PCS Political Fund Ballot – 3 weeks until launch

With 3 weeks until the start of our political fund ballot read an update on our political activities and what the fund has done for members across our union.

The PCS Political Fund ballot opens on Monday, 6 October running until Wednesday, 5 November. In July we updated members following a full meeting of our national executive committee, that we are asking members to vote yes, vote to retain, and vote to continue our strong campaigning voice in Westminster, devolved parliaments and beyond.

Political campaigning update

PCS members across the union are currently involved in numerous group campaigns, these include:

  • MyCSP – strike ongoing
  • MHCLG – dispute ongoing
  • DWP – balloting (consultative)
  • Palace of Westminster – strike ongoing
  • Ofgem – strike ongoing.

The PCS Political Fund has allowed the union to fully support these members and their campaigning objectives. We have secured:

  • A motion in Holyrood – Ofgem
  • Evidence to parliamentary work and pensions select committee – DWP
  • Evidence and briefing to parliamentary public accounts select committee – MyCSP
  • Early Day Motion – Westminster security strike
  • Letter to government minister – MHCLG
  • Oral question in the House of Commons – Westminster security strike.

We have also ensured, where possible, that we mobilise for our pickets, securing MP attendance, messages of support from sister unions and increased social media coverage.

Parliamentary group

The PCS Parliamentary Group meets every 6 to 8 weeks. It currently comprises of almost 100 cross-party MPs and peers and meets to discuss both national and group campaigning issues. The briefing from the last group meeting covered a wide range of issues, including pay and jobs, MyCSP, ONS dispute, skilled workers visa and the employment rights bill roadmap. The group will next meet in late October after conference recess where the forthcoming autumn budget will be high on the agenda.

With each campaign we aim to engage as much as possible not only with MPs, Ministers and officials but also with our members across the union, working to spread solidarity and support for colleagues who are actively in dispute or are raising awareness of a group or workplace issue. We have launched numerous e-actions which thousands of members have supported and promoted on numerous issues in recent months, these have included:

  • MyCSP
  • MHCLG
  • Civil service pensions
  • Winter fuel cuts
  • Employment rights bill.

We have also used this innovative in-house petition system to promote PCS national policy among the membership while also contacting MPs, peers and members in the devolved nation parliaments. Recently we have successfully launched two national policies, safe passage and tax justice, in Westminster, using the e-action system to contact politicians and ensure events were well attended.

PCS lunch and learn – a new initiative

Over the past year PCS has launched the lunch and learn initiative, a positive way of engaging with members across the union. These online meetings allow members to attend via workplace Teams systems, on their lunch break, with topics covered ranging from Palestine to the employment rights bill, anti-racist, anti-fascist work to the role of a workplace health and safety rep.

Hundreds of members have joined these events, contributing positively, broadening their understanding of topics which are of priority to the union at group and national level. These events have also allowed PCS to continue to build relationships with other unions and organisations across the movement which, in turn, has led to positive collaboration on many issues. The next lunch and learn events, due to take place in October, will focus on the PCS tax justice policy and the political fund ballot.

We are asking members and activists to get the vote out, to promote the vital work that the union undertakes thanks to the political fund and why, with the current trajectory of this Labour government, our campaigning voice is needed for members now, more than ever. Log into to PCS Digital to ensure your details are up to date, this is a mandated postal vote.

You can order ballot materials for your workplace using the online form.

Vote, Retain, Campaign