At present, the joint Independent Left/Broad Left Network candidate standing for DWP President, Bev Laidlaw, will be omitted from the DWP Group Executive Committee ballot paper on the stated grounds that she did not accept the nomination within the deadline.
Bev does not agree with this view and decision. Without going into all the detail here, Bev indicated her acceptance within the deadline, stating “please find attached my election addresses for DWP Elections 2024; DWP Group President and Ordinary GEC member.” On any reasonable reading a candidate stating that are attaching election addresses and identification the posts they cover is a statement that they do accept nomination for those posts.
Supported by IL and BLN colleagues (who are also standing as part of the Coalition for Change in the NEC elections), Bev has challenged this decision, although the “procedure” allowed for challenge is not one we would recommend and the HQ decision, as it stands at present, will mean that the LU candidate will be elected unopposed.
The wider view we take, and that Bev has expressed, is that trade unions should favour the maximisation of democracy, reduce obstacles to candidates standing, and promote contested elections rather than omit candidates for reasons unconnected to the key issues of whether a candidate is in membership, is a member in the relevant constituency, has been properly nominated, and has accepted nomination. Going forward after the election, we will therefore be looking to ensure PCS’ election arrangements reflect these fundamental democratic principles.
In the here and now, it is crucial that everyone of us, who wants change in our union, who is serious about winning on pay and wants democratic, accountable leaders, redouble our efforts to vote for and campaign for BLN/IL/Change candidates in Group and National Executive Committee elections.
The PCS National Executive has rejected calls for national action alongside announced targeted action.
Just over a week ago the union saw the biggest participation and largest vote in favour of action in the union’s history.
This was the result of 6-weeks of huge member and activist engagement right across the union. During this period the union grew significantly, new, young activists were inspired to join-in fighting as part of the campaign. Members voting for action for the first time due to the severity of the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and effective workplace agitation around the issues.
The strategy this time was different. The tactics long argued by Independent Left for targeted or selective action meant to cause as much disruption as possible is now universally agreed as the way the dispute will be won.
But targeted action must be complemented by national action.
National one day strikes on their own is rightfully seen as a weak strategy, little better than a protest action. In the past, members have seen the poverty of a strategy which sees them lose a day’s pay for minimal disruption.
But national action when used alongside targeted action is not protest action. Its purpose is to buoy those taking targeted action and to demonstrate in a real way that they are not acting alone, it’s to give all members a stake in the campaign. Most importantly it’s to retain the momentum among members in all workplaces and as a recruiting sergeant.
Equally, there are live disputes over office closures and redundancies in the DWP and Department for Education both now with mandates for action, but no action has yet been called.
The Independent Left argued at today’s NEC that members being asked to take sustained selective action should be supported by at least a day of national action by all members with mandates to strike as a springboard to the campaign.
IL argued that with the posties in the CWU calling 6 days of action in December, and lecturers in the UCU with 3 days starting at the end of this month, there could also be effective coordination with other unions.
The NEC majority opposed this and it was defeated with targeted action in a few areas being given the green-light this side of Christmas and no view of when – if at all – any national action will be called.
This represents a serious strategic mistake, risks widescale demobilisation and demoralisation of those being asked to take action as well as those who have effectively been stood-down from the campaign and many activists and members are rightfully disappointed.
Clearly, the action called today needs to be unconditionally supported with reps mobilising support for the pickets. But members and reps in branches, groups and on regional committees should discuss the NEC decision and if they agree with us, propose and pass motions outlining their concerns to send to the NEC and General Secretary. The more that do so, the bigger impact it will have. Please get in touch if you are planning to do so, or would like support.
It is also clear that control of the dispute is not in the hands of the rank-and-file. We have long argued that disputes, including demands and strategy should rest, democratically with the membership. There already appears to be a significant number of members and reps who disagree with today’s decision and we think there should be a forum for those individuals to discuss a way forward.
National Branches and Groups still retain the option of submitting requests for action to the National Disputes Committee and those passing the threshold already have a mandate. These committees may consider their membership and decide they want to take national action in support of the targeted action. They should discuss this with their membership and send requests to the NDC. Our expectation would be that the NDC should accept these requests as refusing them would represent a top-down block on members action. But branches and groups should not have to be in this position as a consequence of the misjudged strategy of the NEC!
We will be posting more in the coming days about organising discussions with branches and reps.
The NEC should reverse its decision to stand-down tens of thousands of members, but minimally need to articulate to members whether there will be any national action in the New Year.
PCS Independent Left members and supporters hold organised interventions at Group and National conference. This year our members were responsible for writing and submitting motions, including but not limited to, proposing a campaigning strategy for the permanence of fixed-term members, calling for the future national pay ballot to be conducted on a disaggregated basis, for Solidarity with Ukraine and to end the unions unfair, unequal subs
We are the only group in the union to produce daily conference bulletins, responding to the debates and providing a perspective on upcoming motions. We also hold conference fringe meetings and were the only group to organise a conference social event.
The bulletins we produced this year are included below.
Ballots have officially opened for the election of the PCS National Executive and will run to the 12th of May. Members should start receiving their ballot papers through the post over the next couple of days.
Please share the graphic below on social media to publicise our candidates and how we would change the union.
We will be adding more images with quotes from our candidates throughout the election period.
PCS Independent Left 