Vote for a fighting, democratic PCS leadership

Keir Starmer’s Labour government is preparing a jobs bonfire in the civil service.

The future holds redundancy and delayed pensions for thousands of civil servants, with expanded workloads, longer commutes and eroded pay for the rest.

The annual elections for the leadership of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which organises workers in the civil service and privatised government services, open on 16 April when the ballot papers are sent out for the National Executive Committee (NEC).

Voting for Group Executive Committees – for example, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Home Office, Department for Education etc – will begin on 23 April with an email ballot.

Socialist Party members are standing as part of the PCS Broad Left Network (BLN), alongside other lefts in the union, to put forward a fighting ‘coalition for change’.

The BLN says

Keir Starmer’s pledge to “respect” the civil service has been proven hollow. A year ago, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a £2 billion axe to civil service jobs, firing the starting pistol on a year of cuts.

Thousands of jobs are already going through redundancy. Office closures have already been announced. Major investment in AI is laying the groundwork for job cuts to come – unchecked by any union campaign to demand controls on how AI is rolled out.

Meanwhile pay continues to be eroded under Labour. A majority of civil servants saw a below-inflation pay rise in 2024 and 2025, with no campaign to push back.

Thousands of PCS members are already fighting back. In Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), in Ofgem, in Met Police, in Parliament and elsewhere, our members have already taken strike action this past year. 

What is missing is a united campaign across the civil service, not letting the government pick off employer areas one by one with their job cuts juggernaut.

The current Democracy Alliance (Left Unity/PCS Democrats) leadership has refused to carry out a national campaign on pay, jobs etc. It cannot be trusted to defend members against government attacks.

The Broad Left Network demands

• For a political voice that represents the interests of union members, and campaigns against attacks on public services, pensions and disability benefits
• Fight for every job. No to increases in workload, yes to properly staffed, high-quality public services
• Inflation-proof pay rises that win back what we have lost. For a 10% pay rise as a first step, and for an £18-per-hour minimum wage
• Flexible and hybrid working for all. No to quotas, no to office closures, yes to maximum flexibility for all
• Defend and improve pensions. Unite working and retired members in a serious campaign to bring civil service pensions back in-house
• End privatisation. Bring outsourced work back in-house. Facilities staff have fought valiantly for sick pay and fair treatment and are winning! No more privatisation
• Equality at work. Active opposition to discrimination in all its forms. Ensure that the full force of the union is felt to stamp out inequality and discrimination
• Repeal Tory 50% turnout thresholds immediately, and all anti-trade union laws
• For PCS and the trade union movement to lead the fight against racism and war. Jobs, homes and services, not racism!
• No to climate injustice. A democratically run National Climate Service could lead decarbonisation with no worker left behind

“The Cabinet Office has cut staffing by 13% in one year. The government wants to replicate this across all departments. A socialist-led NEC can build a united campaign to defeat the job cuts and win us the pay rise members desperately need to beat rising prices”

Dave Semple, Department for Education group assistant secretary, BLN candidate for PCS Vice President

“A Broad Left Network-led NEC will ensure that, whether you work for Westminster departments, Scottish or Welsh government, or the private sector, there will be a serious campaign on pay, jobs and hybrid working that can win for you. We will end Left Unity’s cycle of cancelling campaigns and refusing to even try to fight for members’ demands”

Fiona Brittle, Scottish Government group organiser, BLN candidate for National Executive Committee

The PCS Broad Left Network candidates for the National Executive Committee

President

Bev Laidlaw (DWP)

Vice Presidents

Ellie Clarke (Cabinet Office)

Rachel Heemskerk (DWP)

Dave Semple (DfE)

Hector Wesley (HMRC)

NEC members

Eilonwy Awen (HMRC)

Fiona Brittle (Scottish Government)

Josh Chown (Home Office)

Abi Clark (DWP)

Ellie Clarke (Cabinet Office)

Gemma Criddle (HMRC) 

Joe Dale (MHCLG)

Chris Day (National Archives)

Pippa Evans (House of Commons)

Angie Foggett (HMRC)

Andrew Fry (Scottish Government)

Christian Goulart McNerney (Ofgem)

Chip Hamer (Sport England)

James Hawthorne (Ofwat)

Rachel Heemskerk (DWP)

Craig Hodgson (DWP)

Reece Lawton (DWP)

Bev Laidlaw (DWP)

Vijay Menezes-Jackson (DWP)

Liat Norris (MOJ)

Puck Oseroff-Spicer (Security Industry Authority)

Rob Ritchie (Sopra Steria)

Jon-Paul Rosser (HMRC)

Dave Semple (Dept for Education)

H Sheridan (HMRC)

Pete Smullen (HMRC)

Gary Spencer-Guney (MHCLG)

Hector Wesley (HMRC)

Katrine Williams (DWP)

Bobby Young (HMRC)