Both within the civil service and wider public sector, there exists the objective conditions for a concerted fight against the government’s policies. A key element missing though for such a fight back is proper leadership of the unions.
In PCS, the current leadership has been in control for over 10 years. By any reasonable judgement they have been a failure. Despite their radical rhetoric, the union is run in a typical TUC top down fashion, with only senior officers elected and with full timers on wages substantively greater than the bulk of the membership. Despite the fight shown by members the union has not won a substantive victory as a national body, be it on pensions, pay, terms and conditions and jobs in over a decade. Therefore this leadership has to be replaced.
This means, in part, winning elections at GEC and NEC level, that is why we are standing, but our aim is a fundamental transformation of the union. That is why we are standing on a programme which if implemented would so change the union.
PCS Independent Left 