Public and Commercial Services Union

Motion A71 Composite 1 was carried

NEC Attitude: support

Conference notes with concern the growth in votes for far-right parties, such as in last years Austrian elections, which has encouraged far-right activities in Britain.

PCS is appalled at the continued presence of BNP workers and supporters within the public services. As the recent release of the BNP party list indicates, their membership shows that they remain a threat to the hard work that has gone into making our public services inclusive and diverse organisations.

We recognise the vital importance of anti-racist and anti-fascist activity within trade unions, workplaces and communities and note that in many parts of the UK the BNP has had some electoral success including winning a seat on the Greater London Authority and could possibly gain an MEP seat in June 2009.

Conference notes with concern the attempts of Civil Service employers to prevent trades unionists from carrying out anti-fascist activities notably at Hastings CMEC where a union officer was escorted off the premises for distributing anti-BNP leaflets outside the doors. Conference commits PCS to oppose any such further management action by all available means.

Conference also notes that recent legislative proposals by Government would in effect weaken the ability of trade unions to expel fascists and provide them with additional opportunities to sue trade unions.

Conference instructs the NEC to:

1. step up it’s anti-fascist work in our workplaces and communities, particularly for the European elections due in June 2009 by supporting MYVC events, demonstrations, rallies, and other activities;

2. provide additional support to PCS branches in regions where fascists are active;

3. support the development of 'Countering the Far Right Courses' enabling PCS reps to challenge far right policies;

4. work with Trades Councils and other unions to develop a united response in conjunction with UAF, LMHR and Searchlight;

5. ensure that the NEC via the appropriate sub committee discuss and review our activities;

6. continue to press for the legal right for trade unions to expel members of far right parties without penalty;

7. launch a campaign for the introduction of legislation to prevent the employment, by a public body, of anyone who is a member of a fascist or racist organisation.

(E marked motions associated with lead motion E397-E433)

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Motion A72 was carried

NEC Attitude: support

Conference notes the effective political campaigning aimed at the defence of members’ jobs and services being carried out under the banner of the Make Your Vote Count campaign. Conference also welcomes our involvement in anti-fascist work as part of the campaign.

The PCS Make Your Vote Count campaign has been necessary to counter the political consensus between the main parties on supporting public service job cuts and privatisation (for example, the part-privatisation of Royal Mail) and holding down workers’ rights and public sector pay. Conference notes, in particular, the large area of agreement between the parties over the privatisation of bodies within the Civil Service.

Through the MYVC campaign members and activists have raised PCS campaigning issues with thousands of candidates in local and national elections, winning expressions of support from many. Conference notes that through holding dozens of Candidates Question Times and participating in widespread anti-fascist activity we have raised the public profile of PCS and its priorities. In particular we have sought to counter the consensus over civil service cuts and the myths surrounding civil servants.

However, it has become clear that some parties and candidates prefer not to respond to our concerns. In part this is due to the voting systems under which they are elected, and for this reason PCS argues for a change to proportional representation, as agreed in Motion A152 in 2008. Conference notes the subsequent publication of the PCS Policy on Proportional Representation.

Conference notes that the MYVC campaign is based upon the independence of PCS from any political party and on the primacy of members’ interests. We also note the need to develop this approach further, particularly within the context of economic crisis and likely public spending cuts, and take the fight to defend members’ interests into the political arena possibly by means of direct challenges to politicians who support attacks on public services and workers’ terms and conditions, in particular within the civil and public services. We note the discussion among some trade unions on the need to stand candidates on the basis of opposition to privatisation, closures, and attacks on workers’ rights.

Conference instructs the NEC to:

1. Continue to campaign as an independent trade union, not affiliated to any political party;

2. Step up the MYVC campaign;

3. Campaign in favour of proportional representation in line with the report issued to branches;

4. Consult branches on the question of supporting trade union candidates in elections, and on the question of PCS candidates standing in elections, and report to ADC 2010.

5. Participate in discussions and initiatives within the trade union movement on this issue.

6. Ensure that decisions taken at ADC 2010 on this issue are subject to the normal consultation arrangements.”

(E marked motions associated with lead motion E434-E453)
 

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Motion A15 was carried

NEC Attitude: support

This conference notes:

• that over the past decades civil service cleaners, messengers and security staff have been privatised or their work outsourced;
• that building facilities in many buildings occupied by Civil Servants and NDPBs are now run by private sector companies;
• that a large Industry has grown up on the back of the Civil Service and NDPB estate;
• that PCS membership and organisation amongst messengers, security staff and cleaners in the private sector working on the Civil Service and NDPB estate is patchy. The same is true for private sector building facilities companies that run civil service and NDPBs contracts;
• that private sector cleaners, security staff and messengers are generally poorly paid and have generally poor terms;
• that the only sure way to improve these people's terms and conditions is through unionisation.

Given the above this conference resolves on the following actions:

• For the NEC to carry out a review of current membership and organisation amongst private sector cleaners, security staff and messengers working on the Civil Service and NDPB estate. This review to be completed by no later than the 1st January 2010;
• For the NEC to use this review to make a decision by no later than 31st March 2010:

1. Either to put in sufficient resources (both in terms of money and full time officer cover) into unionising these private sector cleaners, security staff and messengers working on the Civil Service and NDPB estate.
or
2. approach the GMB or any other relevant union (who are conducting drives to unionise security staff and cleaners) to help them unionise these private sector cleaners, security staff and messengers working on the Civil Service and NDPB estate.

If option B is chosen then the NEC should consider transferring private sector cleaners, security staff and messengers working on the Civil Service and NDPB estate who are PCS members to the GMB or any other relevant union. Such consideration must take account of the wishes of the members, local branches and the ability of the other unions to offer an effective service to the PCS members.

(E marked motions associated with lead motion E218-219)

Guillotined: A73, A74, A75, A76, A77 and A78