Public and Commercial Services Union general secretary Mark Serwotka will say, in his keynote speech at the union’s annual conference tomorrow (the 23rd of May), that there needs to be joint action across the public sector to lift the 1% public sector pay cap and stress that it’s essential to kick out the Tories at the general election on 8 June.
Highlights from his address to delegates in Brighton, which is due to begin at 2.30pm, include:
The General Election
“It’s clear that this election is different. For years we’ve been faced with a political consensus over public sector spending, job cuts and privatisation. Any opposition to this consensus was marginalised – it was a choice between the full austerity of the Tories and the tempered version offered by Labour. Not the choice we wanted or needed.
“But this election is different – we are the furthest we have been from a political consensus and on offer is the clearest choice in decades.
“Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell are leading on a platform of fairness, equality and investment, in public services, our NHS, education, in housing and infrastructure. Proudly anti-cuts and anti-austerity.
“PCS is not affiliated to any political party but this doesn’t mean we can’t perceive a Tory government would be the worst possible outcome for our members, and for all those working in civil and public service.”
Pay
“The pay cap has been disastrous for all public sector workers, for public services and for economic growth. The evidence is overwhelming. For workers in the public sector real earnings will be down £52 week by 2022 from their pre-crisis level.
“The value of average pay in the civil service has fallen further than in the rest of the public sector, and in the economy as a whole. It’s clear the government has viewed its own staff with contempt when it comes to pay.
“If the pay cap continues – as we know it will under a Tory government – average civil service pay will have fallen in value by over 20% by 2020.
“The facts and figures show we have a strong case, but we know that this alone will not be enough. But we are not alone. There are others who share our commitment to fighting back, campaigning and organising – of finding new and innovative ways to recruit, to organise, to campaign, to strike and to win for members.”
Concluding words:
“We are fortunate to be part of a union that has recognised the need for change and to adapt to an increasingly hostile environment.
“We still face challenges but we are going on the front foot, we will meet them head on, and take the fight to the Tories. Let’s use this opportunity to kick out the Tories on 8 June, but also to prepare for the fight to come, for our union and for the trade union movement.”
The union’s conference opens tomorrow (the 23rd of May) when delegates will be addressed by shadow chancellor John McDonnell and debate motions on pay, jobs, including cuts at the Equality and Human Rights Commission – striking members from the EHRC will be welcomed to conference tomorrow afternoon – and office closures proposed at the DWP, HMRC, the MOJ and MOD. On Wednesday the conference will be addressed by PCS parliamentary chair Chris Stephens and debate the UK general election.
