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MOTIONS BOOK

Standing Orders Committee (SOC) Report No.1 Conference Agenda

Brighton Conference Centre 20 – 22 May 2014

Contents

Public and Commercial Services Union | pcs.org.uk

PageIntroduction to the 2014 Standing Orders 2Committee (SOC) Report No.12014 Conference Timetable 3

Motions for Debate (category A):1. National Campaign A1 – A8 42. Organising A9 – A20 73. Unite A21 – A23 114. Devolved Administrations A24 – A25 125. Rules A26 – A29 136. Environmental Issues A30 – A39 147. Equality A40 – A43 178. Services & Structures A44 – A54 189. Finance A55 – A59 2110. Personnel Policy A60 – A76 2211. Affiliations A77–A80 2712. Social & Economic A81 – A110 28

Page

Other Motions (categories B, C, D, E & X):13. National Campaign B111 – X148 3814. Organising D149 – X206 4315. Unite E207 – X215 4816. Devolved Administrations E216 4917. Rules X217 4918. Environmental Issues D218 – E234 5019. Equality D235 5120. Services & Structures D236 – X258 5121. Finance D259 – E279 5322. Personnel Policy B280 – E303 5823. Affiliations D304–X309 6424. Social & Economic B310 – X406 64Appendix 1 Glossary of conference terms 77

2

1. DutiesThe duties of the Standing Orders Committee (SOC) are set out in Supplementary Rule 6.22 of the PCS Rules.

2. Categories of motionsThis year the SOC received 421 motions by the published deadline of 5pm on 6 March. Among the total received nine were found to be duplicated. The SOC have sent six motions for the attention of Group SOCs under conference standing order A35 about which the relevant Brancheshavebeennotified.ThisyearMotionsOnline was the only method available for submission of motions to national conference and 96.2% of those received were submitted correctly.

One motion has not been published under the terms of Supplementary Rule 6.22(g). The submitting branch has been contacted and sent copies of both the SOC request for legal advice and the advice received.

This year 110 motions have been marked “A” for debate which include one “composite” motion. The remaining motions have been allocated to categories “B”, “C”, “D”, “E” or “X” per conference Standing Order A34.

An index of Branches whose motions have been included in SOC Report No. 1 can be found on the conference pages of the PCS website.

Motions categorised “D” are those that the SOC believe are “capable of being dealt with by correspondence with the General Secretary”. Branches should note that this marking will require them to initiate correspondence directly with the General Secretary. If Branches feel that they then need to resubmit the same, or a similar, motion in 2015 it will assist the SOC in considering the appropriate marking if copies of any such correspondence are sent to the Secretary, National Standing Orders Committee at [email protected].

3. Duration of conferenceThe 2014 Conference will commence at 2:00pm on Tuesday 20 May and end at 12:30pm on Thursday 22 May. The SOC do not believe that therewillbesufficienttimeforallmotionsmarked “A” to be debated but, mindful of the reduced length of Conference this year, we have taken steps in timetabling that we hope, with the co-operation of delegates, will maximise the number of motions that will be considered at the Conference.

4. References back (Standing Orders A14 – A16)

References Back on any conference matters contained within this report can be submitted via Motions Online (available through the PCS website) from 28 April up to 3pm on Friday 16 May for national conference. (NB. Deadlines for group conferences will vary so check with your Group SOC if you are unsure.)

5. Emergency motions (Standing Order A6)Emergency Motions can be submitted via Motions Online (available through the PCS website) from 28 April up to 3pm on Friday 16 May for national conference. (NB. Deadlines for group conferences will vary so check with your Group SOC if you are unsure.)

6. Seconding and withdrawing motionsBranches requesting to second a motion, withdraw as seconder, or withdraw a motion can do so via Motions Online (available through the PCS website) from 28 April up to 3pm on Friday 16 May. Simply use the reference back facility to request any of the above.

Requests to withdraw a motion will be put to conference for agreement per standing order A4.

Branches can also submit the above requests throughout conference on form “SOC A” which will be available from the SOC during conference.

7. Guillotined motions sectionIt is the intention of the SOC to bring some guillotined motions back onto the agenda in a short session immediately prior to the close of Conference on Thursday 22 May. Branches wishing to request that a motion be included in this section should obtain form “SOC B” from the SOC during Conference.

8. Meetings with branch delegations to discuss references back and other matters

In line with conference standing order A41 the SOC will be available to meet delegates on the evening prior to the start of Conference to discuss references back. The session for delegates to meet with the SOC will be on Monday 19 May between 6:30 – 8:30pm in Meeting Room 2 (formerly known as the Sunrise Room) in the Brighton Conference Centre and willbeconductedona“firstcomefirstserved”basis. All delegates are encouraged to obtain a copy of SOC report No 2 prior to meeting the SOC.

(NB. Delegations will be given a ticket to indicate their place in the queue. If a delegation is absent when their number is called, they will be reissued with a further ticket when they return.)

9. Other informationDelegates are reminded that if there are any queries on the content of this and subsequent reports the SOC will be available in the main hall throughout conference.

The National Standing Orders Committee wish all delegates and attendees well for a constructive and successful Conference in Brighton.

Derek Mellor (Chair)Jon GambleFiona MacdonaldGordon RowntreeCalum Walker Steve Battlemuch (Secretary)Laure Djida (Administrator)

Introduction to the 2014 Standing Orders Committee (SOC) Report No.1

PCS motions book 2014 3

2014 Conference Timetable

Tuesday 20 May

14:00 – 14:10 Opening of Conference

Domestic Arrangements

Minutes of Annual Delegate Conference 2013

Obituaries

President’s Address – Janice Godrich

(Conference ballot boxes open)

14:10 – 14:30 Adoption of Standing Orders Committee reports

14:30 – 14:50 Presentation of the 2013 PCS Annual Report –

Mark Serwotka

14:50 – 16:00 National Campaign (A1 – A8)

16.00 – 16:10 Presentation of Organising Strategy

16:10 – 17:30 Organising (A9 – A20)

17:30 Close

Wednesday 21 May

09:00 – 10:00 Unite (A21 – A23)

10:00 – 10:30 Devolved Administrations (A24 – A25)

10:30 – 11:00 Rules (A26 – A29)

11:00 – 11:15 PCS Parliamentary Group Report – John McDonnell MP

11:15 – 12.30 Environmental Issues (A30 – A39)

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch

13:30 – 14:00 Equality (A40 – A43)

14:00 – 15:00 Services & Structure (A44 – A54)

15:00 – 15:15 Distinguished Life Memberships

15:15 – 15:30 Break (Conference ballot boxes close at 15:30)

15:30 – 15:45 Presentation of Finance Report

15:45 – 16:30 Finance (A55 – A59)

16:30 – 17:30 Personnel Policy (A60 – A76)

17:30 Close

Thursday 22 May

09:00 – 09:30 Affiliations (A77 – A80)

09:30 – 09:45 Presentation of Communications and Organising Awards

09:45 – 11:45 Social and Economic (A81 – A110)

11:45 – 12:15 Guillotined Motions

12:15 – 12:30 Close of Conference

4

1. NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

A1 To be taken in a general debate with A2

Covers E117-E137NECR&C Euston Tower (200040)

Conference congratulates reps and members for their commitment to the union and support for the national campaigntosecureasettlementwiththecabinetofficeover pay, jobs, pensions and changes to terms and conditions.

Conference condemns the response of the Head of the Civil Service and Ministers in refusing to negotiate with the union. Moreover, we deplore the attack on facility time as based on a regressive, anti-trade union agenda which is damaging industrial relations in the civil service and related areas.

