign trail with TUSC

Ukip - the establishment's 'anti-establishment' party

Housing evictions - main parties to blame

Gove robs education budget to fund 'Free Schools'

Them & Us

What's socialism got to do with fighting austerity?

South Africa: The ANC victory, WASP and the EFF

Capitalist politicians can't solve Boko Haram crisis

Ireland: Election campaigns "referendum on austerity"

Care UK strike: NHS workers v NHS privatisation

PCS: Re-election of a fighting, socialist leadership

Leadership challenged at Usdaw conference

Brighton: Determined to fight college cuts

Transport workers' international meeting

Workplace news in brief

Fight together for pay rise - Come to NSSN conference

TV review: In the Flesh

Fight back to scrap junk jobs

Freedom Riders- action brings victory

Building TUSC, building socialism

Donate to the election appeal!

Why I joined the Socialist Party

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Link to this page: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/issue/811/18597

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PCS: Re-election of a fighting, socialist leadership

John McInally, PCS national vice-president, personal capacity

Socialist Janice Godrich has been elected president of PCS for the 13th time and the Democracy Alliance candidates have been elected to the union's national executive for a 12th. Socialist Party member Chris Baugh is also starting his third term as assistant general secretary.

We are in a period of relentless government assault on the public service and the civil service in particular. Many union leaders have acquiesced with or resigned themselves to austerity. For long periods since 2003, when the last Labour government announced 100,000 civil service job cuts, PCS has often fought in isolation or with small groups of allies.

In this context the re-election of a fighting, socialist union leadership is a remarkable achievement. Union activists and members recognise that in this difficult period support for a campaigning leadership, which has anchored delivery of conference policy on the widest possible consultation and inclusion, is the only serious way of defending conditions.

PCS has consistently argued that joint coordinated industrial action is the best and most effective way of defeating attacks on public sector workers conditions and austerity itself. Pressure is now building to end the pay freeze which has been the longest and deepest in many generations and which has seen a systematic reduction in the value of workers' wages by as much as 20% under the coalition government.

At the TUC's Public Sector Liaison Group two weeks ago it became clear that there is huge potential to develop precisely the type of coordinated action across the public sector that PCS has been calling for. Our union strategy is based on building targeted, national and group action in pursuit of our industrial demands and in order to gain concessions on those issues, like pay, that affect all public sector workers - joint coordinated action.

Unison local government workers are to be balloted and Unite, NUT, FBU and possibly others are looking at a coordinated day of action on 10 July. PCS argued for any such action and further action in early autumn, potentially including greater numbers of workers, to be coordinated by the TUC - a principle agreed by the unions involved.

Many workers will have the surrender over pensions branded in their consciousness but a more potent memory will be the tremendous demonstration of the power of our movement when upwards of two million workers took action together on 30 November 2011. Let us make sure the lessons are learnt and that we continue to fight to build for the most effective response to the attacks on our members - joint coordinated industrial action across the public sector.

In this issue

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For the millions not the billionaires