PCS: Socialists gear up for battle at conference despite elections defeat
Dave Semple, PCS vice president 2024-25, personal capacity
National election results were declared on Friday 9 May in the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS). The left ‘coalition for change’, in which the Broad Left Network and the Socialist Party Scotland participate, was defeated, dropping from 19 seats on the 35-seat National Executive Committee (NEC) to seven. The left retained the post of deputy president, and CWI members Fiona Brittle and Marion Lloyd were re-elected to the executive.
Turnout overall was significantly down on last year’s elections.
A left majority was victorious in the 2024 national elections, winning 19 of 35 seats but not winning the union’s presidency. The president, Martin Cavanagh, re-elected in the 2025 elections with a much-reduced vote, spent the year vetoing any serious moves towards a genuine fight on pay, pensions, jobs, office closures and working conditions.
Cavanagh and his misnamed ‘Left Unity’ faction attempted to win votes of PCS members by promising to refund to them the £3-£5 per month they had been paying into a national strike levy from August 2024 until it was suspended in February 2025 – which many activists have seen as a bribe. Cavanagh et al also, ironically, blamed the outgoing NEC for inaction over the electoral year since May 2024 – inaction directly caused by presidential vetoes of moves to action.
Concerning from the point of view of union democracy, Left Unity candidates attempted to launch a ‘red scare’ in their election addresses, accusing the coalition for change of being a fig-leaf for the Socialist Party and the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty. This does not seem to have got much of an echo amongst members, but it is indicative of the continuing rightward shift of Cavanagh and Left Unity.
Uncertain mood amongst government workers
CWI members who are also PCS members and union reps were active across the UK during the national elections, leafleting workplaces and running members’ meetings to discuss out the issues facing civil servants in Westminster and the devolved governments, as well as private sector members.
Workers know that this government is not their friend. But the lack of any serious action in PCS since June 2023 – when Cavanagh and his allies collapsed the previous national campaign – has led to uncertainty about whether we can fight and win.
In other areas, such as the heroic resistance of the Birmingham bin workers to pay cuts, the attack is pressing and workers have quickly understood they need to fight. In this ‘phoney war’ period, central government workers are still not certain that they have to dig in and fight, or that they can fight – a mood exacerbated by the general secretary and president’s complacency.
Ready or not, Labour is coming for us
For socialists, it is clear that the Labour government is preparing major attacks on the civil service. Budget cuts began in July, when Rachel Reeves announced 2% cuts. This escalated in the October Budget with a further 5% cuts announced. In the Spring Statement in March, a further 15% cuts to “administrative budgets” were announced.
The impact of this will be on pay and jobs.
In the Cabinet Office, 1,200 job cuts have already been announced, out of total staffing of 6,500. Labour government minister Pat McFadden has called this “leading by example”.
Recent announcements indicate coming attacks on civil service executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (known as Arm’s Length Bodies) and further attacks on the number of civil service jobs in London.
All attempts to restrict budgets will inevitably have an impact on civil service pay.
From the beginning of the last electoral year, in May 2024, Socialist Party members elected to the union’s NEC persistently argued that we needed to put the case for a fight to members. That we had to put forward a clear industrial strategy that would deserve the confidence of reps and members, to ‘re-win’ our campaign arguments. Basic steps like this weren’t simply vetoed, they were buried by inaction.
ADC 2025 can be a turning point: build the union, build the campaign
The PCS annual delegate conference (ADC) meets from Tuesday 20 May. Conference will have the opportunity to set course to prepare the union for the fights that are coming. This is the immediate task for all activists across the union. The incoming leadership – who are the same leadership that was ousted in May 2024 – have already proven that they are not capable of building a serious fight. They will have to be pressured.
Current uncertainty notwithstanding, members will very shortly be demanding that their union acts to protect their pay and jobs. There are already signs of a broader move across the other trade unions, including doctors, nurses and teachers, towards a fight. An organised left within PCS will play a crucial role in holding the feet of the NEC to the fire.
The Socialist Party will continue to fight for a leadership that stands up to Starmer instead of providing cover for this austerity government. We should continue to place demands on Labour, but we believe there is a need for a new party which will serve the interests of workers. The trade unions, including PCS, must rise to that challenge.
The PCS NEC needs to call in its parliamentary group, to explain to members where they stand on our union’s policies. Doing that, and also contacting all pro-worker MPs, including the independents and suspended Labour MPs, will enable us to form a parliamentary bloc that champions our policies. That would strengthen our industrial fight. PCS should also discuss with other unions in order to call a conference to debate launching a new working-class party to fight for socialist policies.
We urge all activists across PCS to join the PCS Broad Left Network, in which Socialist Party members take part, and to commit to the fight our members need in 2025.
Socialist Party fringe meeting at PCS conference:
Tuesday 20 May, 5.30pm (or end of conference)
Gresham Suite, The Old Ship Hotel, 32-38 Kings Road, BN1 1NR
Hear from: Marion Lloyd and Fiona Brittle, PCS NEC members; Dave Semple, 2024-25 Vice President; Rob Williams, Socialist Party Executive Committee