Conference welcomes the extensive consultation with reps and members, conducted last summer, on the next phase of the campaign and the tactics to employ. 78% of branches participated in the consultation covering 88% of the membership. The result of the exercise is a tribute to the dedication of our activist base and our staff, and to the high level of democratic participation in our union.

Conference notes that the consultation showed support for a range of different types of strike action, including one day and half day national strikes and also a more targetedapproachwheretherewerespecificmembersand/orspecificworkplaceswhereeffectivedisruptioncouldbe organised as a means of bringing the employer to the negotiating table. A clear majority of branches supported theraisingofafightingfundtosupportmemberstakingtargeted action over sustained periods.

Conference welcomes the NEC’s national campaign strategy, made in the light of the consultation, of focusing on building towards targeted action in well organised areas, alongside effective national action, as a means of moving the employer’s position, supporting and coordinating Group action against cuts, and building support for joint union action over public sector wide issues such as the pay cap.

Conference notes that, in branches and groups where scopefortargetedactionhasbeenidentifiedduringtheconsultation, the National Disputes Committee has been consulting those areas further in order to explore how that targeted action could be most effectively deployed. Conferencefurthernotesthattheraisingofthefightingfund has been delayed due to the threat to check off and the consequent need, given the initial seriousness of the threat, to immediately launch a campaign to switch members to direct debit.

Conference notes that the current priority for the national campaignistofightfordecentlivingstandards,andbelieves that the union must continue to give full support to groups and branches taking action over cuts in their areas, coordinating such action to the maximum extent.

Conference agrees that we must continue to argue for joint union action over pay.

Conference recognises that since the banking crash average earnings have not risen since 2008. Allowing for the rises in prices, wages are now worth on average, £1,850 less than in January 2008, down over 8%.

The banking bailout cost the UK taxpayer £124 billion in

cash terms. But since the banking crash, bankers have been awarded £80 billion in bonuses alone. This government scrapped the tax on bankers’ bonuses, and has gone to the European Courts to oppose an EU-wide cap on bankers’ bonuses – as well as cutting the top rate of tax from 50 to 45%.

At the same time the government imposed a two-year pay freeze from 2010, followed by a 1% pay cap since 2012. Over the four years the government has robbed public sector workers of in excess of £28 billion in pay, and billions more in pension rises and job cuts. The TUC estimated that the average public sector worker is 16% worse off in real terms after four years, and our Britain Needs a Pay Rise report shows that civil service pay has fallen behind the privatesector,withexecutiveandadminofficers8-10%behind direct private sector comparators.

The chancellor has made it clear that he expects the cuts and pay cap to continue after the next election. This will have a devastating effect on public sector workers, their families and their communities. It also has an effect on the whole economy, holding back wages and undermining economic growth.

PCS has been at the forefront of attempts to co-ordinate campaign activity and strike action across the public sector on pay. Conference notes that our “Britain Needs a Pay Rise” campaign has now been adopted by the TUC.

Conference instructs the NEC to:1 Continue to consult branches and groups that have identifiedscopefortargetedactiononhowthiscanbesuccessfully deployed alongside effective national action,

2 LaunchthefightingfundfollowingADC,3 Work with Groups to ensure their industrial issues are

taken forward in the context of the national campaign strategy, and any industrial action is co–ordinated across Groups,

4 Continue to call for coordinated strike action across the public sector to break the pay cap,

5 Mobilise members across the UK to take part in the TUC “Britain Needs A Pay Rise” demonstration on 18 October 2014,

6 Launch a major constituency based political campaign to lobby candidates to commit to ending the public sector pay freeze,

7 Step up our promotion of the economic alternatives to austerity, to defend the welfare state and to bust the myths being peddled by government ministers and media commentators.

A2 To be taken in a general debate with A1

Covers E138-E139R&C Bootle Taxes (200006)DWP Bradford (047002)

This Annual Delegate Conference endorses the three-pronged industrial action strategy to come out of the national membership consultation last summer of coordinated action with other trade unions, national action and paid selective action funded by a levy.

Conference agrees, however, that such a strategy cannot bepursuedinfitsandstarts,asbothmomentumandescalation are necessary to exert industrial pressure on this government. Lengthy spans without action only serve toerodetheconfidenceofourmemberswhileleavingusopen to the government’s continuous assault on our jobs, pay, pensions and terms & conditions. Conference therefore instructs the National Executive Committee to implement the agreed strategy as a matter of urgency.

In doing so, Conference further instructs the NEC:

•To coordinate action with strikes announced by other


unions where this compliments our campaign. This should include the possibility of regional or selective action where appropriate (e.g. NOMS group striking alongside NAPO, DFE members striking alongside the NUT and NASUWT, etc.);

•To utilise lightning walkouts instead of ‘protest days’ when mobilising PCS support for national days of action such as that called by the People’s Assembly on 5 November last year;

•To properly implement the aborted tactic from last spring of themed campaigning weeks, with dates and materials produced enough in advance to facilitate activity on the ground by branches rather than simply online awareness raising;

•To encourage, support and promote any creative direct action, protest or other initiatives which come from rank-and-filemembersthroughtheirbranches.

A3Covers E140-E143NECLand Registry Fylde (030024)

Conference notes that privatising Shared Services continues to be a key part of the government’s plans to cut jobs in the Civil Service. Thousands of our jobs in already hard hit communities are threatened by the government’s political dogma. So are 160,000 civil servants who face having their personal and private data sent and accessed abroad as a way of cutting jobs at home.

Conference is appalled and disgusted at the announcements made on 4th March to staff in SSCL Ltd (ISSC2)announcing400joblosses,officeclosuresinSheffield,CardiffandLeedsandtheoff-shoringofworkequivalent at the expense of 200 of making 200 PCS members compulsory redundant.

PCS members in the Department of Transport (DfT) were thefirsttobeprivatisedandtransferredtoAvartoinJune2013. In November 2013 staff in DWP and DEFRA shared services were privatised and transferred to a new company called Steria/SSCL owned by a French multinational. BIS will transfer in 2015. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is now considering the privatisation of its shared services using Avarto or Steria/SSCL. Both MOD and HMRC are considering the future of their shared service provision. This is a direct u-turn to what is set out in the Government’s own strategy and therefore it is clear that PCS must continue to be alive to the fact that all in-house provision is under threat of privatisation.

These plans impact on every single civil servant – either because of the threat to thousands of jobs or because of major concerns about the security of private and personal data. This impacts not only on Civil Servants but also on external customers which could include farmers, health workers, medical records, etc.

Additionally, despite the Prime Minister’s statement that he wants companies to bring jobs to this country, this does not seem to apply to Government jobs as they have agreed theSteriaplanstocutjobs,closeofficesandoffshorethework done by our members in DWP and DEFRA to India.

Conference welcomes the excellent work already conducted by PCS and congratulates those members prepared to strike and get involved in the campaigns which have already resulted in some protections for members.

We congratulate members in Dft, DWP and DEFRA who came out on strike in their hundreds to protect their jobs and oppose privatisation. This action together with the campaigning and political work has resulted in some limited concessions, but not enough.

However we believe there is a lot of work still to be done if we are to achieve protections for jobs services and stop the off–shoring of work and stop the mass privatisation of ourworkandmembers.Were-affirmourcommitmenttoacampaign which continues to include:

•A nationally co-ordinated programme of work designed to achieve no compulsory redundancies, no compulsory relocation and no off-shoring of work.

•Further and more regular material to expose the hypocrisy of government – privatisation does not mean efficiency,itmeansjobcutsandpoorservices:liningthepockets of big business at our members’ expense. This material to include continuous bulletins to members both within shared services, but the “client based to”, regular articles in PCS People and activate.

•A campaign of opposition amongst those areas beyond PCS whose members and communities could be impacted upon by plans including the justice sector, welfare sector, education sector, farmers and the health service.

