the Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber PCS branch, asks "what happens now?" for the thousands of civil servants threatened with job losses and slashed pensions? Before the national strike on November 5, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) was considered to be one of the least effective unions in the country.
After the strike, BOOD membership increased and the union is now seen to be in the vanguard of the struggle to defend public services. The question now being asked is "what happens now?
Members went on strike because they expected a programme of action. They know that one-day strikes usually are not effective. The word was that this was the beginning of a public sector alliance that would unite to defend jobs, services and pensions.
Civil service pay is so low that pensions are seen as critical by staff to their conditions. There was even talk of a public sector strike in March to build on the success shown by the action on November 5.
According to Left Unity who control a majority on the National Executive (NEC) we are now in the run up to the General Election. MPs are feeling vulnerable and this is a golden opportunity to put pressure on the Government.
The national strike has already had a positive effect in a number of areas: • A national protocol for dealing with our demands for no compulsory redundancies or relocations, and no cuts in pensions and sick pay. • A number of bargaining areas have now reached avoidance of compulsory redundancy agreements. These include the (Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) • The Government's dropped its plans to attack paid sick leave.
These are all linked to the successful strike, and while they are not everything we would want, they are major steps forward.
The NEC agreed there is a need to build upon this and to seek firm guarantees on our six assurances: • National discussions on proposed job cuts and relocation plans • No detriment to pensions and sick pay, • No compulsory redundancies, • Relocation to be voluntary not compulsory, • Equality proofing all pay and personnel procedures • Moves towards a fairer national pay system.
The NEC agreed not to ballot members nationally for further industrial action at this time but to prepare for another national ballot on industrial action in the event of compulsory redundancies, cuts in pensions or in sick pay, or failure to achieve significant progress on these assurances.
They have mimicked the Grand old Duke of York. While the worst effects of the budget announcement have been blunted the real threat to jobs, services and pensions remains. Yet what happens? Nothing?
Into this vacuum have stepped the TUC with their Day of action on February 18, explicitly meant to head off strike action.
We are told that there is still a possibility of strike action on pensions. But how can we call members out when there does not appear to be any long term strategy or coherent campaign in place?
Socialist Resistance supporters in PCS believe the following presents coherent not appear to be strategy for taking forward the campaign
Pay, pensions and jobs must be the central planks of campaign. The Treasury must set its "remit" at a level high enough to allow pay and conditions to be levelled up across the civil service
A return to national
Andrew Wiard pcs STANDING TOGETHER ON PAY Fair pay all pay bargaining Concerted across the public sector, espeHow can we call cially on pensions. Teachers, members out and local when there does government
workers all face the same threat. any long term The line
that the PCS
strategy or
cannot win
coherent unless there is a campaign in general strike
across the whole
place? public sector
must be rejected. We fight for public sector unity but the PCS should act alone if necessary and appeal to other unions for support.
pcs STANDING TOGETHER ON PAY Fair pay tor all
The PCS should follow up November 5 with sustained action in targeted areas, hitting government revenue and targets.
The union must organise a national levy of all members to fund selective action.
Further national action to supplement selective action must be coordinated.
Socialist Resistance supporters in PCS will be calling for a vote for the Left Unity slate in the forthcoming NEC
But we believe that a programme of action as outlined above if adopted presents the best chance of defeating the