An alternative vision for fighting back against employers’ attacks

Marion Lloyd, photo Mary Finch, photo Mary Finch

Marion Lloyd, photo Mary Finch, photo Mary Finch   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

There are just a few days remaining before the PCS civil servants’ union general secretary ballot ends at noon on 12 December.

Candidate Marion Lloyd, a longstanding PCS activist and Socialist Party member, has had an enthusiastic response from activists throughout the union:

Marion Lloyd’s programme, and the tremendous support of activists, has put her in a winning position. Incumbent Mark Serwotka and those around him have become remote and bureaucratised. There exists a mood for change among PCS members, and it’s vital, in the short time that remains, to make a determined push for those last votes that really could count.

Marion is campaigning for:

  • An alternative vision for fighting back on pay and other attacks such as jobs and conditions
  • An equality agenda starting in the workplace and union branches
  • Unified campaign against office closures, protecting jobs and local services
  • Priority for green issues
  • Lay structures to exercise full accountability and democratic control
  • Election of full time officials
  • Tories out and Corbyn in on an anti-austerity manifesto
  • Pay back to the union the difference between her current pay and the £100k+ general secretary salary

Left Unity conference

Against this background, and as a footnote to the election campaign, PCS Left Unity is holding its annual conference in Manchester on 7 December. Once an open fighting democratic rank and file led organisation, Left Unity has become a narrow and sectarian shadow of its former self as Serwotka and his support group Socialist View (aided by the Socialist Workers Party) have taken control.

Attacks on good left activists over policy differences have gone hand in hand with flagrant abuses of the rules and a purge of those who disagree with them. They have departed a long way from the fine tradition of Broad Left/Left Unity leading many activists to question its relevance and value.