•Liaison and work with our Parliamentary Group to build the political opposition to these plans including the continued use of e-actions, PQ’s and delegations to constituencies and any other initiatives which help us achieve our aims.

•A media strategy designed to increase pressure both at local and national level including members continuing to “front-up” local letter writing campaigns/press releases to the local press and media as well as nationally.

•A campaigning strategy which sets and agrees targets to increase membership levels and build our organisation in all shared service centres. Thought should be given about if and when this is expanded to other areas of corporate services as it is clear that government wishes to cut all these areas including HR and estates.

•To use the economic impact analysis already commissioned to build an alternative to privatisation and use the information contained there-in to expose the nonsense that this Government cares about the welfare state and those who work for it

•To continue to co-ordinate this work nationally through the auspices of a single campaign, using all means necessary including national strike action to achieve our demands.

A4Covers E144DWP Nottingham (047042)Independent Living Fund (142004)

Conference welcomes the decision of the court of appeal inNovember2013toupholdachallengebyfivedisabledpeople against the Government’s decision to close the Independent Living Fund in March 2015. Conference pays tribute to the various disability rights groups including Disabled People Against the Cuts who helped challenge the closure.

Conference calls upon the NEC to campaign to keep theofficeopen,toprotectthetermsandconditionsofthePCS members who work there and to work with campaign groups, other Trade Unions and MPs to persuade the government to stop the planned closure and reopen the fund to new claims.

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A5Covers E145DfT Highways Agency NW (201033)DfT West Midlands (201046)

This conference notes Roads Minister, Robert Goodwill’s comments to the Transport Select Committee that the government has abandoned any idea of more road tolling and has no “secret plan” to revive it after the general election. Conference further notes his comments that the decision to scrap a proposed toll on the proposed new section of the A14 in Cambridgeshire had drawn a “very clear line in the sand that we’re not going to go down that route”.

Conference also notes that despite the notion of widespread tolling being shelved the Government is still determined to change the status of the Highways Agency from an Executive Agency to a Government Owned Company (GoCo).

Despite Government claims to the contrary this conference believes that changing the status of the HighwaysAgencyisthefirststeptowardsprivatisingtheStrategic Road Network and ultimately to the network being tolled.

Conference instructs the NEC to:1 Oppose the formation of the GoCo.2 Support Highways Agency Branches in their campaign

against the GoCo.3 To publicise the campaign against the GoCo at every

opportunity.4 To oppose Highways Agency staff losing their Civil Service

Status as a result of transferring to the GoCo.

A6R&C Bootle Taxes (200006)

For the fourth year running, PCS members in the civil service face the full frontal assault of government austerity. We are now paying more money for worse pensions, pay continues to fall behind the cost of living and those of us whose jobs aren’t at risk face working longer with far less favourable terms and conditions. This Annual Delegate Conference agrees that this situation is utterly intolerable andreaffirmstheneedtofighttodefendjobs,pay,pensions and terms & conditions.Conferencefurtheraffirmstheneedtonotonlyresist

the attacks but push for positive gains, and instructs the National Executive Committee to adopt the following demands as part of the national campaign:

•A pay rise for all civil servants in PCS grades of at least 10%;

•The reversal of all pension contributions increases implemented since 2010;

•Thebestavailabletermsinallareas(leave,flexi,sickpay,etc) before the recent changes to form the baseline of a new, genuinely progressive, offer;

•Allfixedtermstafftobeofferedpermanentjobs;•Nofurtherjobcuts,tobesupplementedwithspecific

recruitment claims for each under-resourced department.

The NEC is instructed to present these demands to theCabinetOfficeassoonaspracticableandtobeginpublicising them to the membership accordingly.

A7Covers E146DWP Preston Central Office (047140)DWP Fylde Central Benefits & Services (047139)

Conference notes that the Government have, since the GeneralElection2010,continuedtotakeforwardfiscalmeasurestorespondtothefinancialcrisiscreatedbythefinancialspeculatorsandspivsincludingattacksonthepensions of the Public Sector Workers.

Conference notes that many parts of the media (and Right Wing organisations such as the “Tax Dodgers Alliance”) has also been baying for attacks on the Civil Service pensions of members who had absolutely nothing to do with the errors of the bankers or the excesses of the millionaireclasswhocreatedthefinancialmessinthefirstplace.

Conference notes that there are two myths commonly portrayed by the political elite and the establishment media about Civil Service Pensions. Firstly there is the one that thefinalsalaryschemesarestillopen;whentheyarenotasthey closed to new members in 2007. Second is that the all Civil Servants are on gold plated pensions. Conference notes that far from being gold plated, the average civil service pension is in the region of £6,500. Conference furthernotesthattherearefiveCivilServicePensionSchemes that members may be in at present; however three of these are closed to new entrants.

Conference re-asserts its belief that pensions are deferred income not a lavish perk.

Conference rejects the notion that the savings of a billion pounds from the public sector pensions are needed and that there is no need for members to pay more in terms of contributions, work longer and receive less.

Conference notes that for many members their entire increase in take home salary was swallowed up by the increase in pension contributions, and that the one percent pay rises imposed in 2012 and 2013 will be likewise swallowed entirely by the increase in pension contributions due in Spring 2014.

Conference welcomes the campaign to oppose the attacks on the Pensions, led by the NEC, including the industrial action taken in conjunction with other unions, and unilaterally as part of a wider campaign on a range of issues.

Conference notes that it was unfortunately not possible to broker wide support amongst the other Trace Unions for further action in 2012 and 2013 following the successful action of 30th November 2013, however regrettable this is, we have to understand the need for as wide a coalition as possible to oppose the attacks.ConferenceconfirmsthattheincomingNECshould

seek to: 1 ensure that the negative messages spouted in the media

(by the “Tax Dodgers Alliance”) and by the political elite are countered at every opportunity; this should including briefingpapers(electronic)availableonthewebsitetohelp Branches in issuing local media releases against the negative messages

2 continue to strengthen the alliance with other Public Sector Trades Unions to oppose any attacks on pensions and work/ campaign jointly where possible

3 ensure that the ongoing communications with the members as to the real threats to our pensions is maintained over the forthcoming period

4 draw together a strategy of Industrial Action to defend our pensions as necessary and try and build as much support as possible with other Public Sector Trades Unions to make any action as effective as possibleThe above list is not exhaustive.



Conference notes that the tendering process for facilities contracts within the civil service is failing to provide adequate workplaces for our members.

Conference is alarmed at the repeated sub-contracting that occurs with these contracts, that puts increased pressure on our members undertaking cleaning work.

Conference instructs the NEC to campaign against outsourcing this work, but where it happens to campaign for the tendering process to:1 Ensure the living wage is paid to the employees who

undertake the work 2 Ensurethatthereisacommitmentoverstaffinglevelsthatthesuccessfulfirmwillprovide,thatcanonlybechanged by agreement of all party’s

3 Ensurethatthesuccessfulfirmmustengagewithlocaltrade union reps on matters concerning health and safety

4 Ensure that PCS as a stakeholder should have input to the assessment of the service provided

5 Ensure that the contract cannot be sub-contracted. The successfulfirmmustundertakeallworkfromstaffontheir payroll

6 And that at the tendering stage full details of the requirements of the tender should be published to all stakeholders including PCS.

2. ORGANISING

A9NEC

Conference endorses the 2014 National Organising Strategy.

A10 To be taken in a general debate with A11 and A12 (Composite A)

Covers E153-E164NECR&C Porstdown Vectis (200091)

Conference notes that the attack by the government on trade union facility time has continued unabated. Conference notes that despite our campaigning and negotiating, a number of departments have implemented cuts in facility time.

