Members of PCS at Ofgem on strike. Photo: London Socialist Party
Members of PCS at Ofgem on strike. Photo: London Socialist Party

PCS is the union representing government workers in the civil service, public sector and privatised contracts.

Voting papers for the 2023 PCS president and national executive elections were posted out to members on 20 April. These need to be returned in time for the closing date of 11 May. There are also separate online group elections which open on 27 April and close 16 May.

In this year’s elections, the ruling ‘Democracy Alliance’ leadership (made up of the ‘Left Unity’ and ‘PCS Democrats’ groupings) face a unified left opposition. The Broad Left Network (BLN), supported by Socialist Party members, and the Independent Left (IL) have agreed to fight the election with a joint platform and slate. The platform includes a genuine plan to escalate the national dispute on pay, jobs and pensions – one capable of winning.

The joint BLN and IL statement and slate

The BLN and IL have a shared view of what needs to be done to win our fight with the Tory government on pay and jobs, and to defend union democracy. We are seeking support for our joint slate around a platform to:

  • Support the strikes currently taking place on pay and jobs
  • Develop and build a genuine escalating programme of national, targeted and selective strike action to beat the Tory cost-of-living squeeze and the anti-union laws
  • Ballot for action short of strikes to maximise the pressure on the government
  • Ensure that PCS takes the lead in calling for mass coordinated action
  • Campaign for a ‘yes’ vote in the ballot to renew the union’s statutory strike mandate
  • Strengthen democracy and accountability in the union, including extending elections to full-time officers and bringing their pay more into line with the members they represent

President: Lloyd, Marion (BEIS)

Vice Presidents: Brittle, Fiona (Scot Gov); Carlsen, Bryan (HSE); Laidlaw, Bev (DWP); Rosser, Jon-Paul (HMRC)

NEC members: Bartlett, Dave (MOJ); Bishell, Tom (DWP); Bowers, Rob (Defence); Brittle, Fiona (Scot Gov); Brown, Alex (NHS Digital); Carlsen, Bryan (HSE); Chown, Josh (Home Office); Clarke, Eleanor (Cabinet Office); Cuckson, Victoria (HMRC); Davies, Jaime (HMRC); Day, Chris (National Archives); Dennis, Alan (DSG); Doyle, Nick (HMRC); Exley, Matt (Culture); Hamer, Chip (Culture); Heemskerk, Rachel (DWP); Johnson, Karen (DLUHC); Jones, David (DLUHC); Laidlaw, Bev (DWP); Lloyd,  Marion (BEIS); Marks, Chris (DWP); Menezes-Jackson, Vijay (DWP); Parker, Nick (ACAS); Ritchie, Rob (SSCL); Rosser, Jon-Paul (HMRC); Semple, Dave (DWP); Spencer, Gary (DLUHC); Suter, Paul (DWP); Tweedale, Saorsa-Amatheia (DWP); Young, Colin (DfE)

Vote Marion Lloyd for PCS President

Socialist Party member Marion Lloyd received 55 branch nominations for president in this election, from all parts of the union. Marion spoke to the Socialist and explained why she believes PCS members should vote for her and the other BLN and IL candidates.

Why are you standing for president?

We are in the middle of a major dispute with our employer. With inflation at record levels, it’s vital we win our 10% claim for 2022 and an inflation-proof increase, at least, for 2023. In our privatised areas, as well as areas of the civil service, many members barely scrape the minimum wage. This is scandalous. We need to do a job of work on this – for proper pay rates so that people can make ends meet.

It is vital we have a leadership which will build our campaign and work with members and reps for a plan capable of winning. We need to elect a leadership that is committed to winning, but that also recognises that we will all need to wage a major battle to win long-term. The BLN and IL candidates are committed to achieving this.

The current leadership’s plan has failed.

In 2020, the leadership signed up to the concept of ‘national unity’ by setting aside the PCS pay claim almost before it had been submitted, letting the government off the hook. In 2021, the union leadership told the government that they were prepared to sell conditions for pay rather than challenge Tory pay restrictions.

In November 2022, having secured a statutory strike mandate by adopting the approach put forward by the BLN, they waited six weeks before taking any action at all – and then only small-scale targeted strikes – and three months before there was a day of national strike action. They have called only three one-day national strikes in six months. The huge gap between each national day of action risks demoralising and confusing members. Many of the brave members struggling on selective action are not clear what the plan is. We need clarity.

Up until 14 April there were no talks with the employer. Now the Minister for the Cabinet Office has told PCS there will be no improvement at all on 2022’s 2% pay rise, and just 4.5 to 5% for 2023.

All through, BLN supporters have argued a clear strategy of escalating national strike action, and of the need to coordinate action with other unions also fighting the cost-of-living crisis. It is essential that this strategy is now implemented. This Tory government is extremely weak and crisis-ridden – with serious and coordinated action we can defeat them!

It’s time for change. We can win on pay and jobs by seriously escalating the national action, supporting the selective strikers and the levy on members to raise strike funds, balloting for action short of strikes, and changing the union leadership.

I’m standing to work with members and reps to build campaigns on the issues that worry our members most, to inspire confidence and get members involved.

What other issues are of the greatest concern?

Jobs, work pressures, and office closures are shared concerns right across the union. For example, in the DWP management has announced 48 office closures, and work pressures are growing.  Where is the campaign of opposition? Members and reps are being left to fight alone and feel isolated and let down. This must stop. Having won in my own area (BEIS – Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) on this, keeping all the offices open UK-wide and saving hundreds of jobs – including my own – this issue is very close to my heart.

These pressures on our members have consequences. The government’s own civil service figures reveal 771,433 sick days last year due to stress and mental health problems. This is a 38% increase on the previous year. We must hold the government to account.

The environment should also be central to our concerns. I would want to see our union fighting for the nationalisation of energy and massive investment needed. We need also to oppose attempts by the employer to cynically use climate change to cut office space, reduce hard-fought-for conditions, and make our quality of life poorer.

There is no place in our union for discrimination of any sort. I reject all attempts to divide us on the basis of race, gender, disability, sexuality, age and all other forms of oppression. I will fight alongside our LBGTQ+ members for equal rights in the workplace, union and society.

We must develop a campaign around all these issues that everyone can get behind and have confidence in.

What’s your position on the local and general elections?

Like many of our members, I want to see people elected who stand on a programme to reverse pay decline and job cuts. I have no faith in the Labour Party under Keir Starmer to do that. It leaves a particularly nasty taste in my mouth to see so many Labour councils implementing cuts, leading to outrageous attacks on their workers.

I will vote for any candidate that stands against austerity and opposes all cuts. In my area that means the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), which is standing in many areas across Britain.

Starmer has driven out every scrap of Jeremy Corbyn’s manifesto and even Corbyn himself. I would support Corbyn standing as an independent now that he has been barred from standing for Labour. In my view, that should be part of a process towards trade unionists building our own independent political voice. We need socialist policies.

What other changes you would fight for?

Getting rid of the Tory anti-union laws would be high on my list. In a capitalist system, the dice are heavily loaded against workers. Our ability to join together and take action, to inflict damage on an employer, evens things up a bit. The Tory anti-union laws are an obstacle to action – even though they have not stopped the current cost-of-living strikes – and need to be met with serious mass trade union opposition.

  • Find out more about the BLN bln.org.uk