NORMALLY A meeting of a union broad left would be of interest mainly
to left activists in that particular union but last Saturday’s
150-strong national conference of the PCS broad left (Left Unity) was
important for much wider layers than PCS activists.
Bill Mullins
Top of the agenda was the debate on the recent ‘framework agreement’
on pensions between the government and the public sector unions,
including PCS.
The leading role of the PCS, its general secretary Mark Serwotka and the Left Unity majority on the PCS NEC was crucial in forcing back the government’s attack on at least three million public sector workers. (Local government workers and others have not yet been offered the same deal, see Pensions: Strike back at Labour’s attacks).
The pensions issue and the deal that came out of the negotiations
between the government and the unions, was fundamentally determined by
the balance of class forces between the workers in the public sector and
the government representing the interests of the capitalist profit
system.
The deal, as we have commented before, was a partial retreat by the
government in the face of the threat of mass strike action by
public-sector workers. It was the PCS and its socialist leadership that
forced the pace of unity across the public sector unions. The government
retreat at the very last moment meant that existing workers would still
be protected and able to retire at 60.
Unfortunately, the deal as it stands means that the government still
wants the next generation of workers to retire later.
In the case of the civil service, the negotiations are ongoing and
there is hope that the outcome would afford some protection for new,
younger workers.
The discussion at the LU conference revolved around those who thought
that the leadership of the union, including Mark Serwotka, were right to
accept the framework agreement and those who thought they were wrong and
that the union should therefore tell the government that they are
pulling out of the agreement.
The so-called "Socialist Caucus" (an amalgam of ultra-left
groups) in their resolution called the deal a "sell-out".
In their speeches, they called Mark Serwotka "high and
mighty" and a careerist who had led the campaign for unity (against
the government) and was now leading a retreat. The fact that he was at
the conference and was being judged on his actions, proves the opposite.
There was much talking about: "The bottom line is ensuring that
the next generation is entitled to protection". But as Steve Ion, a
Socialist Party member from Liverpool said: "the issue is how can
this be achieved. The bottom line for socialists of course is a
socialist society but the question is how it can be achieved".
"The question is", Steve said, "have we got the power
to beat the government, given that not all the unions are led by the
left and were only too willing to concede compromises for the existing
workforce, including only protecting workers who retire before
2013?".
Martin John, an NEC member who resigned from the SWP because he
disagreed with their line on pensions, said that only one branch had
sent a resolution to the NEC opposing the deal. And when Mark Serwotka
visited the branch and spoke to the workers "there wasn’t a single
word of criticism".
The SWP voted for all the resolutions put by the Socialist Caucus but
didn’t put one of their own. This was in stark contrast to their
comrades on the NATFHE NEC who have called for the union to withdraw
from the deal and appealed to the PCS and the NUT to do the same.
It is ironic that they are saying this just at the time that the
government has refused to offer the same deal to local government
workers.
If the PCS and the NUT were to follow the advice of the SWP, the only
people who would cheer would be the government, as they have been under
relentless pressure from the capitalists to renege on the framework
agreement. They would dearly love to be able to say that all workers
will retire at 65.
At the LU conference, 80% of the delegates voted with the leadership
and endorsed the actions of the NEC and Mark Serwotka.
Left Unity is a growing and democratic organisation that is able to
hold the leadership of the union to account.
The fact that it supported the deal is an indication that the
socialist leadership of the union has proved itself in battle. Based on
years of experience, they are not afraid to face up to the bosses or to
map out the necessary steps to take the struggle forward.
They have demonstrated that they are prepared to give a lead to the
members and are not prepared to go on ultra-left adventures which can
only benefit the interests of the bosses.
The debate revealed the gulf between those who are prepared to take a
serious attitude to the workers’ struggle and those who are ignorant of
the basic issues that affect the historical struggle between the
classes.
Civil servants’ strike ballot
THE BALLOT amongst PCS members working for the Department for Work
and Pensions (DWP) has started. As reported in previous issues of the
socialist the ballot for a two-day strike is over job cuts in the DWP.
30,000 DWP jobs are under threat, out of 104,000 civil service jobs
under attack by the government. The ballot closes on 6 January.
