PCS at TUC Cymru Congress

The Congress of TUC Cymru (previously known as the Wales TUC) which takes place every two years. has just concluded at Venue Cymru, Llandudno. This year it was celebrating its 50^th anniversary.

PCS proposed two motions which were carried. The first of these, moved by Gethin Jones of HMPPS, dealt with the possibility of further devolution, particularly in the area of employment rights. It welcomed a report on this subject commissioned by TUC Cymru and the commitment to establishing a working group to discuss the matter further. It called for a positive approach to the issue, in the light of the benefits to working people arising from previous devolution. It was composited with a motion from the Prison Officers’ Association, calling for detailed plans for the proposed devolution of justice to be drawn up.

PCS’s second motion welcomed the launch of the Cynnig Cymraeg (“Welsh Offer”), an initiative designed to improve unions’ support for their Welsh-speaking members. Again, our motion was composited with another on similar lines, this time from the TUC Cymru equalities committee. PCS is the first union to fully embrace the Cynnig Cymraeg and this was reflected by the fact that both the mover and the seconder of the composite were from our union – respectively, Ian Thomas of the Senedd Commission, speaking in his equalities committee capacity, and industrial officer, Siân Boyles. Ian and Siân also played a central role in a well-attended fringe meeting on the subject.

National officer Darren Williams also seconded a motion from Prospect on culture sector cuts, which incorporated a PCS amendment, and Carol Revell from the DWP successfully moved an amendment to a Nautilus motion on Just Transition, arguing for a workers’ plan for a National Climate Service, delivered by government action. Finally, industrial officer Alison Burrowes moved a motion from the TUC Cymru equalities committee, celebrating the work of the Black Activists’ Development Programme.

Alison and Darren were also re-elected to the Wales TUC general council, although unfortunately none of our other general council candidates were successful, including Ian Thomas, who has served as Welsh-speakers’ representative over the last couple of years.

Among the other issues addressed by Congress was the crisis in the steel industry prompted by Tata’s decision to close blast furnaces and coke ovens at Port Talbot steelworks. Delegates also heard from Welsh First Minister, Vaughan Gething, Paul Nowak of the TUC, Roz Foyer of the Scottish TUC and Gerry Murphy of the ICTU.