Here is the text of the PCSU Socialist Caucus leaflet given out at the evening democracy rally in Friends House, Euston, after the victorious result in the High Court. It is a variant on a leaflet given out at the lobby of the Court in the morning.

PCSU Socialist Caucus

Defend Mark Serwotka - Fight For National Pay

Mark: The Members’ Choice

Today’s legal confirmation that Mark Serwotka is the General Secretary of PCS is a tremendous boost for PCS members and all those fighting to transform PCS into a membership lead union championing members’ interests.

Reamsbottom’s ‘legal’ case for overturning Mark’s election was a weak and anti-democratic ruse for entrenching the power of the so-called Mods over the Union. Mark Serwotka was elected General Secretary with over 40, 000 votes and is the only person ever to be elected to the position of General Secretary (GS) in PCS.

When Mark’s election campaign began every major faction in PCS opposed him. The campaign for Mark had to be started from scratch, albeit with the vital involvement of the Socialist Caucus group of PCS members. Despite all the organised, factional, opposition to him, the nominations and votes piled up for Mark: he was the choice of the members.

Reamsbottom - Time To Go

Barry Reamsbottom had never so much as secured one vote from a PCS member. When he had the opportunity to stand for election he chose to take a packet rather than risk the membership verdict. He is nobody’s choice - and now he is out of time and out of place.

Why So Many Members Voted For Mark

Mark won so many votes because he campaigned on the key industrial issues affecting members, including:

• A return to national pay rates and national pay bargaining;
• an end to low pay;
• progression from pay minima to pay maximum within 5 years;
• real opposition to the ongoing privatisation of the public services;
• the transformation of PCS - for a membership lead Union championing members’ interests.

The Meaning Of The Right-Wing’s Attempted Coup

The attempted legal coup launched by Reamsbottom and his right-wing chums was not essentially about Mark: it was an attempt to stop PCS campaigning on the issues which secured his election:

• Mark wants a membership lead Union - the right-wing sought to declare the votes of over 40, 000 members null and void!
• Mark wants an end to privatisation - Reamsbottom welcomed the private sector’s involvement in our services!
• Mark wants a return to national pay - Reamsbottom presided over the disintegration of national pay and conditions of service!

To the extent that the Mods stand four square against the wishes and interests of the members their attempted coup was a declaration that only they must be allowed to run the Union. Not one of the right-wing NEC members, elected on an absymally low turnout and each securing a fraction of the votes cast for Mark, had the guts to declare, in their election addresses, their intention of over-turning Mark’s 40, 000 plus votes.

From Today

Although the Law Court found in favour of Mark, the court that really counts - that of the members - had already given its verdict: Mark Serwotka is the members’ choice for General Secretary. Nevertheless the coup plotters remain entrenched in the highest levels of the Union and so the fight to develop PCS into a union which punches its weight on behalf of members must not stop just because Mark’s election has been up upheld.

We must:

• support every member in the struggle for a better working life and we can do no better than rally around the British Library members’ current fight for a living wage;
• fight to enforce the Union’s policies, in particular for national pay and defence of the public sector;
• campaign to remove the coup plotters and to elect an NEC which will work with Mark to implement the policies of this trade union;
• democratise the internal life of PCS so that we never again have an NEC declare that it has lost confidence in the judgement of over 40, 000 members who made Mark the winner of the only General Secretary election PCS has ever held!

Join Socialist Caucus

If you would like to join, or for more information about Socialist Caucus then please return the tear off below to C. McDonald at 15 Routemaster Close, London E13.

I would like to join/more information about* Socialist Caucus.

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