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Campaigns and organising (A71 – A78)

A71 Composite 1

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.

(covers E397-E433)

DWP, Northumbria
DWP, Glasgow Benefits Centre

A72

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.”

(covers E434-E453)

NEC
LSC, West Midlands

A73

Conference notes with concern the confusion amongst members in the build up to the aborted action over pay and the suspension of the industrial action. Members and reps alike struggled to find the information they needed with some members not finding out about the suspension until it was announced on the evening news. Such confusion can only be the result of poor communication within our union.

Therefore conference instructs the NEC to study the communication networks within PCS to find out where and why we are failing and develop a strategy with the groups and branches to put it right.

(covers E454)

CPS, Yorkshire & Humberside
HMRC, Leicester

A74

Conference notes the last minute cancellation of planned industrial action on November 10th 2008, and the subsequent lack of clarity about what had been presented to the Union for consideration. Members were left in a very uncertain environment, and the last minute cancellation caused a lot of inconvenience for many members who in some case did not find out that the strike had been cancelled until the Tuesday when they returned to work. This branch therefore calls on Conference to introduce a policy not to cancel planned industrial action without at least 5 working days notice unless a firm and concrete proposal has been made by management that the NEC felt could instantly be put to members in a dispute resolution vote.

(covers E455-E457)

DWP, West Kent
HMRC, Cumbernauld

A75

Conference notes that where candidates run for election to more than one post, members have to guess at the outcomes of some elections. If they vote for their candidate in all the ballots then their vote may discounted in the later ballots because their candidate has been successful in an earlier ballot and have wasted those later votes. Alternatively, if they only vote for their candidate for one of the posts they may find that their candidate is not successful for that post but would have been for another post if they had been given all the support that had been indicated for the more senior post. Accordingly, conference instructs the NEC to ensure that future postal ballots for elections have the facility for members to nominate reserve votes where their first choice candidates have filled more senior positions.

MOD, Salisbury

A76

Conference notes that since the devolution of pay and conditions, branches have become dependant on lay representatives to draw up pay claims and negotiate on pay, yet in many cases there has been no increase in facilities to enable them to perform these duties. Inevitably, services to members suffer as a result, with branch resources overstretched. It is also noted with some bitterness that existing guidelines for negotiating facilities are based on branch size, despite the fact that negotiations on pay and conditions remain the same, regardless of the size of the bargaining unit. Conference therefore instructs the NEC to negotiate, as a starting point, a national minimum 10% facility time per branch, where that branch constitutes a bargaining unit, set aside purely for pay bargaining purposes, until such time as delegated pay meets its nemesis.

Treasury Solicitor

A77

This Conference agrees that in order to ease the pressure on Branch Officers all steps possible should be taken to cut down on the paperwork involved in the administration of PCS Conferences and Elections. It welcomes the introduction this year of the electronic submission of motions to National Conference, but believes further measures are still needed.

To this end the National Executive Committee is instructed to review the rules and procedures of the Union and enable Branches to submit details of nominations and Conference Delegates to PCS HQ by e-mail, where this is not precluded by the Rules of the Union or legislation. Where Rule amendment(s) would be necessary for such a procedural change, the NEC is instructed to submit such amendment(s) to Conference 2010.

The NEC is also instructed to review the forms used under these procedures to ensure that these are made as user-friendly for Branches as possible. The NEC is instructed to consult with Branch Secretaries about the layout and format of forms,

The NEC is also instructed to ensure that all Conference materials are readily and timeously available to Branches via the PCS website, and that all Groups within the Union are similarly electronically enabled.

DWP, HQ Leeds

A78 (Falls if A39 is carried)

Conference instructs the NEC to limit all campaigning /funding/ support/ website and similar activities to strictly trade union related activities. There should be a proper process to evaluate if any proposed activity is related to the core of what a trade union is for (to support members at work (and unemployed members) to achieve a better deal with employers and an improvement in their working conditions).

If a proposed activity is not for this purpose, it should not be an official PCS campaign. (PCS could however point members suggesting an activity that is not core for PCS to organisations that would be better placed to help and encourage them to get involved there.)

Currently PCS is too widespread in its campaigning and as a result it has less credibility than it could have and is also limiting its appeal to a wider spectrum of members, as all the non core campaigns make it less clear what PCS stands for. It also is distracting PCS head office time, leaving less time for core activities and risking that core activities are not pursued with the highest quality. Examples of non core activities are the PCS poll, solidarity with Gaza, Fight for our forests, defend council housing and many others.

PSg Office of Rail Regulation, London