PCS

Public & Commercial Services Union - trade union for civil servants

PCS: fight this victimisation

Following a spate of sackings and victimisations at Hastings Child Support Agency, Public and Commercial Services Union activists are organising a march and rally to protest. Branch secretary Sam Buckley has become the fifth union activist to be fired since 2007. An industrial tribunal found that former branch chair Eddie Fleming was unfairly dismissed, but has not been reinstated. Black members activist Winston Resalsingh was also sacked after asking whether he was being discriminated against by being refused facility time to attend PCS Black Members Committee meetings. The then-Chair Chris...

Fight the victimisation of union activists - reinstate Sam Buckley!

PCS Branch Secretary Sam Buckley has just become the fifth union officer to be sacked from the Child Support Agency (CSA) in Hastings since November 2007. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) is calling for reinstatement and a full inquiry by the House of Commons DWP Select Committee into the constant bullying, harassment and dismissal of reps and members at CSA Hastings. For an article on this issue from the PCS website, see here . A march and rally have been called for 18th September, assembling at Hastings Pier at 1pm for a 1.30pm start before marching to the town centre. This...

Civil service union gears up for action

On 23 July I attended a PCS anti-cuts campaign briefing meeting. The 35 attending delegates consisted of activists from all of the principal governmental bargaining units, along with their full-time officials. The meeting was held to inform branch officers about key recent recommendations of our National Executive and dates for activities and demonstrations (both PCS and TUC sponsored initiatives). Our Assistant General Secretary Chris Baugh told us that the immediate priority of the union was to get Parliamentary support from an “unholy” combination of nationalist parties, Labour and Lib-Dem...

Civil servants under attack

Fundamental attacks on civil service workers are coming thick and fast. We are entering a very different period compared to anything that has gone before. A two-year public sector pay freeze for everybody except those earning less than £21,000 has a concession to the latter of a pay rise of “at least” £250. But no-one in our union, the PCS, is expecting many such members, if any, to get more than the stipulated sum and that will represent an increase significantly below the rate of inflation. The pay freeze coincides with large VAT increases, the freezing of child benefits, and other attacks...

Why would socialists oppose union leaders getting only a worker's wage?

At this year's PCS civil service union conference, the Department of Communities and Local Government HQ and Department of Work and Pensions East London branches proposed the following motion: Conference notes that: • In 2008 gross annual median earnings for a full-time permanent employee in the Civil Service in 2008 were £22,520 and 60% of permanent full time civil servants earned less than £25,000 pa; • The highest PCS full time salary is over £80,500 and within the top 2% of earners in the UK. Conference instructs the NEC to immediately commence negotiations with the GMB with the aim of...

Civil service union attacks Jobcentre staff cuts

The civil service union PCS has attacked the announcement by the Department for Work and Pensions to cut 8,000 staff working in Jobcentres. In a press release , the union points out that the staff involved who are on fixed-term contracts were only hired last year with unemployment rising and as a direct result of the decision by Gordon Brown as Chancellor to slash 100,000 civil service jobs, including 30,000 in DWP. Now with more job cuts threatened across the public sector and those on incapacity and disability benefits being forced to seek work, Jobcentre staff are themselves facing the dole...

"Public sector alliance" is not the whole answer

The conference in May of the civil service workers' union PCS resolved on "a major call for joint action amongst public sector unions". There are two problems with making this call "the answer" to cuts. First, it cuts against more confident or militant unions taking action ahead of the rest. Some battles can be won by sectional action. And united trade-union action is more likely to start by some unions giving a lead than by waiting until everyone is lined up to make the first step forward in perfect harmony. Secondly: why the "public sector" limitation? It made some sense when the issue was...

National Gallery workers take action for living wage

A joint two-hour walkout was staged by PCS members working in the National Gallery and the National Gallery Company (a “front” retail company at the Gallery) in a protest over poverty pay on Thursday 13 May. Gallery warders had previously voted overwhelmingly to reject a 2009 pay offer which does not even guarantee the London Living Wage (currently £7.60). Most workers are earning just below £15k, and this current action marks the continuation of an effective series of short walkouts which have temporarily closed most of the galleries in recent months. PCS members in the fledgling NG Company...

PCS dodges issues on cuts and equality

PCS, by far the largest civil service trade union, met in conference in mid May, as the Tory-Liberal coalition was drawing up its year-on-year slash-and-burn plans for the public sector: huge reductions in jobs and services; privatisation; cuts in real wages; further attacks on pensions and severance terms. Conference got through a record number of motions and was a credit to delegates. Yet only a delegate with rose-tinted glasses would have returned home with the belief that the current PCS leadership is geared up to meet the enormous challenges facing PCS members. The Left Unity/PCS...

National Gallery workers fight low pay

On Thursday 13th of May, PCS members at the National Gallery and the National Gallery shop went on a 2-hour walkout against low pay. This was not the first time that National Gallery staff had taken action against the employer, who is paying 60p an hour less than the London Living Wage - but it was the first time that staff at the National Gallery shop had taken action. The gallery was brought to a virtual standstill when around 70 staff walked out. It was a show of strength, to demonstrate to management that they would not accept poverty wages - and they have the power to force gallery bosses...

This website uses cookies, you can find out more and set your preferences here.
By continuing to use this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.