Conference notes that guidance and support for branches and reps has been issued and pays tribute to PCS activists who have continued to represent members collectively and individually despite these cuts.

Conference condemns the government’s anti-union actionsandreaffirmsitscommitmenttofightthecutsinfacility time, industrially and legally, and to defend activists victimised for trade union activities.

Conferencenotesthatthecabinetofficehasdirectlyintervened in the industrial relations of the civil service toreducefacilitytime.Theintroductionofcabinetofficedriven restrictions and limits on facility time have means that long standing practices and agreements, negotiated nationally and with departments, have been withdrawn. Consequently, we need to lobby political parties to commit torevokingthecabinetofficerestrictionsonfacilitytimeand supporting the reintroduction of departmental and national agreements which were withdrawn.

Conference recognises that in light of cuts to facility time we need to focus our resources on our activists in workplaces. Increasing the numbers and the support that is available to them will ensure that they have the resources and training to represent our members. We also need to ensure that cuts in facility time do not exclude reps from taking part in PCS activity or democracy because of their working or domestic circumstances.

Conference instructs the NEC to:

•Lobby political parties to make general election manifesto commitments to reinstate civil service facility time at 2011 levels,

•Focus resources on increasing the number of activists at workplace level,

•Develop further our training support for activists to ensure that it is accessible for activists and enables them to represent members as effectively as possible,

•Ensure that reps are not excluded from PCS activity by makingmeetingsmoreflexibleandwherepossibleusinge-communications to reduce travel time,

•Introduce more on-line support for activists through the document library.

A11 To be taken in a general debate with A10 and A12 (Composite A)

Covers E165-E180SG West Central Scotland (038023)DSg Veterans Agency (014300)

Conference notes the ideologically driven attacks on union facility which represents an undisguised attempt to break thestrengthoftradeunioninfluencethroughoutthepublicsector and particularly in the civil service. The major reason for this attack is to clear the way for mass privatisation of the civil service and to leave workers defenceless in the face of an assault designed to strip away their rights and conditions and the services they provide.

We recognise that unwelcome as this assault may be the attempt to effectively destroy union activity at all levels also offers opportunities for the union to build an organising culture which, linked to our campaign and bargaining work, will be capable of facing and defeating the government’s strategy.

Conference notes the PCS Organising Plan, the national event held in August 2013 and the on-going work of the Organising Committee, the NEC, Groups and branches in responding to these attacks. We endorse the following principles set at previous PCS Conference which should continue to be central to our strategy:1 The workplace must be the focus of our activity and

organising work. That is where our members are and that is where we must be most visible and active.

2 The union must see an increase in democratic accountability, not a diminution, in order to face these attacks. PCS is a lay led union and it has been that central principle which has made it, with other factors, thefighting,democratic,campaigningunionitis.

3 The issue of equality is at the forefront of our strategy and must continue to be so. Attacks on facilities will

8

disproportionately impact on women, ethnic minorities, disabled activists and members and youth. The union must strive to ensure those representing members are reflectiveofthewidediversityofthemembershipitself.

Conference agrees that we must focus on bringing into activity a new generation of activists and strengthen the current cadre. Conference therefore instructs the NEC to:a) Build a culture that puts organising at the very forefront

of our work.b) Review regularly organisation at all levels of the union,

including at Group and branch level, including reviews of constitutions were appropriate in order to ensure the structures of the union offer the best basis on which to build.

c) ReviewtheroleofFull-TimeOfficersandhowtheiractivity is best focused to work effectively with reps at all levels and to build an organising union.

d) Organise further Regional events along the lines of the national organising meeting held in August 2013.

e) Campaign around the issue of facilities at all levels and to use whatever methods are appropriate, e.g., like the successful legal action against Eric Pickles’ attempt to stop check-off in DCLG.

A12 To be taken in a general debate with A10 and A11

Covers E181-E182R&C Leeds & District (200056)

ThisADCdeplorestheCabinetOfficedecisiontoincludeUnion Learning time and Health and Safety time under the heading of facility time. This is a mean spirited and devious attempt to shift the blame for lack of provision of Health and Safety and Union Learning time away from the employer and directly onto the union.

This makes a mockery of the many learning agreements in place across the departments and clearly demonstrates the governments couldn’t care less approach to motivating and supporting its employees, giving the impression that it is only interested in “bums on seats, working” mentality ignoring the welfare of its staff.

Additionally, there is strict provision laid down in the Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations 1977 which states: “(2) An employer shall permit a safety representative to take such time off with pay during the employee’s working hours as shall be necessary for the purposes of – (a) performing his functions under section 2(4) of the 1974 Act and paragraph (1) (a) to (h) above. There is no limit of time mentioned anywhere in the regulations. ThisconferencethereforebelievesthattheCabinetOfficeisin direct breach of these regulations.

Conference also believes that this is a short sighted attempt at limiting the Union Learning and Health and Safety representative’s ability to carry out not only their normal day to day roles, but often carrying many of the functions which should be carried out by management themselves.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to mount a vigorous legal challenge covering all Departments affected by this ruling and utilise all other necessary means to remove Union Learning and Health and Safety time from the facility time allocations given to the relevant unions.

A13Covers E183-E191NECPSg DCLG HQ (141805)

ConferencecondemnstheattemptbyCabinetOfficeSecretary Frances Maude to end the decade’s old practice of collecting union subscriptions directly from salaries known as “check-off”. This is a politically inspired attempt by the government to undermine the union, made in response to our resistance to the cuts, and it exposes their hostile and damaging approach to industrial relations in the civil service.

Conference notes that anti-union and repressive governments around the world have used ending check-off to undermine union organisation and membership and that the International Labor Organisation (ILO) recognises check-off as an important trade union right.

Conference notes that attempts to end check-off by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles were defeated in the High Court and congratulates members in the Department for Communities and Local Government, working alongside the NEC, for resisting this attack on their union rights.

Conference notes that PCS has been working with the TUC and other unions in support of union rights and the retention of check-off arrangements. Conference notes thatsignificantworkhasalsotakenplacetolobbyLiberalDemocrats, Labour and other political parties to seek their private and public opposition to departments withdrawing check-off.

However, also conference recognises that it is not in the interests of PCS for any governments or employer to be able to control the payment to the union of our members’ subscriptions. As a campaigning union it is vital that we are able to act in the interests of our members without an employer threatening to cut off our subscription income.

Conference further recognises that if there was a Conservative majority government returned in 2015, they would move quickly to end check-off. This means that as a responsible union we need to take steps to protect our income before the next election.

Conference notes that a campaign to ask members to register for direct debit has started, which includes e-communications and face to face activity in workplaces. Conference believes that this is an urgent task which must be prioritised.

Conference instructs the NEC to:1 Campaign to sign up all members to direct debit by 1

April 20152 Use the campaign to recruit and organise in every

workplace3 Campaign alongside the TUC and other unions for a

legislative framework of positive trade union rights.4 Continue to lobby political parties to seek their

opposition to the withdrawal of check-off.

A14 Falls if A13 is carried

R&C Dundee (200029)

This Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) censures the National Executive Committee on the actions and stance that they have taken over check off.

This Union prides itself on being a democratic member led union, yet the NEC have taken it upon themselves to drop everything including the National Campaign, if such


a thing still actually exists, in favour of all employees of the union,allseniorlayofficials,allgroupsandalllayofficialsdropping absolutely everything to sign members up to pay their union subscriptions by direct debit without any consultation of the membership. This comes on the back of a major consultation exercise where members have asked ‘what national campaign’ and what has happened to the national campaign!

