Civil Service Wide Strike - May 1st

[Guineveretoo]

i CANNOT believe you did that

(dolly posting btw)

What do you think a temp should have done, bearing in mind that the dispute doesn't apply to them?

 

[dennisr]

That's a bit unfair, since the disputes over pensions were quite different from each other! UNISON has members in several pension schemes, but not the civil service one. The PCS dispute was about something specific to the civil service one.

Pensions are a general issue - this is a crisis facing all working class people - the PCS leadership have pushed to unite what is common across the board - the other union leaderships have done their best to avoid those battles.

 

[Guineveretoo]

Pensions are a general issue - this is a crisis facing all working class people - the PCS leadership have pushed to unite what is common across the board - the other union leaderships have done their best to avoid those battles.

This is what you said before, and I think it is unfair on the other unions.

I also think you are overstating PCS's role in seeking to work with other unions, quite frankly!

 

[Timbo]

I also think you are overstating PCS's role in seeking to work with other unions, quite frankly!

That is not the case - I'm in PCS, and on our one day national strike PCS rallies had many speakers from other unions, and as Serwotka in the monthly PCS Magazine 'View' stated the Trade Union Congress agreed at the request of PCS that unions should make defence of public services and solidarity with PCS a focus for the May Day activities.

I think PCS activists realise that their current campaign is going to be a tough but not totally insurmountable one, but one which would be obviously be more effective if other unions linked their concerns over pensions and below inflation pay offers, outsourcing etc with fellow unions. This won't be easy to achieve at all especially given other union leadership's usually ambivalent response to appeals of solidarity in action , rather than just solidarity expressed in words (as ever talk is cheap). However for all their faults which are usually discussed at great length by some u75 posters at least the PCS leadership are attempting to have a go.

 

[Guineveretoo]

That is not the case - I'm in PCS, and on our one day national strike PCS rallies had many speakers from other unions, and as Serwotka in the monthly PCS Magazine 'View' stated the Trade Union Congress agreed at the request of PCS that unions should make defence of public services and solidarity with PCS a focus for the May Day activities.

I think PCS activists realise that their current campaign is going to be a tough but not totally insurmountable one, but one which would be obviously be more effective if other unions linked their concerns over pensions and below inflation pay offers, outsourcing etc with fellow unions. This won't be easy to achieve at all especially given other union leadership's usually ambivalent response to appeals of solidarity in action , rather than just solidarity expressed in words (as ever talk is cheap). However for all their faults which are usually discussed at great length by some u75 posters at least the PCS leadership are attempting to have a go.

I am not in PCS, but I do work for another union which works with PCS, and I know exactly what the leadership is doing and not doing with regard to seeking support, and why they are doing it, and I remain of the belief that they are not seeking to unite the unions in a common cause, but merely trying to get help to dig themselves out of a hole.

I don't think PCS activists themselves know how to get out of this dispute.

 

[Timbo]

I am not in PCS, but I do work for another union which works with PCS, and I know exactly what the leadership is doing and not doing with regard to seeking support, and why they are doing it

Interesting comment you've made there Guineveretoo. Care to expand on this insider knowledge all that you have about the PCS leaderships strategy (or lack of one as you imply) at all?

 

[Guineveretoo]

Interesting comment you've made there Guineveretoo. Care to expand on this insider knowledge all that you have about the PCS leaderships strategy (or lack of one as you imply) at all?

I can't really do that, in the circumstances, can I?

 

[Timbo]

Ah, fair enough if you're compromised with some confidential info that you cant divulge Guinveretoo.Time for me now to leave the world of politics and unions behind for a while, and cook a noodle stir fry dish, and then watch the Peep Show later on for some light entertainment!

 

[KeyboardJockey]

Its a shame that more people don't take an active part in union democracy. Found this out earlier

Of 280,000 PCS members balloted, 61,488 voted in favour of the strike and 38,823 voting against

100,311 people voted but 179,689 couldn't be bothered or like me missed the deadline for one reason or another.

Those of you who wonder why the civil service strikes were not better supported would do well to heed the above figures.

So only a quarter of the total membership voted for action even in the face of drastic govt cuts. Apathy total apathy.