The Socialist Party (SP) runs the Shop Stewards’ Network. On a regular basis, it e-mails out a newsletter. This keeps activists up to date on certain issues and is a useful thing. What struck us though about the last mailing, dealing as it does with the NUT London/UCU pension strike on the 28 March was the implicit, though very muted criticism of the NUT (see below) but silence on PCS’s role or in this case, non role. The network wrote:

“What the day has shown is that the anger against the threat to make us work on to 68 or more, as well as the pay cuts that will start next month as the increased contributions begin, runs as deep as ever. The debate will continue at NUT Conference over Easter but, for now, London NUT and UCU members have pulled off an important and successful action – now let’s go forward from here
to build a united national campaign that can still force this Government to retreat”.

Not a hint regarding its attitude to the PCS. Of course the SP effectively runs the PCS as well. We suppose therefore that whilst the network feels free (rightly) to criticise other unions the PCS is off limits, as that would mean SP comrades criticising other SP comrades and that would never do.