The moving Branch and many others will see the questionfromtheCabinetOffiice(wellfromFrancisMaude)as what it really is, a direct political attack on our union, not bytheCabinetOffice,butbytheConservative/LibDemgovernment, in a serious attempt to silence us. This in our opinion is an attack on the rights of our members purely for being a member of a trade union, yet this branch thought it was illegal to discriminate on the grounds of trade union membership!

Conference feels that the NEC response to this threat has been wholly inadequate and therefore instructs the NEC to challenge any and all decisions made by any government departments or non departmental public bodies to withdraw the availability of check off legally and if necessary by all means available to it up to and including strike action.

This motion is not intended to prevent the union from signing members up to direct debit for the future as/if or when the union feels it is in a position to do so, it is merely tofightwhatweknowisapoliticallydriven,discriminatoryattack on this union and it’s members.

A15Covers E192DWP North East London (047033)DWP East London (047030)

Conference notes: 1 a Senior PCS representative in East London has faced disciplinaryactionduetopublicisingDWPstaffingcutsinthe local media as part of our national campaign.

2 the importance of lay PCS representatives campaigning locally on such issues to defend the membership.

3 Conference notes never before have DWP disciplined a PCS representative for such an approach and their action is an attempt to gag PCS and silence opponents of its job cuts programme.

With this in mind we call upon the incoming NEC to:1 Supportfinanciallyanylegalchallengethroughthe

Employment Tribunal system;2 Publicise this case through the website, View, Activate

and other publications;3 Ensure that DWP Group continues to raise the case with DWPandconsiderapproachingtheCabinetOffice;

4 Consider industrial action to remedy the case.

A16Covers E193-E194PSg DCLG HQ (141802)DWP Sheffield (047008)

In May 2013, Hewlett Packard (HP) supplied PCS with statutorilyspecifieddetailsofproposalstosack584workerson 31 July. When the HP North West Branch Secretary, John Pearson, circulated those details to branch members, he was suspended and later dismissed on a charge of breachingcompanyconfidentiality.Johnwasalsochargedwith talking to a journalist about the industrial action without obtaining HP’s prior permission.

The PCS HP Group Secretary wrote to HP on 7 June 2013 condemning John’s suspension as an attack on the union and demanding his reinstatement.

However, a few months later, whilst mass sackings were still taking place; the work to rule was on-going; and John’s branch was conducting a consultative ballot on escalation of action, the Group Secretary wrote to John Pearson on 29 November 2013, informing him that the union is no longer taking action to seek a remedy for him and that not only wouldJohnbeunabletocontinuetoholdofficeasBranchSecretary but that his membership of PCS was at an end forthwith.

The General Secretary also wrote to John on 10 January2014reaffirmingtheendingofunionsupport,on the grounds that the union’s lawyers had advised that “we could not support any Employment Tribunal (ET) claim as there was no realistic prospect of securing your reinstatement” and that “neither the group nor the branch are in a position to take industrial action aimed at your reinstatement”.RankandfilePCSactivistshaveexpressedastonishment

at the abandonment of support for John and are launching the John Pearson Defence Campaign, with the aim of reversing this withdrawal of support.ConferencereaffirmsthevitalprinciplethattheUnion

should stand by victimised activists. Conference instructs the NEC to:1 Fully support John in his ET. Such support to consist

of paying the ET fees, and meeting John’s legal costs, including paying for a Barrister for the ET Hearing.

2 Reinstate John to full membership of the PCS until, at least such time as the ET process is completed

3 Publicize John’s case to the wider membership outside HP.

4 To consult with and fully involve John in the decision making process relating to his campaign for reinstatement.

A17Covers E195NECMet Police East London (033103)

Conference recognises the importance of trade union education (TUED) in supporting and developing the skills of PCS reps to effectively represent members in the workplace, and the role of union learning in helping members to access skills and knowledge for career and personal development. ConferencereaffirmsthecommitmentPCShasto

the provision of a high quality trade union education programme for our members and reps, and rejects the politically motivated attack on trade union facility time. In

10

some cases, this has prevented elected representatives from accessingrelevanttrainingasdefinedintheACASCodeof Practice, and at a time when the government drive to undermine employment rights requires reps to be up-to-date with changes in employment law for example.

Conference further deplores the impact of the Coalition’s austerity programme in undermining provision for lifelong learning and the reduction of union learning funding.

Conference pays tribute to the achievement of our union learning projects and Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) in helping tens of thousands of members to access learning which are well regarded within the trade union movement and acknowledges the contribution to union organisation in the workplace made by our network of over a thousand ULRs.

Conference agrees as a matter of urgency to:

•review and strengthen its training provision for representatives in order to provide effective and up to date training utilising a range of delivery methods;

•protect and develop its network of Union Learning Representatives to ensure they can continue to help members access learning and use their statutory rights to function as an effective network of union representatives.

Building on work already underway in response to the current hostile environment in which reps are operating, the NEC is instructed to conduct a detailed review of trade union education to report to NEC by the end of 2014. The terms of reference will include:

•An assessment of the take-up and effectiveness of the current TUED programme and ways to embed ongoing monitoring of participation in the TUED programme;

•To identify ongoing training needs for reps;

•To identify how the TUED programme can be used to organise by way of encouraging and supporting new activists into the union;

•Explorealternativeformsofdeliverytoensureflexibilityand a mixed approach to the provision of training such as ‘bite sized’ courses and on-line learning;

•Identifying and sharing innovative and good practice across the union in Regions, Nations and Groups

•Identify the arguments to make the case for Trade Union Education in response to the current anti-union approach promotedbytheCabinetOffice.

Conference also instructs the NEC to:1 Continue to support union learning in branches, regions/

nations and groups identifying the best use of available resources to sustain this work beyond the point at which current funding is available through the English Union Learning Fund

2 Campaign with all means at our disposal to protect and to extend our trade union education programme and any threats to the role of union learning reps;

3 Raise awareness of the parts of our programme which remain legally protected and challenge employers who do not comply with the ACAS Code of Practice

4 Continue to develop a trade union education programme that meets the needs of reps and can be delivered throughaflexibleapproach

5 Prioritise the provision of training for new representatives.

A18Covers E196DWP Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire (047108)DfT Nottingham (201044)

Conference notes: 1 The decision of the Labour leadership to seek to further

weaken the party’s links to the trade union movement;2 The consensus between all the main political parties,

over a wide range of issues, that is detrimental to the interests of the working class and the main parties shared commitment to market solutions in the delivery of public services;

3 The leading role of PCS in changing the public debate around tax justice and the work done to expose the myths around so called “welfare reform” which is, in reality, merely the dismantlement of the social security system;

4 The work of PCS “Make Your Vote Count” initiative;5 The retreat of mainstream politicians, with a few

honourable exceptions, to racist arguments about immigration that has given succour to the far-right and that the Labour Party has been as guilty of this as have the other main parties; and

6 The failure of the Labour Party to oppose the scapegoatingofbenefitclaimantsbyaright-wingmedia.

Conference believes that the Labour party’s pandering to right-wing ideas and refusal to campaign for popular polices, such as the re-nationalisation of the public utilities and the railways, leaves working class people with a real deficitinpoliticalrepresentationwhichithasnotbeenpossibletofill.

Conference therefore instructs the incoming NEC:1 In the run up to the general election in 2015, to

continue to publish the position of political parties and parliamentary candidates around key issues such as pay, privatisation, pensions and jobs and other issues directly affecting PCS members;

2 To continue to campaign to change the political consensus around the issues of “Welfare Reform” and “Tax Justice”; and

3 To consider standing/supporting candidates in the forthcoming general election in selected parliamentary constituencies in order to further both the interests of our members and the working class as a whole.

