Public and Commercial Services Union

Opening the afternoon session of the second day, assistant general secretary Chris Baugh presented the 2009 national organising strategy by talking about the importance of recruitment and organising to building PCS’s collective strength.

He said research showed that the main reasons why people join trade unions is to receive support at work, and better pay and conditions; because of a belief in unions; and because most people at work are already members.

This shows that “mutual support and collective bargaining” are the reasons people join, Chris said.

Two main priorities for the coming year, he added, are to develop town committee structures and our regional equality networks.

He paid tribute to PCS’s young members’ network, saying young members have shown their importance to the union in a variety of ways.

Chris said the recent successful campaign in HMRC contact centres would not have been possible without the energetic support it received from young members.

Other areas which will feature strongly in our organising work in the coming 12 months will be the commercial sector – hit particularly hard by the financial crisis – and agency workers, who Chris described as some of our most vulnerable members.

Campaigns and politics

The need to continue and step up our anti-fascist campaigning was agreed with motion A71, moved by Fran Heathcote of DWP Northumbria.

“Our campaign against the far right is at a critical stage,” Fran said, warning that a seat in the European parliament would see the BNP receive £250,000 a year in taxpayers’ money.

“Don’t just support this motion,” she added. “Do everything you can to prevent the far right from being elected.”

Seconding Mairtin Gardner, of DWP Glasgow Benefits Centre, said there was a need for a working class alternative to the BNP.

The motion was backed by Marion Lloyd for the NEC and passed.

Delegates passed motion A72 which commits the union to a year-long consultation over the question of whether PCS should actively support and stand candidates in elections.

Moving the motion general secretary Mark Serwotka asked whether our Make Your Vote Count campaign, now in its third year, goes far enough or whether there are more things we can do.

He asked what we should do when candidates do not respond to our questions, or when all the main parties agree on issues such as privatisation and job cuts.

One hundred years ago the trade unions formed the Labour party to provide political representation for the working class, he reminded delegates.

He said we would step up our MYVC campaign and, “most radically”, consider standing candidates in elections or supporting candidates that stand against those who have privatised services and attacked public services.

After a year of consultation, the issue will be brought back to conference next year and members would be balloted before any final decision is taken.

“We think the time has come to untie our hands,” Mark said. “And take our campaigns more forcefully to the politicians that make decisions on our jobs, pay and conditions.”

Moving motion A15 Charlie McDonald, of DWP east London, called for a review of the current membership among private sector cleaners, security staff and messengers, with a view to improving our organising or transferring them to another union such as GMB.

Charlie said: “These groups of workers are exploited and should get the help of the union in their struggles.” The motion as passed.

The union rulebook

Moving motion A79, Gary Winder of the NEC described it as a “straightforward rule change”. Conference agreed and the motion was passed.

Richard de Lange, of MoD Salisbury, failed to win support for motion A80 asking for the need for motions to be seconded to be removed from the rules.

He said it should be sufficient that a motion has been scrutinised by the standing orders committee and put on the order paper.

Opposing for the NEC Alan Dennis said a motion being seconded shows it has a degree of support and deserves to be debated. The motion was lost.

Taken together motions A81 and A82 involved a lengthy debate about the process for motions to be raised by the national president from group conference agendas to national conference.

Delegates agreed to remit motion A81 and voted down motion A82.

The first card vote of conference was taken on motion A83, moved by Chris Wade of DWP Fylde central benefits and services, about the use of branch funds.

The motion was opposed by Dave Bean for the NEC and lost. The voting was 86,833 for, 139,657 against, with 10,878 abstaining.

‘Seize the moment to change’

A standing ovation for John McDonnell MP, chair of PCS’s parliamentary group, showed the high regard delegates hold for him.

He opened his speech with a joke about the expenses scandal engulfing politics, saying he had to get home quickly because “there’s a bloke coming round to do the moat and tarmac the tennis court”.

John soon turned serious however, launching into a stinging attack on MPs who were claiming vast sums in expenses and allowances while voting through the welfare reform bill.

He said the political crisis caused by the expenses scandal and the economic crisis were “two sides of the same corrupt system”. He said people were angry but that we need to channel that anger into demanding changes.

“We don’t just want a new parliament, we want a new society,” John said. “A society based on rights at work, to be safe at work, and to have a say and be represented.”

“The crisis can be exploited by the Tories and the fascists,” he added. “Or we can harness the anger to determine that new society that we want.”

PCS has a crucial role to play in working with others such as public sector workers, poorly paid workers such as cleaners, the oppressed and vulnerable such as asylum seekers and other progressive groups like climate change campaigners.

“They’re the ones that should be determining the kind of society we want,” he added. “It’s not just about electoral politics.

“It may need direct action. If parliament fails to give us a choice, we have to relocate it. It’s time for us to seize the moment to change.

“It takes courage to stand against the stream but if we don’t unite they will simply reform the system, tidy up the expenses and carry on as before.”

This was not acceptable to our members, he said, and we need change led by the people to “restore democracy to ourselves”.

Support for commercial sector

In passing motion A87, delegates agreed to the union considering providing another national officer to cover members working for EDS – now Hewlett Packard – and a member of staff in each regional office dedicated to commercial sector personal casework.

Moving the motion Ian Vanson of EDS Fylde and Preston said: “We in the commercial sector encounter what you will in the future.”

He said civil service colleagues could learn from their efforts and extra resources would help.

Motion A91, moved by Eric Shadick of Aspire South and seconded by Andy Taylor of Telford Aspire, also called for extra help for our members in the private sector in the form of a specialist pensions adviser. The motion was passed.

Motion A92, moved by BERR London and regions branch, called for the union to provide counselling services and training for reps to act as counsellors.

The motion received some opposition and was remitted to the NEC.

A national officer for our members working for Securitas, and a drive for union recognition, was agreed with the passing of motion A93 moved by Osmond Morris of DWO Brent, Harrow and Hillingdon.

“Potential recruitment opportunities may be missed if Securitas members feel that resources do not exist to deal with their concerns,” Osmond said.

On motions A87, A91 and A93, the NEC supported the principle but would need to take into account other demands on the union’s resources when looking at implementation.