Public and Commercial Services Union

The PCS young members’ charter was agreed at the inaugural young members’ forum in York in January 2006.

It has since been presented to the national executive committee who are asking all groups and branches to work towards achieving its aims.

The document below sets out the overall demands and priorities for young people in PCS and is the 2009 updated version.

The young members’ network calls on the whole of the union to meet these demands and actively encourage the next generation of activists in PCS.

Industrial issues

Pay and pensions

We support:

• a minimum starting wage (£8.25 per hour) for all PCS members
• equal pay and pensions for all work of equal value
• an end to poverty pay
• an end to discriminatory youth wages for people under the age of 22
• fair and equal pensions across the public and private sectors
• the retention of a fair state pension
• no future pensions discrimination for younger workers.

Casualisation

We believe:

casual workers should have terms and conditions equal to those of permanent staff

We support the PCS policy on casualisation.

We will organise and campaign on casual workers’ issues.

Call centres, agency workers and fixed term appointments

We resolve to build union membership and activity to win recognition.

We support

• better employment standards for casuals, FTAs and agency staff
• the right to apply for permanent positions
• an end to bullying and excessive monitoring.
• The aims and objectives of the PCS call centre charter.

Progression and training

We support:

• guaranteed career paths
• relevant training & development opportunities that focus on transferable skills for current and future employment
• no age discrimination in entry pay levels and pay progression
• better public sector mobility without penalty.

Job security and the protection of public services

We will campaign to:

• fight job cuts in the civil service
• oppose the privatisation of public services
• support the Public Services Not Private Profit campaign.

Union structures

Branches, groups, regions, NEC and HQ staff

We believe:

• all areas of the union should encourage and support the involvement of young members in the union
• there should be a young members’ contact in every branch to work with the young members’ network
• the NEC should provide relevant training for young activists
• the national young members’ committee (NYMC) should be included in all group and national campaigns
• all areas of the union should produce communications targeted at young
• people in consultation with the NYMC.

We support the establishment of young members’ advisory committees (YMACs) in groups and national branches.

Equalities

We believe all areas of the union should encourage and support the involvement of under-represented groups.

We will work with the union’s equalities forums to ensure that young members’ issues are represented and equalities forums issues are represented in the young members’ network.

We support affordable childcare provision.

Social justice

International solidarity and human rights

We will:

• work within the international trade union movement to strive for solidarity with other unions
• campaign for fundamental trade union rights – such as the right to join a union and the right to organise
• oppose war, terror, human rights infringements and unnecessary use of sanctions and military action.
• Raise the profile with young members of the plight of trade unionists and workers suffering oppression across the world.

Wider community

We resolve to:

• work with the TUC, STUC, regions and local trades councils, in particular, to look at issues that affect young people in the workplace and in the community
• continue to build links with other unions and their young member sections, particularly those working in the public service, and work together on common goals and campaigns
• work with community orientated organisations to eradicate injustices where they exist locally, nationally and internationally
• oppose student loans and tuition fees and secure a living student grant and campaign for more awareness of debt issues and help available those in that situation.
• Campaign and work with organisations with similar views on climate change and green issues.
• Oppose the welfare reform bill, campaign to raise benefits from poverty level and an end to age discrimination in benefits.
• Work with transport unions for the public ownership of national and local transport and for an improvement to rural areas.

Fighting the far right

We resolve to expose and challenge all prejudices and campaign against far right parties in the UK by working with anti fascist organisations and by using campaigns such as PCS make your vote count to challenge the legitimacy of far right parties during election periods.

We will make anti fascist campaigning a key area of work for the young members' network.

Housing

We will campaign:

• to stop the mass sell off of council houses and for council houses to be properly maintained
• for PCS members to be included in key workers’ housing schemes
• for improved tenants’ rights.
• for the government to build more affordable houses and for the regeneration of existing council houses.
• Against the repossessions of houses, especially those with partial state owned banks.