A19Covers E197-E202R&C Northern Ireland (200082)Met Police East London (033103)

Young people throughout society continue to disproportionately face the brunt of austerity. Youth unemployment continues to stagnant at one million whilst those in work are more likely to be low paid and on a temporary or zero hour contract. Within the civil service they face declining wages, harsher terms & conditions and a Civil Service Performance Management system that consistently discriminates against young people. Not content with this, all three parties are looking at further proposals forausterity,educationcutsandtheslashingofbenefits,includingremovinghousingbenefittounder25s,whichwillonly intensify the situation young people are facing.

Within the civil service, a freeze on recruitment and an ageing civil service has reduced the number of potential young people we can organise. Yet, every year we continue to train new up new activists and for every young rep we lose,weoftenfindanothertoreplacethemshowingthatthe PCS continues to lead the way in recruiting, developing and organising young people. Though it maybe more difficulttocontinuetodothis,itonlymeanswehavetotry harder than ever to focus on the young people in our workplaces and recruit them to our cause.

Not only do we need to do this within our own union, but also broaden the struggle across the TUC and beyond.


TheTUCthisyearlaunchedthefirsteverYoungWorkersMonth after sustained lobbying from the PCS & other unions. Though this is a good start, it needs to go further for an all year round youth campaign, organised and led by young people. Wealsofacethedifficultythatthisgenerationisthefirst

in which its unlikely to know much about unions apart from the that publicised by the media and politicians. We have a responsibility as a union to educate young people in the rich history of the struggles and victories of our movement and should ensure we doing this alongside our other training programmes.

Conference resolves to:

•Include in any organising plan the aim for a young member on every Branch Executive & Regional Committee

•Support the 10th Anniversary of the Young Members Network and update of the PCS Young Members Charter toreflectthechangingsituationintheworkplaceforyoung people

•To make political education a component of training young reps

•To support and be actively involved in the TUC Young Workers Month and campaign for the TUC to implement it fully and lobby for a young member led national Youth Campaign.

A20Home Office Merseyside (026124)

This annual delegate conference notes that the Regional Committees have access to the number of members in each Branch. However conference recognises that knowing the number of members in each Branch only tells a small part of the story when it comes to the level of organisation in each Branch; and the ability of Branches to participate in national campaigns etc.

Conference also notes the considerable resources the national union puts into contacting Branches for organisational information, in order to (e.g.) update ‘PCS Reporter’.

Furthermore Conference agrees that obtaining details, on a Branch-by-Branch basis, of the percentage of members voting in national, non-statutory ballots, would provide one of the strongest indicators of where members are most active and where Branches are in most need of support.

Therefore conference calls upon the General Secretary to ensure that that in all future national, non-statutory ballots:a) full details of the percentage of members participating in

the ballot, are provided on a Branch-by-Branch basis, to therelevantRegionalOffice

b) the complete Branch-by-Branch breakdown will be shared with the relevant Regional Committee, on the basis of ‘not for wider publication’

c) each Branch Secretary and the appropriate Group Secretary, will receive for their relevant Branch(es), details of the percentage of members participating in the ballot.

Conference further agrees that this practice should begin with the next national, non-statutory ballot.

3. UNITE


Covers E207-E208NECScottish Government Edinburgh Central (038002)

Conference notes that ADC 2013 carried motions A30 and A31whichrecognisedthepotentialbenefitstomembersofa merger with Unite. ADC authorised the national executive to open discussions on merger if approached by Unite which has now occurred.

Conference believes that a merger with Unite could createanew,powerfulforceforfightingbacktradeunionism in the public sector capable of shifting the current passive approach of other unions which led to the squandering of the momentum generated by the joint union action over pensions on 30 November 2011.

We believe that a merged union could also create a new type of union capable of bridging the public/private divide, increasing the bargaining power of members in both sectors. It could potentially greatly strengthen the campaigning work successfully carried out by PCS over a number of years.

Conference notes that following a proposal made by Unite initial exploratory discussions on the structure of any formal talks took place late in 2013 and were reported to the NEC. Subsequently, and in line with the decision made at ADC 2013, talks commenced on 24th February 2014. These discussions are (at the time of writing) at an early stage. A full report on 24th February meeting was made to the NEC in March. Further meetings with Unite were due to take place later in March 2014.

The PCS approach to the talks is based on our vision of the potential for creating a new powerful trade union force capable of acting across the public and private sectors, and on the terms outlined in A30 and A31 from ADC 2013. These include that merger talks must be conducted in a transparent and democratic manner and take into account the principles which have underpinned our success in building PCS as a campaigning union: lay-led democracy and membership participation, strong workplace organisation and a clear commitment to equality.

Conference notes that, at its March meeting, the NEC agreed an extensive communications plan including:1 reports for reps on the details of talks2 an update to the Senior Lay Reps Consultative Forum3 anewsletterformemberswithadditionalspecific

materials for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,4 articles for members in PCS People and other PCS outlets,5 a video for members setting out the reasons for the talks

and our objectives.

Conference instructs the NEC, on any conclusion of the talks, to convene a special delegate conference to debate the terms of any merger proposals and take decisions on whether to proceed to a membership ballot.

12

A22 To be taken in a general debate with A21 and A23, falls if A21 is carried

Covers E209-E2012DWP Liverpool (047017)DfT Nottingham (201044)

Conference notes that since ADC 2013 talks have commenced between Unite and PCS at a senior level within the union on the possibility of a merger

Continued government attacks on public services, trade union and employment rights means the maximum unity and solidarity between trade unions is crucial. Mergers between trade unions however are not in themselves the solution to the threats faced by workers or falling membershipandfinancialdifficulties.Experienceshowsthatwhereunionsfightandcampaignhardest,theygrow in density and strength. Despite the slashing by the government of thousands of jobs in the civil and public services there are still potentially over 100,000 people working in these areas who could be recruited to PCS.

One of the real strengths of PCS has been that unlike many other unions we have been prepared to act independently of any political party. This and our own democratic lay led structures have meant PCS have often been a beacon to other trade unionists in other unions. Wehavebeenattheforefrontoffightingbackagainstthegovernment’s austerity measures.

We have also been through a long process of debate and consultation of the whole membership about political representation and the current nationally agreed PCS policy of possibly standing candidates in elections where this would betothebenefitofourmembersshouldnotbeweakened.

Conference also notes that motions A30 and A31 which were passed at ADC 2013 did nevertheless have substantial opposition to them.

Voting for motion A30 was 109,620 for and 100,493 against with 1,791 abstentions, and 119,717 for motion A31 with 87,085 against and 3,661 abstentions. Leaving out abstentions 47% of the votes cast in motion A30 were against the motion and 41% against motions A31.

On an issue as important as the very future direction of the union this level of opposition needs to be considered seriously and indeed motion A31 stated

“The NEC are also instructed to open up the widest possible debate and consultation with branches and members to assess whether and how a merger can increase or bargaining power on behalf of members and the democratic safeguards that would be essential”

This has not yet happened. We have had a major consultation on the national campaign but the work of a widespread debate and consultation on the merger has not yet taken place alongside the talks that are going on at a high level in the union.

Any decision on merger needs to be based on a properly informed, honest debate amongst the membership after considerationofnotjustthe“benefits”ofmergerbutalsothe pitfalls and dangers that a merger could present for PCS members.AlthoughitwouldbebeneficialforPCSandUniteand

indeed other trade unions to campaign and indeed take strike action together on issues affecting our members, in reality there has not been consistent joint campaigning work between PCS and Unite that branches are aware of.

