spot Campaigns

spot Organisations

spot Arguments for socialism

All People subcategories:

BAME

International figures

Labour Party figures

Lefts

Miscellaneous

Nationalists

Other UK politicans

Socialist Party and CWI public figures

Tory figures

* Trade union figures

Transport

Writers and artists

Trade union figures keywords:

Bob Crow (169)

Brendan Barber (15)

Brian Caton (34)

Dave Prentis (34)

Dave Ward (9)

Len McCluskey (82)

Marion Lloyd (61)

Mark Serwotka (122)

Ronnie Draper (10)

Steve Hedley (16)

Tony Woodley (7)

Marion Lloyd

Highlight keywords |Print this article

From: The Socialist issue 1004, 25 July 2018: Government crisis deepens - Tories out

Search site for keywords: PCS - Strike - Union - Pay - Government - Marion Lloyd - Anti-union laws - Civil Service

Tory anti-union ballot threshold frustrates national strike action

PCS members back fightback on pay - keep building pressure

PCS strikers, photo Paul Mattsson (Click to enlarge)

Marion Lloyd, PCS national executive committee (personal capacity)

The PCS pay strike ballot which finished midday Monday 23 July returned a massive majority for strike action, but the vote fell short of the 50% turnout required by the undemocratic Tory anti-union laws.

In a ballot of PCS public service members, the turnout was 59,254 (41.6%), which is the joint-highest in the union's history. Of those who voted, a huge 50,726, or 86%, voted yes to strike action.

This is something that the Tories should not ignore. We may have fallen short of the 50% threshold, but no way can the Tories take any real satisfaction from this ballot.

This is especially true for a Government that received the votes of only 28% of the electorate, and which is propped up by the reactionary DUP.

Significant

The strike ballot result is a disappointment but still represents a significant achievement. Thousands of our reps spent hundreds of hours leafleting, talking to members, organising car park meetings, phone-banking to chase votes and organising in the workplace. New members and new reps have been recruited to PCS in every corner of the country.

The union's National Executive Committee met on Tuesday 24 July to discuss the result and agree a way forward. Socialist Party members argued:

To call on the government and the other civil service unions to re-open negotiations on the pay remit (1 - 1.5% cap) and our claim for 5%, or £1,200, and for national pay bargaining
If the government's position remains unchanged, full support to negotiators in all bargaining areas to continue to challenge the pay cap and support submissions for action, working to link up different areas of the union in action
To ensure that regional and nation committees, group executive committees and national branches see their own turnout so as to continue the major organising work, as we work to build action area by area
To call a special pay conference in September or October to assess the pay situation and further develop plans for carrying forward the fight against the government's vicious and discriminatory pay cap policy

So long as the pay cap remains, the fight against it goes on.

Also see a response by PCS AGS Chris Baugh (in a personal capacity) to the revelation that the Thatcher government blacklisted Militant supporters working in the civil service.

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 government has now ripped up its 'austerity' mantra and turned to policies that not long ago were denounced as socialist. But after the corona crisis, it will try to make the working class pay for it, by trying to claw back what has been given.

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.
When the health crisis subsides, 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.