Around 50 members, reps and activists attended a meeting for Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members interested in Your Party on Tuesday 9 September.

This meeting was another in a series of follow-ups to the national trade union meeting on 21st July, chaired by Dave Nellist, the former Labour MP (1983-1992) and now the chair of the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), and addressed by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana shortly before they made the ‘Your Party’ announcement that has since then quickly gathered such massive support.

Former union Vice President Dave Semple chaired the meeting, which was addressed by current National Executive Committee (NEC) member Fiona Brittle, as well as receiving a specially recorded message from Jeremy Corbyn.

Key themes included the need for a workers’ party, with a basis in the trade unions, and the need for an active anti-austerity, pro-worker, socialist political strategy on the part of PCS.

The union’s political fund, which under the law must be renewed by membership ballot every ten years, goes to ballot in October this year, with little done by the current union leadership to explain its importance to members.

Union policy on election candidates

PCS policy, agreed by the union’s delegate conference, is that the union can stand and support candidates who back the union’s campaigning programme: to “stand or support candidates in national elections that would help to defend members’ jobs, pay, pensions and public services”.  PCS has never stood a candidate but has occasionally supported Labour candidates – including some who have voted for cuts that harmed our members.  That needs to change, and now the opportunity is there.

Attendees also raised the need for a more vigorous anti-war, anti-racist strategy on the basis of current union policy – pay, jobs and homes, not racism.

The question of whether to call for an electoral pact with the Greens was raised in the discussion.  One person explained how he had both signed up to ‘Your Party’ and was a member of the Greens too, in which he had voted for Zack Polanski in their recent leadership contest.  Others pointed out that wherever Greens have been in government, they have voted for cuts and propped up pro-austerity parties, such as Fianna Fáil in Ireland and the Scottish National Party (SNP) in the Holyrood parliament.  It was also pointed out that Zack Polanski was elected with just over 20,000 votes, which was dwarfed by the potential support for Your Party.

The earnest view was for a democratic party that would not abandon workers, the way Labour has. How to achieve that is why the discussion on the structure of a new party is also important.

Some support for ‘One Member One Vote’ was voiced.  Fiona and other members in attendance put forward the need for a federal structure, as a way to collaborate across existing organisations whilst also protecting the rights and interests of union members in any unions that become involved.  Dave Warren from Swansea pointed out the importance of workers’ democracy in any new party and how, in the union, branches elect delegates to represent them at the next level of the union.  The trade union movement had to fight for the same approach in a new workers’ party, he argued.

Next steps forward

Fiona reported on major developments, such as the decision by the University and College Union conference to encourage its members to stand in elections, as well as the decision by Unite to expel Labour councillors who have used ‘fire and re-hire’ and strike-breaking measures in the Birmingham bin workers dispute and to discuss its relationship with Labour.  All present agreed that if workers’ organisations don’t step forward to fill the vacuum with a socialist programme, it will be the populist and nationalist right that benefits.

The meeting concluded with agreement to produce materials for the forthcoming PCS political fund ballot, to help reps and members understand what they and their branches can do to support an effective political strategy, especially to defeat the far right.

We agreed to meet again after the next PCS NEC meeting, to hear a report on a motion to the NEC on political strategy that has been proposed by Fiona Brittle and Marion Lloyd.  In the meantime, it was agreed to use the NEC motion as a model for branches to put to the executive committee urging it to act. ■

Motion to the NEC, to be used as a model in PCS branches

This NEC notes:

1) The 2012 decision, supported by 78.9% in a membership ballot of our union, to “stand or support candidates in national elections that would help to defend members’ jobs, pay, pensions and public services”.

2) That Starmer’s government has failed to show the ‘respect’ for PCS members he promised, evidenced in their plans for the civil service, including 15% cuts and a pay remit set at well below the rate of inflation.

3) Further evidence of Labour austerity is demonstrated in the decision to cut disability benefits.

4) The decision by Unite conference to reassess the union’s relationship with Labour if Birmingham Labour council’s threat to ‘fire and rehire’ striking refuse workers is carried through.

5) The UCU congress decision for UCU members to stand in elections, linking up with other trade unionists, to fight for union policies, and to invite Jeremy Corbyn, the Independents, and other pro-worker MPs to attend the UCU executive and discuss how they can support the union’s campaigns.

6) The announcement by Zarah Sultana MP that she has resigned from Labour to co-lead the founding of a new party with Jeremy Corbyn MP.

7) The announcement from Jeremy Corbyn that “the democratic foundations of a new party will soon take shape”.

8) The suspension of Labour MP’s for opposing Labour’s austerity benefit cuts.

This NEC agrees:

1) That these recent events point towards the possibility of the development of a new workers’ party, based on the trade unions, which could fight for the interests of civil servants in parliament, helping “to defend members’ jobs, pay, pensions and public services”.

This NEC further agrees to:

1) Report back to the next NEC how every member of our parliamentary group voted on the disability benefit cuts, and on whether they supported the Early Day Motions over the dismissal of our reps at Benton Park View, with a view to reconstituting our parliamentary group based on those MPs who support PCS policies.

2) Invite Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana to meet with the NEC to discuss how a new workers’ party could be founded that included PCS demands in its programme and with democratic structures – with representation for supporting trade union organisations.

3) To contact the Unite EC, the UCU NEC, and the executives of other relevant trade unions, to propose a joint meeting to discuss the issue.