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Candidate's response - Lindsay Roy, Labour

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Q1  PCS is campaigning for a national civil service pay framework and protection of members' pay from erosion by inflation. Do you support PCS's campaign against cuts in real pay for public servants?

I believe it is essential that trade unions must have the necessary resources and facilities to engage in negotiation with employers to negotiate and reach agreement on salary settlements and changes to conditions of service.

At a time when many people right across the world are feeling the pinch it is more important than ever that all workers are fairly rewarded.

In recognition of the vital job which public sector workers do delivering essential services for communities across the country, the average public sector wage has gone up by 42.7% since 1997 (that’s 22% above inflation) which is a greater increase than in the private sector. In certain jobs where there have been recruitment problems in the past, there have been even bigger pay increases over the last ten years.

Q2  PCS is concerned that the latest proposals to reform welfare will mean cutting benefits and increasing pressure on some of the most vulnerable in society, without increasing the public resources aimed at helping them. Where do you stand on the Green Paper on welfare reform?

The Tories wrote-off whole generations on benefit. Families and communities were left in poverty and dependency and disillusioned tax-payers were left to foot the bill. Incapacity Benefit left millions effectively abandoned on welfare, with no support to get healthy and back to work. 9 out of 10 people on Incapacity Benefit say they want to work and already thousands have been helped back into work through the first pilot stages of Pathways to Work.

Labour’s proposals are based on the principle that each of us has something to contribute and we are offering people more support but with a responsibility to take up the help available. I want a welfare state where no one is written off to a life on benefits and personal responsibility is encouraged and rewarded.

These changes mean that there will be more money for those least able to work. The proposed changes are in conjunction with one-to-one personalised back to work support, financial assistance to help with the transition back into work and flexibility on the part of advisers, for example in considering childcare requirements.

Q3 PCS is concerned that the government has privatised more of the civil service since 1997 than the Conservative government did in 18 years. These privatisations are costly and unnecessary as they are jeopardising services being delivered to the public. Where do you stand on privatising public services, such as the delivery of employment services, or security in Revenue & Customs?

Public services should be publicly accountable and there should not be a two-tier workforce. I will oppose any privatisation of a public service that would not (a) benefit the public and (b) fully protect the employment, terms and conditions of all staff. I am pleased that the UK government strengthened the TUPE laws to cover such circumstances and will do anything else possible to strengthen such laws if there is a need to do this.