By Rebecca Holmes, PCS member, DWP
The Public and Commercial Services union conference has put the union on a war footing in agreeing to a ballot to end years of pay austerity. A consultative vote of members was held last November and this produced a 99 per cent vote against the Government’s pay cap, with 79 per cent willing to take industrial action. This vote emboldened conference to go forward for a ballot beginning this month.
This conference marked 20 years of the CPS; years in which there have been many attacks on members and on the union, not least of which was the government decision to end the check-off system. But the union has recovered from that setback and has come out of it stronger and more determined.
General Secretary, Mark Serwotka told conference – and delegates agreed – that it was “time to seize the moment” on pay. Conference went on to debate the motion on the campaign around the pay strategy and agreed to a ballot on pay, to be held between 18th June and 23rd July. Action could be taken in small pockets, larger areas and, if necessary, the whole union altogether. The Trade Union Act means we need to get 50% voting and over 50% of that voting to take action and if there is a vigorous campaign among members, led from the top, that is easily achievable.
The civil service as a whole deserves a 5% pay rise and although the DWP section has had a 4-year deal this still doesn’t give them a rise in line with inflation. It only started to bring the DWP in line with other departments, but it is still one of the lowest-paid so it needs to be part of the 5% campaign, so it doesn’t fall even further behind colleagues in other departments.
Talks are going to continue between the union and the Cabinet Office but a decisive YES vote with a clear mandate from members to take action will strengthen the union negotiators.
Within the DWP section at the start of the conference delegates discussed Universal Credit Full Service (UCFS) and the consensus was that there simply wasn’t enough staff to cover the roll-out. Delegates agreed that the union should campaign to halt the roll-out while the system is reformed so it works properly and is fair to both staff and customers. This was reiterated at the full National conference where the stress on work coaches under UCFS was discussed fully. It was agreed there is a need for more staffing and training fit for purpose.
Conference passed a motion in support of the two admin officers in Portsmouth being threatened with compulsory redundancy even though there is still DWP working the building they are based it, it is just not in the DWP area of work they have previously work in.
Two lefts going head-to-head for AGS post
In seventeen of the twenty years of its existence, PCS has been under the influence of the left and for that reason, conference was left under something of a cloud with the news that two lefts were going head-to-head for the post of assistant general secretary. Janice Godrich announced only three days before conference – on Facebook – that she would be standing in the election in 2019 against Chris Baugh, the incumbent. She apparently has the support of Mark Serwotka.
This is all the more disappointing because it was announced before the Left of the PCS, organised through ‘Left Unity’ had even asked for nominations. What makes the contest all the more remarkable is that Janice is (or was?) a member of the Socialist Party, as is Chris Baugh, and that Left Unity had already agreed to back Chris at a meeting in March 2018. Janice appears to have made her announcement to the astonishment of her own party.
Both candidates have said that there are no political or campaigning differences. Janice told a fringe meeting at conference – held at the same time as the SP fringe meeting – that “it had been coming for about 10 years”. There were allegations that Chris had ‘bullied’ staff and tried to undermine the General Secretary, but no actual instances were given. Members naturally asked that, if in fact this had been on-going for ‘10 years’, then why was the matter only raised now and not much earlier. Why make an announcement three days before the important business of conference? Why was it not possible to wait until the Left Unity process begins and await nominations to be balloted on by Left Unity members? Both Chris and Janice have said that if they were not elected as the Left Unity candidate they would not stand.
Throughout the conference, General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, and others made many references to the hard work and dedication of Janice over the last 20 years of PCS and the in the elections 15 years ago against the right wing. But the work done by Chris to help organise the first Left Unity in PCS and in the elections that have made PCS what it is, is not lost on delegates and when Chris stood up at conference to give the finance report, he was given a very warm welcome who clapped him even before he spoke, as he was getting to his feet – and this was a first in the union’s history.
The National conference was also addressed by John McDonnell, Shadow Chancellor, who pledged to end the hated Trade Union Act within the first 100 days of a Labour government. He spoke about the crisis-ridden Tory government and expressed the view that we could see a general election as soon as this autumn. He went on to say that when Labour is in government the trade union movement would be an integral part of the process of making legislation. There is clearly an undercurrent among many delegates and union members that the union should affiliate to the Labour Party – with prominent union leaders like Mark Serwotka being members and with the union’s own political outlook overlapping with that of the Party. The decisions of conference reflected this mutuality and it agreed to consult members on the issue of political campaigns and activity.
Among other issues discussed, there were motions condemning bullying and harassment in the work place, with one brave delegate standing up and telling conference about the bullying she had suffered. She explained she had not at the time felt strong enough to report it. Now she is a rep fighting for others and can use her experience to support them.
Motions around equality and the transgender community were heard. Conference was moved by delegates telling us about the abuse they receive on a daily basis and that as a union we must campaign for equality of all LGBT rights.
Conference condemned the government for its treatment of the Windrush generation where it has denied access to the NHS, detained and illegally deported people.
During conference there was a minute’s silence for the 72 who died in the Grenfell fire and we agreed to affiliate to the campaign group Justice4Grenfell which is supporting the legal case for the residents.
The most important task for delegates going away from a very good conference is a sober one – to discuss and to campaign among the members for the greatest-possible YES vote in the forthcoming ballot.
June 4, 2018
