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Candidate's response - Louise McCleary, Solidarity

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

Firstly I as a Solidarity candidate and as a socialist wholeheartedly support the PCS call for a decent living wage and an end to poverty pay for many of your members.

It’s an absolute disgrace that people working for the government should need tax credits to make up their pay, never mind workers’ wages having to be raised to fall in line with the current minimum wage.

Solidarity believes that workers should be entitled to expect pay increases at the very least in line with inflation. This is especially the case now as the cost of living has rocketed under the current capitalist crisis.

I and many of my Solidarity comrades in Fife have stood with PCS members on the picket lines, donated to hardship funds, participated in demonstrations and offered our support in any way we could. We will continue to do this long after the election.

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?

Secondly, as a socialist and as a disabled person who may be feeling the sharp end of this policy outlined in the green paper for welfare reform, I am both deeply concerned and vehemently opposed to such attacks on the benefits system.

Solidarity find it utterly shameful that disabled people and lone parents should be forced into work on such draconian and ill thought-out measures based on a failed American model at a time when unemployment and child poverty is on the increase.

Solidarity makes it clear that it is opposed to these welfare reforms as well as the loss of jobs. To have cut tens of thousands of civil service jobs, when the civil service was already overstretched, over worked and underpaid, and to have closed social security offices, was highly irresponsible.

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?

Thirdly, Solidarity condemns the loss of yet more public sector jobs to private industry and the systematic break-up of the DWP.

Solidarity agrees wholeheartedly with PCS that disabled people and lone parents should not be put at the mercy of private businesses who have no interest in the welfare of these people other than to make a quick easy profit. These companies can expect substantial sums of money upfront for finding work regardless of its suitability.

There is no incentive to find work that is even remotely suitable for the individual. We are opposed to security being put into private hands for the simple reason that the security staff working with privatised companies receive pay and working conditions that are far below those on civil service pay. This is leading to the creation of a two-tier system of pay and conditions for employees.