Conference determines that as a precondition of any merger proposals being put to a special conference and a membership ballot that the widest possible debate and consultation with branches and members as referred to in ADC 2013 motion A31 must take place and certain guarantees must be enshrined in merger proposals, as follow:

•The continued existence of a Political Fund free from particularpartyaffiliationandasatpresent,freetobeused, amongst other purposes to promote candidates representing and supporting PCS policies

•Retention of our lay- led democratic campaigning and organising culture and continuation and extension of the electionofseniorfulltimeoffices

•Annual delegate conferences


Covers E213Home Office Northern (026121)DWP Bradford (047002)

This Conference notes that PCS has begun talks with UNITE the union as a prelude to the possible amalgamation of both unions. The incoming NEC is instructed to ensure that any talks are not held behind closed doors and that full and complete minutes of the talks should be distributed to the membership. Failure to comply with this instruction should bedeemedtohavenullifiedsuchtalksandtheNECistheninstructed to robustly resist further negotiations between PCS and UNITE.

4. DEVOLVED ADMINISTRATIONS

A24Covers E216NECMOJ Greater Manchester (032010)

That this conference welcomes the extensive work carried out by PCS on the “our Scotland, our services, our future” campaign since ADC 2013 which has included a detailed and representative survey of PCS members in Scotland, a direct mailing to all 29,000 Scottish members and a consultative conference of Scottish branches in accordance with motion A519 which was carried at ADC 2013.

Conference notes that the outcome of the consultative conference on the Scottish referendum held on 22 February on the basis of a card vote was a recommendation that PCS should take no campaign side on Scottish independence. There was a substantial minority support that the union shouldcampaignforindependence,butmostsignificantlyno branches at all voted for PCS to campaign against independence. WithonlyfivemonthsuntiltheScottishpeoplegotothe

polls we must continue to raise the industrial demands of PCS on behalf of members through direct engagement with politicians and decision makers including:

•quality public services, free from privatisation

•progressive economic alternatives to austerity

•decent pay and conditions for workers

•universal welfare provision, with a fair social security system


•fair and equitable tax systems

•repeal of all anti trade union laws

•clarificationandconfirmationofcommitmentsfromScottish Government ministers

•continuingtopursuethePCSspecificindustrialdemandsConference believes that it is crucial for PCS to continue tolead,influence,assertleverageandwinthesedemandsin the interests of our members, their families and the communities in which they live and work.

Conference agrees that PCS should mount a campaign themed around “PCS informs- you decide” as an active, agitation of our demands to all those seeking to offer a better future for Scotland through independence, the status quo or alternative means.

Members in Scotland have spoken and rejected the “Better Together” offer of Westminster austerity. “PCS informs – you decide” must be member-led and robust in challenging all sides in the debate including Scotland’s politicians and referendum campaigners. This will require members active involvement and engagement at every level in the union.

Conference therefore calls on the NEC to:

•endorse the decision of the Scottish consultative conference

•continue to press PCS demands with political representatives from all parties on both sides of the debate

•develop a programme of robust critical engagement with both campaigns

•consider organising a senior lay reps forum, early in the Summer, post ADC to explore the policy considerations for all groups contained in the independence white paper

•produce a comprehensive and accessible PCS report by the beginning of September which articulates the responses to our key demands and publish to members in Scotland ahead of the vote in the Referendum on 18 September.

A25R&C Dundee (200029)

That this ADC notes the creation of the Scottish Revenue Service to oversee and administer those tax functions which have been delegated to the Scottish Parliament.

Conference is concerned that further HMRC functions may, over time, be devolved to this body, which could have an impact on all current Scottish HMRC members. These functions could include devolution of tax collection, corporation tax, and further levels of income tax.

Conference notes that in recent years, HMRC have adopted the stick your head in the sand approach to devolution of tax powers to the Scottish parliament, and have given little or no consideration to the potential impact of further devolution on HMRC systems and staff.

Conference instructs the NEC to begin discussions, in co-operation with the Scotland Committee, with HMRC and the Scottish parliament over the future of administration of taxation functions within Scotland, to ensure that HMRC members are protected from possible loss of work and deterioration of terms and conditions.

5. RULES

A26HO West Croydon (026102)

Conference notes the current climate of attacks on facility time for reps and members, and the problems of maintaining union engagement and democracy in such a climate.

The cuts to facility time mean it is more important that members are able to focus on the matters that are important to them. Mandating meetings are never the most exciting events, however to open the motions booklet to be immediately faced with a motions covering a page and a half does not encourage an informed debate.

This conference believes that a word-count limit would encourage greater debate in branches, making the union more democratic.

Conference therefore agrees to amend PCS Rules Appendix A: Conference Standing Orders. Rule A2 will be amended to say:“Allmotionsshallbeintheaffirmativeandcontainno

more than 500 words. Motions exceeding this number will be categorised as X.”


That this PCS annual delegate conference notes that as “Appendix B: Model Branch Constitution” is contained within the PCS national rules, any amendment should require a two-thirds majority of delegates at national conference. However, in practice the NEC considers on a case-by-case basis changes proposed by branches to that model constitution and agrees them (or otherwise) in a similar fashion as they would changes to Group constitutions.Conferencefindsthesetwoprocessestobe

incompatible. Conference accepts the need for model constitutions as a starting point for new representative bodies within PCS but sees no need for their inclusion in the national rulebook.

As such, Conference agrees to delete Appendix B: Model Branch Constitution from the PCS Rules and to rename the subsequent appendices as appropriate.Inaddition,Conferenceagreesthatthefirstsentence

of SR 4.18 will be amended to read: “Each Branch shall be governed by its own constitution.

14


R&C East Midlands (200033)

This ADC notes that the model constitution is silent on the position of Branch Learning Coordinators.Rule B14 currently reads: -BranchofficersB14TheBranchofficersshallconsistofaChairperson,

Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Organiser and Treasurer. The officersshallbemembersoftheBranchelectedbysecret,individual ballot of the members in the Branch. The BEC mayfillanycasualvacancy.

Conference agrees to amend Rule B 14 as follows, insert “Branch Learning Coordinator” after “Organiser” and before “and Treasurer”.

A29NATS Swanwick (202016)

Conference agrees to amend rule A3 by adding a new sentence after “otherwise they shall fall.” Insert “A motion may not be seconded by the branch moving the motion”.

6. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

A30Covers E222-E224National Museums Liverpool (103001)DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)

This conference is extremely concerned about the “dash for gas” and the growing threat of the shale gas extraction technique or ‘fracking’. This technique involves pumping large volumes of water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into a gas well to fracture or crack the shale rock to extract gas. A category of energy production which uses risky extraction methods widely referred to as “extreme energy” andincludescoal-bedmethaneorcoalgassification.

Fracking is widespread in North America (87% of global production) and exploration and drilling of shale gas deposits is growing globally including in the UK. It is being sold as a solution for meeting energy security needs, providing a cheap supply of gas, creating jobs and attributed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, acting as a ‘bridge’ to cleaner sustainable energy. Evidence from America and elsewhere raises a number of concerns that the exploitation of shale gas is a threat to the health of workers and those living near fracking sites, the environment and communities.

In considering these claims, Conference notes the fracking process uses large volumes of water and has led to contamination of fresh water drinking supplies

through leakage of gas and chemicals. The high pressure technique of fracking has also led to earthquakes, the Fylde Coast in the UK being one example. It also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions through carbon dioxide and methane escaping from drilling sites; the global warming potential of methane is far higher than CO2.Estimatesofjobfiguresarehighlyquestionablewith

government citing 74,000 from the Institute of Directors whereasafigureof16-32,000isquotedbyindustryexperts. But regardless of the numbers, these are not safe, decent jobs. Workers are at high risk from exposure to dangerous chemicals such as silica which causes silicosis – a form of occupational lung disease.

