NEC Report September 2006

Job Cuts Campaign

The main debate of the meeting was around the Job Cuts Campaign. General Secretary Mark Serwotka felt PCS needed to be serious in responding to our Conference policy of holding a ballot for industrial action. PCS Democrats welcomed the decision to consult those activists in the field at the forthcoming Regional Forums for views, because if we, and they, can't deliver a convincing ballot result, PCS policy will be undermined in the eyes of the employer.

PCS Dem's NEC members were also concerned about any industrial action having clear aims, and this not turning into a "we've had enough and want you to know" strike. Members will need to understand clearly the objectives we seek to achieve by taking action. But at the same time we were concerned that the power of the PCS threat of a national strike the first time a member is made compulsorily redundant, would be undermined if we trigger a ballot for national strike action regardless. We also wondered about the willingness of the membership to support a strike given that many have already taken action in the last 12 months, and that recent ballots had already been lost in specific local disputes (e.g. ONS) that had faced heavy job losses.

Pay

The debate on pay focused on the current pay round and on the coherence campaign. This years round of pay negotiations has lead to the belief that there will be more disputes. With RPI standing at 3.3% and Gordon Browns' restriction of pay increases to 2.5%, the NEC endorsed a move to to bring negotiators from similar areas together to improve links between the bargaining areas and with PCS HQ. So far only 15 remits have been cleared, so any disputes are likely to take place early next year. This would co-ordinate with possible national action over job cuts.

In terms of the national pay coherence debate, with settlement sizes severely restricted by the Treasury, any movement to narrow the 35% pay gap between departments is unlikely to be reduced. PCS Democrats agreed with the recommendation to bring negotiators together to examine links between work segments, in an attempt to improve convergence at AO level across departments. We also stressed the need for common grading systems across departments, and the need to consider the use of the new Age Discrimination legislation with practical guidance for pay negotiators.

Pensions

There was little to report about pensions as PCS officials have not met the Employer since the last NEC. Our NEC members highlighted the need for action around compensations schemes. Members leaving the Civil Service now on AER are feeling the effect, and a new pension offer can’t come soon enough.

With NEC member Pete Middleman off to work as a PCS full timer the NEC took the decision to call up PCS Democrat Gary Winder to take his place. The NEC had the options of calling a by election, leaving the post empty or appointing the next placed candidate from the recent NEC elections. Because so little time had passed since the last elections, and the fact that conference will be in May next year, it was decided this was the most timely and efficient way to fill the vacant place.