Branch recommendations for PCS DWP Group Elections

PCS DWP GROUP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ELECTIONS President – Heathcote Fran Vice Presidents Cavanagh Martin, Flanagan Helen, Khalif Adam, McInally John, Williams Katrine Assistant Secretaries Barton Paul, Burke Dave, Cuthbert Chris, Hall Sam, Holmes Jim, Penn Tom, Richards Dave Organiser – Thomson Derek Treasurer – Chilwan Bash Editor – Smith Alan Group Executive Committee Bartholomew Ian Carass Alison Church Tony Ferraby Jason Gill Jimmy Godrich Janice Green Sharon Hartley Gavin Hatwood Glen Jones Martin McCafferty Kevin McDonough Marie Owens Dave Page Mark Pope Ian Revell Carol Robinson Sarah Rochester Annette Ruddick Sian Swainston Steve West Steve Your ballot paper should be posted by Friday 11th May at the latest to arrive by Wednesday 16th May If you have not received your ballot paper by Wednesday 2nd May Contact your local PCS rep or phone 0113 2005300

Workers Memorial Day

I'm just warming up from standing in the wind & rain at Workers Memorial Day.

It was well attended (in spite of the weather) by trade unionists, two MPs & the Lord Mayor of Leicester.


This commemorates those workers who have died at work, often through preventable accidents.

It is a reminder that health & safety is not a barrier to profits but an essential protection for workers.

If anyone is interested in becoming an H&S rep for PCS please get in touch.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A personal reflection

What appears below is one of the inspirations why when I could be having a quite life I am still a trade union and political activist, an internationalist and why I carry on fighting. Homeauf deutschen françaisen españoltürkçeAboutрусскийW języku polskimV českém jazyce Savas Metoikidis’ text on the uprising of December 2008 Savas Metoikidis is the 45-year old teacher who hanged himself as a form of political protest in the evening of April 21 in his hometown of Stavroupoli, in northern Greece. What follows is a translation of a text he had penned for the uprising of December 2008 (greek original). Who are, after all, the hoodlums? Violence is to work for 40 years for crumbs and to wonder whether you will get to retire. Violence are the financial bonds, the looted insurance funds, the stock exchange scam. Violence is to be forced to take out a mortgage which you end up paying as if it was made out of gold. Violence is your boss’ right to sack you at any moment they please to do so. Violence is unemployment, precarity, the 700 euros [monthly wage] with or without insurance contributions. Violence are the labour “accidents” because bosses cut down their running costs at the expense of the safety of the workers. Violence is to take psychiatric drugs and vitamins in order to cope with the exhaustive schedules. Violence is for you to be a female migrant, to live with the fear that you might be kicked out of the country at any moment and to live through a constant insecurity. Violence is for you to be a worker, housewife and mother at the same time. Violence is for you to be groped at work and for them to tell you, ‘smile dammit, is that too much to ask?’ What we lived through I call a revolt. And just like any revolt it looks like a Civil War rehearsal; it smells of smokiness, tear gas and blood. It cannot easily be harnessed or controlled. It ignites consciousnesses, it reveals and polarises contradictions, it promises, at least, moments of camraderie and solidarity. It traces paths toward social emancipation. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the metropolises of chaos! Install secure doors and alarm systems to your homes, turn on the TV and enjoy the spectacle. The next revolt will sure be fiercer even, as the rottenness of this society deepens… Or, you can take out to the streets on the side of your kids, you can strike, you can dare to assert the life they are robbing you of, you can remember you once were young people who wanted to change the world. Savas Metoikidis This was written by admin. Posted on Sunday, April 22, 2012, at 12:45 pm. Filed under news. Tagged savas metoikidis. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments here with the RSS feed. Post a comment or leave a trackback.

Branch Recommendations in the PCS NEC elections

MEDIA RELEASE
17 April 2012
For immediate use

National executive announces programme of action over pensions

The national executive of the Public and Commercial Services union, the largest in the civil service, today (17) unanimously agreed to kickstart a programme of ongoing action over pensions with a national s***** with other unions on Thursday 10 May, followed by another at the end of June.

This means the union will be involved in national industrial action across the civil service, health and education sectors; co-ordinated, targeted industrial action in employer groups and sectors; national and regional protests; and political lobbying.

In reaching the decision, the union's executive restated its desire to meet government ministers for genuine negotiations to achieve a settlement to the long-running dispute. The union has written to Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude requesting further negotiations but, to date, has not received a reply.

The decision follows today's announcement by Unite that its healthworker members will hold national strike action on 10 May. Other unions have already either agreed to s***** on that date or are expected to.

The action will come a day after the Queen's Speech, which is expected to include a parliamentary bill forcing through changes to public sector pensions that will mean civil and public servants paying much more every month and working up to eight years longer for a lower pension in retirement.

Plans for industrial action by the union's members in employer groups are being drawn up alongside proposals for national action, and further announcements will be made on these shortly.

On 10 May, the unions will be organising regional events and will look to work with other campaign and anti-cuts organisations.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The ongoing programme of industrial action with other unions we have agreed sends a clear message to government ministers that we do not accept their unnecessary plans to force public servants to pay more and work longer for less in retirement.

"The government must talk to us with the genuine aim of reaching a settlement but if it refuses, we will press ahead with s****s and protests the length and breadth of the country in the coming weeks and months. And we will continue to show that there is an alternative to this government's cruel and unfair cuts that clearly are not working."

ENDS

Notes

- For information and interview requests contact PCS national press officer Richard Simcox on 020 7801 2747 or 07833 978216

- The Public and Commercial Services union represents civil and public servants in central government. It has around 290,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies, and in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK's sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich - on Twitter @janicegodrich

- Follow PCS on Twitter @pcs_union