Public and Commercial Services Union

This issue of Informed gives a report of the decisions taken at the NEC meeting held on 3–5 March 2009.

National pay campaign

The NEC heard that the planned meeting with Treasury officials to discuss the new pay remit (which governs what departments and NDPBs can offer) had again been delayed.

This meeting would have enabled PCS to determine if the remit matched up to the commitments given in last year’s national agreement on pay.

The NEC agreed to endorse a letter of complaint to Ministers from the general secretary. The following statement was issued after the meeting:

A draft national pay claim was discussed, which would take into account the loss of spending power experienced by members over the last three years.

Key equal pay cases in the Department for Transport, which could have profound implications for comparisons between bargaining areas will be heard over three weeks, beginning at the end of April, the NEC heard.

Compensation scheme

Talks with the Cabinet Office on reform of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme were outlined to the NEC.

Our negotiators continued to insist that there should be no reduction of benefits to those in redundancy situations.

Given that talks were continuing, the NEC agreed that a report on negotiations would be made to ADC, and that any offer would be put to a ballot of members.

EDS

IT contractor EDS was attempting to cut staff pay while simultaneously cutting jobs, the NEC was told, while the massive bonuses paid to senior executives would continue.

The NEC agreed that the general secretary and president would write in protest to the company’s chief executive, and that briefing be prepared for the parliamentary group, in order to put further pressure on management.

Welfare reform

Immediately before the NEC began, PCS, in association with a number of other unions and organisations, held a successful lobby of parliament opposing the government’s plans for welfare reform.

This was the latest phase of our campaign against privatisation of members’ work, workfare, and attacks on various groups of clients.

The NEC agreed that local campaigns will now be established, and discussions with our partner organisations take place about the next phase of the national campaign and about expanding and financing the network of unemployed workers centres.

Make Your Vote Count

Regional and national coordinators had now been appointed to implement the 2009 phase of Make Your Vote Count.

Initial tasks will include recruitment and training of new MYVC coordinators in branches, voter registration (particularly important for the Euro elections, where the BNP may take seats), and identifying local issues for inclusion amongst questions to candidates.

The NEC agreed that the key national issues for MYVC would be privatisation, welfare reform, pensions and opposition to the far right.

Scottish TUC, women’s and black workers conferences

The NEC discussed the agendas for forthcoming conferences. Motions including support for nuclear power at the STUC will be opposed, in line with ADC policy.

An emergency motion to the women’s TUC was agreed calling for a campaign to retain the Equality and Human Rights Commission helpline in Manchester.

In response to an initiative from the national black members forum, the NEC agreed an emergency motion to the TUC black workers conference rejecting the slogan “British Jobs for British Workers” while supporting the demands that labour on construction sites should be both unionised and covered by the relevant national agreements.

Finance report

The text of the 2008 finance report was approved by the NEC. Improved budgeting and forecasting would mean a balanced budget for 2009.

Savings due to action taken to reduce staffing were starting to feed through. Projections on finances for the next three years are included in the report to ADC.