Our Manifesto for Change Creating a Union members can be proud of
4themembers are committed, absolutely, to democracy. We will always put trade union issues before personal politics and we stand against all forms of extremist politics. As trade unionists, our anchor is in the general principles of liberty, equality, solidarity, human rights, social justice, provision of welfare and free & fair elections.
Relations with our employers
Our guiding principle is to seek a mutually agreeable settlement by negotiation, subject to a membership ballot. Just as PCS should always seek to improve members’ terms & conditions we understand that an employer will always look for efficiencies. Our approach is partnership not confrontation, co-operation not struggle.
When Government, or individual employers, seek to introduce new terms & conditions we will keep you fully informed during negotiations and give you the final say on any proposals. We won’t jump straight to industrial action but we won’t be afraid to use it as a last resort, subject to building sufficient support amongst members. We believe that the only way to do that is by giving you all the information.
We believe that accountability is a principal tenet of democracy. Therefore lay elected officials must take responsibility for negotiations and be held to account for the outcome. That is not to say that full-time officers have no role in negotiations, but lay elected officials should determine the extent of that role. We will always tell you who is negotiating on your behalf. Only then can you judge if they have done a good job when election time arrives.
Political independence
We are democrats so we reject any form of totalitarianism, either from the left or the right. We oppose parties like the BNP whose odious policies offend all right thinking people. We oppose parties like the Socialist Workers’ Party and the Socialist Party as they do not believe in democracy. We also oppose the use of PCS members’ subscriptions to provide support or a platform for extremist views, views that rightly go unheard in a democratic society they would wish to destroy.
We believe the TUC is the correct method for expressing the collective opinion of the trade union movement and we will bring PCS back into the mainstream of the TUC.
Democratic reform
We urgently need to improve our union’s democratic structures. Members have lost faith with the current leadership and we need to introduce changes to enable members to be engaged with their union and feel that their views matter. We will change the electoral process to introduce a list system for NEC elections that will allow members to vote for factions or independent candidates. We will make Conference more efficient and more accountable and we will give members a direct say on the major policy decisions reached at Conference.
Our Principal Policies
Public Services
4themembers believe that the only way that state can guarantee to deliver its contract with its citizens is through the public sector. The provision of national and internal security, the welfare state, education and health are all key foundations of the state, funded by a tax system that must be fair and progressive. The state must take responsibility for delivering essential services to the citizen and we believe that public servants best deliver those services. The public sector must be the core provider of public services.
Pay, Terms & Conditions
4themembers believe that all pay, terms & conditions should be free from discrimination and inequality. The “rate for the job” should be clear and achievable within a reasonable period of service. Leave, working hours, HR policies and other non-pay issues should be standardised across the Civil Service. Members on atypical contracts should not suffer discrimination because their working hours are different. A choice of Pension provision should be available, be it Final Salary or Career Averaging, with scope for flexibility built in, rather than excluded. PCS should have exactly the same aspirations for members in the Commercial Sector.
Job security and careers
We reject the view that it is somehow misguided or wrong to want a career in the Civil Service, or with the same employer, for the entire length of one’s working life. Creating job insecurity is irresponsible. It de-motivates staff and harms the business. In terms of the Civil Service, this means providing poor value for money and a worse service to the citizen. We believe that our members, at all grades, are entitled to proper training, the right equipment, a healthy working environment and supportive management. In return, Civil Servants, and their colleagues in the Commercial Sector, provide an exemplary service with a genuine public service ethos.
Public servants providing a public service
PCS members are public servants, whether they work in the Civil Service or the Commercial sector. They have the responsibility of providing essential services to the public, in every aspect of a citizen’s life. We believe that the public should be able to access those services, wherever they live, whatever their income. That is why it is essential that key government services are available locally. This ensures that the Civil Service is a diverse employer, with an important role to play in the community, and that PCS members can enjoy a better work/life balance.
A downloadable copy is here