The 2026 NEC elections are a vital juncture for members to regain control of their union from Left Unity and the bureaucracy; the Independent Left is part of the Coalition for Change electoral alliance which is fighting to make this happen by delivering its programme.
For 2026 we need a new President and NEC that will undertake the dual tasks of leadership; to listen and to lead. The President of PCS should not exercise dictatorial powers, no matter who they are or what faction they are from. Bev Laidlaw of the Independent Left is the Presidential candidate for the Coalition for Change. Bev has a longstanding record against the increasing role of the bureaucracy in the union and understands how to listen to members and reps to help to transform it alongside us all.
A Coalition-led NEC will begin the process of refounding PCS by improving its democracy, communication and the power and resources that reps and members have to deliver change on the ground, ending the monopoly of power by unelected staffers. If PCS is to thrive, it must be genuinely democratic, drawing on members and reps’ knowledge and giving them the tools and resources to build successful industrial campaigns and deliver wins. A transformed rank and file led union will fight on jobs, terms and conditions and pay, overturning long-term decline by the LU leadership.
In the last year most members have seen their pay fall when compared to inflation. Low pay remains endemic and our lowest paid members are routinely overtaken by the National Minimum Wage rise each April.
At the Annual Delegate Conference in May last year, your delegates passed motions to build a national campaign to fight the Government for fair pay and wider terms and conditions changes, with the aim of moving to an industrial action ballot in September.
Since the election of a Left Unity-majority NEC and re-election of Martin Cavanagh as President, we have seen an abdication of leadership by our elected officials and the employed bureaucracy, seemingly singularly directed by Fran Heathcote, the General Secretary.
The union effectively demobilised over the summer, did ineffectual choreographed engagement with Group and Branch representatives and concluded in September not to proceed to ballot members to advance the national campaign.
They ran down the Fighting Fund by blocking motions last year to increase contributions and by processing their irresponsible ‘levy refund’. They did not launch a true national campaign this year because they actively eroded the conditions to have one. All the while, they announce the (lack of) outcomes from their meetings with the Cabinet Office even though there has been no material progress.
Beyond pay, the leadership have been ineffective in stemming increasing workloads, the erosion of hybrid working, fighting unilateral rota changes by management, opposing office closures, tackling the rising threat of AI to civil service jobs and the deliberate attack by the government on London-based civil service jobs in particular through Places for Growth and the Plan for London. Can any PCS member say that the current union leadership has done them proud on these urgent issues?
A Coalition for Change-led NEC will build momentum towards a coordinated industrial fight, including national and selective strikes, and action short of strikes, to force the government to concede members’ legitimate demands on pay, pensions and jobs, but also to secure genuine freedom and flexibility for our members in how and where we do our work. We will fight to put equality at the heart of everything PCS does and support reps and members with discrimination cases.
This is just a small part of the programme we will deliver if we are elected, read more about our joint platform in full and vote for the Independent Left and Coalition for Change candidates! And if you want to help shape our work to change PCS, consider joining the IL for just £3 per month.