For a fighting, rank-and-file controlled union
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How Left Unity Distorted a Key Organizing Concept to Cancel a Ballot
Left Unity, which leads the PCS union, decided not to hold a ballot of members across the UK civil service. Their official reason as to why no vote? Well activists, that’s you, failed a series of internal “stress tests.” These tests were based on attendance at the National Activist Forum, the Campaign Schools, and members’…
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The President’s Confident Claim vs. Reality
PCS National President Martin Cavanagh, the Left Unity (LU) co-leader, titled his latest web article, “Budget threat is clear – we will keep fighting.” The Independent Left (IL) agrees we are fighting, but only at a local level. Nationally, LU has chosen a strategy of calculated retreat. They have deliberately disarmed our union by refusing…
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A Failure to Mobilise: Left Unity Enters Pay Talks With Nothing In Hand
PCS, that is the Left Unity leadership of our union has posted on the PCS website: “In negotiations with the Cabinet Office we are seeking an agreement on pay, jobs and flexible working across the civil service… We have further detailed talks scheduled in the coming weeks with senior officials and ministers to push our…
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No Ballot
Shortly branches will be told that there will be no ballot and that the union is entering national talks on pay, job security etc. The Independent Left (IL) believes this approach is wrong. This moment demands activity as opposed to going into sleep mode. IL believes that PCS should actually have a membership campaign and…
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Inflation Eats Away Our Pay
The pay remit for the UK civil service was for an average pay award of 3.5%. And that’s what most members got. Of course an average covers a multiple of sins and many people didn’t get 3.5% and even if they did, many would have had an unconsolidated award in whole or part. We know…
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Special NEC to Debate 2025 National Ballot
A special meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) is scheduled for Thursday, October 23. We expect a recommendation from the General Secretary against holding a national ballot of UK civil service members. If that happens, it will be challenged by the Independent Left (IL). We argue that PCS should re-start preparations for an industrial…