PCS union desperate for a merger..with anyone

The PCS union is in more trouble than it's leaders care to admit. They have seen one successful breakaway of a whole civil service department in SOCA, a failed attempt to get Unite to take PCS over, are facing another breakaway in the Customs & Revenue group and sneakily attempted to put the unions biggest financial asset on the property market without telling anyone.

Sound like a union in good hands?

Nah.

Despite the assurances of the more than useless Assistant General Secretary Chris Baugh that the union has "sound finances" (stop laughing at the back), it seems that the far-left have come up with another set of proposals to "rescue" the financially sound ailing union.

The ruling political group of the PCS union is the Left Unity group, an alliance of the Socialist Party, SWP, remaining Stalinists and other miscellaneous malcontents. At their forthcoming conference in Manchester they are due to discuss this little motion which members might find rather telling...

This conference notes with concern the financial problems caused by the withdrawal of check off and the ongoing cuts to our membership. In this financial context, it believes we should be looking at mergers with other unions where there is industrial logic to do so.

The aim is to provide not just financial stability but, also, to increase our industrial and political muscle. Unions to be considered on this basis are FDA, Prospect, NIPSA and POA.

Conference instructs the NEC to explore whether these unions would be interested in joining an expanded public sector union and beginning discussions on issues like a rule book, reserved seats etc.

Progress or lack of it should be reported back to conference 2016.

If passed by the assembled "comrades" it is likely to be put to the unions 2015 conference. The leadership will have a little explaining to do. The unions finances are obviously not in good shape regardless of the end of "check off" and perhaps it's time to use old Leon Trotsky's transitional slogan:

Open the Books!

Meanwhile as the comrades plan to try and save their necks from financial ruin they still plan to spend large sums of money that PCS obviously hasn't got in the general election next year.

One of their other motions to be debated is about standing and supporting candidates against "austerity", a euphemism for backing the tiny Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition and a couple of other no-hopers that will get nowhere whilst the bulk of the trade union movement will be working for a Labour victory.

In the run up to the 2015 election LU members should work to support the widest unity in mounting electoral challenges to austerity policies.

LU members on the NEC should argue for backing from the union where united and serious campaigns are standing credible anti-austerity candidates of whatever party.

LU should campaign for PCS policy to be extended to allow support for candidates in all elections not just national ones.

LU should argue for PCS to jointly host a summit on the crisis of political representation with other trade unions and those on the left to discuss how to develop strong and united electoral alternatives for working class people in this country.

Is this what the money from the sale of Falcon Road (PCS HQ) is going to be wasted on?

As for Unity? It won't be with the bulk of the trade unions in this country.

My advice to the other civil service trade unions is to dismiss the proposal for a merger immediately.

The PCS would swamp any smaller union that got involved and given the track record of the likes of Mark Serwotka and his motley crew a merger would lead to disaster for their members.

If PCS wants to get it's act (and finances) in order the activist class needs to stop using it as a platform (and purse?) for their own sectarian interests and remember that PCS is supposed to be a trade union not a political party.

Little hope of that.

No wonder many of us are starting to think of alternatives to PCS.