Fracking is not a sustainable energy option as it relies onafiniteresourceandratherthanbeingabridgetolow carbon sustainable energy sources, undermines development of renewable technologies such as solar, wind and tidal power. This is also undermined by tax breaks for multinationals, ‘sweetners’ by way of tax bribes for local authorities and communities whose services have been slashed due to central government budget cuts, and threats to planning regulations to allow fracking companies to operate freely without need to consult. TUC Congress passed a motion on fracking which argued the principle of precaution should be applied when developing new energies with the health of people and the environment beingputbeforeprofit.Itagreedfrackingshouldbecondemned unless proven harmless for people and the environment.

Conference calls on the NEC to:1 work with the TUC to take forward policy on the

principle of precaution including climate change, health and safety,and risks to local communities and build towards a position that bridges the divide between the pro and anti fracking camps;

2 engage in anti-fracking campaigns such as frack-off, publicising events and information on fracking to members; support non violent protest and direct action when necessary;

3 commission academic research on the economic case for climate jobs versus fracking jobs focussed on the North West, continue to call for investment in renewable and highlight the One Million Climate Jobs as an alternative to austerity;

4 work with Trade Union Councils to call on local Authoritiestobecome“frack-free”zonesandfightattempts to change local planning regulations;

5 Support calls for a moratorium banning fracking until environmental, climate change and health and safety risks have been assessed;

6 work with Richard Murphy and the Tax Justice Campaign to expose the tax break given to multinationals operating in fracking and other extreme energy industries.

A31DWP Glasgow Benefits Centre (047076)

This conference notes the hardship caused by fuel poverty. Rising bills with stagnant or decreasing wages disproportionately affect the more vulnerable members of society.

Conference also notes that the coalition government is using rising utility bills to ignore clear evidence that increased use of fossil fuels contributes to climate change, and is focussing on short term “solutions” to long term problems.

The governments push to allow fracking while ignoring – or at best marginalising – green sources of energy while pressing ahead with plans to build nuclear powered stations


for example Hinkley Point in Somerset, is a worrying development that not only affects this generation but generations to come.

Therefore, conference instructs the incoming NEC to build on the good work it has already done promoting the green agenda through our network of green reps and to continue to engage with environmental groups to campaign for:

•Ending the use of nuclear energy.

•Promoting green energy.

•Promoting sustainability within the workplace.

•An end to the monopoly position enjoyed by the Big 6 Energy companies which allows them to extract huge profitswhilesubjectingthemostvulnerabletofuelpoverty and hardship.


DEFRA York (001048)

Conference would like to see our entire world powered via wind, solar, geothermal, ocean and so on. However, our electricity demands are far too high to make these options viable by themselves. A combination of nuclear energy and all of the above will keep the lights on for the future.

This conference now agrees that nuclear power is a necessity and nuclear energy is the only viable replacement for fossil fuels.

Conference also agrees that we should try to and reduce thehumanimpactsontheplanetandtofindthequickestand most effective means of preventing runaway climate change.

Conference instructs the NEC to drop the current “say no to nuclear power” campaign and to actively investigate ways to encourage the government to pursue a combination of all the alternatives mentioned in this motion.

A33Covers E225-E227NATS Aviation (202001)R&C Fenland (200107)

Conference endorses the Aviation Review, Protecting Jobs, ProtectingthePlanet,andwelcomestheincreasingprofileof aviation as a key issue on the Green agenda, one that is of concern to all PCS members.

Noting our policy of opposition to the Third Runway, Conference is disappointed that the interim report of the Davies Commission has elected to ignore the environmental case presented by PCS and others, and instead acquiesce to the business world’s demand for further expansion of runway capacity in the South East, either at Heathrow or Gatwick. Conference agrees that the economic case underpinning this decision has not been proven, and also agrees that this so-called ‘independent’ review provides a convenient smokescreen for Cameron to retract his shamelessly vote-winning election promise to stop the Third Runway. We support John McDonnell’s description of the Commission’s decision as a ‘betrayal’.

Conference endorses instead the fundamental principle emerging from the Aviation Review that jobs and the environment are compatible objectives to be pursued together. We do not agree that expansion of the industry

will protect our members’ jobs when the employer is continually seeking further rounds of cuts in staff numbers. In reality, ‘climate jobs’ aimed at mitigating the impact of aviation on climate change, actually represent the best option for safeguarding jobs and the environment.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to further develop our Green policy, on aviation and transport in general, by:1 Promoting the Aviation Review and, in line with the

Million Climate Jobs campaign, open a dialogue with interested parties on the principle of protecting jobs and the environment.

2 Build links around this issue with other unions, in aviation, other forms of transport, and through the TUC, as well as organisations such as Friends of the Earth and the Green Party, and interest groups such as HACAN.

3 Develop a campaign to support the case for a publicly owned, integrated transport system, based around principles of providing a service to the public, safeguarding jobs and protecting the environment.

A34Covers E228-E233R&C Bootle Taxes (200006)PSg DCLG PINS (145802)

Conference notes with alarm the increase of those who are in fuel poverty in the UK. The causes of these include: low pay, welfare cuts and mounting energy bills, whilst majorenergycompaniescontinuetomaximisetheirprofits.Conference further recognises the impact on climate change of rising fossil fuel prices and the lack of investment in renewable energy. As the majority of PCS members earn a lower than average income, it comes as no surprise that someofourownmembersfindthemselvesinfuelpoverty.

We, therefore, instruct the NEC to:1 Produceacampaignleafletforallmembers,using

information from Fuel Poverty Action and other campaigning organisations.

2 Lobby for a public commitment by current and future governments to freeze energy prices, tackle tax avoidance,increasetaxationonenergyprofitsandrestore public ownership of the energy sector;

3 Campaign for a living wage for all of our members; 4 Continue to highlight how fracking and shale gas are not

the solution to either job creation, energy bill price cuts or CO2 emissions reduction; and,

5 Support the aims of the One Million Climate jobs campaign to address both the economic and environmental crises by creating jobs in renewable energy, public housing and public transport.

A35DWP Fylde Central Benefits & Services (047139)

Conference notes with alarm that the density of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere now approaches 400 parts per million. It is aware that a report published in April 2008 based on paleoclimate data and led by James Hansen, head of NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, concluded that the upper safe ceiling for atmospheric Carbon Dioxide is 350 parts per million. It is also aware of the recent IPCC report which considers that climate change due to

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global warming is almost 95% certain. As such conference considers that reducing carbon emissions is no longer sufficienttopreventclimatechangeandthatmoremustbedone. Conference agrees that it is now necessary to reduce the level of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere rather than reducing the rate at which we increase it.

Conference resolves to:-

•Usescientificdocumentstodiscreditthegovernmentpropagandathatreducingemissionsissufficienttostopclimate change.

•Actively promote the use of renewable fuels.

•Promote the use of carbon capture and storage processes.

•Liaise with other unions to reinvigorate the ‘One million climate jobs’ alternative.

•Produceafurtherleafletdetailingtheexpectedeffectsof climate change.

A36Covers E234BIS North & Scotland (041067)R&C Fenland (200107)

This conference notes that workplaces are responsible for half of CO2 emissions and trade unions have a central role ininfluencingthedevelopmentofworkplaceenvironmentalpolicies to meet CO2 reduction targets.

Conference welcomes the work PCS has done in promoting a green bargaining agenda despite attempts by Ministers to undermine central negotiations through the dissolution of the Sustainability Forum. Last year PCS successfullyundertookthefirstWorkplaceEnvironmentalAudit pilot in Defra York and we continue to pursue completion of the pilots in MoJ Petty France/Guys Marsh prison, HMRC Lillyhall/Euston Tower, and National Museums Liverpool. Discussions are also underway with DWP for joint work with PCS reps on sustainability issues.

Conference also welcomes the strengthening of our green work and support for green reps at national level with a dedicated forum for green issues. This includes the election of the Green Forum Advisory Body in 2013 to provide support to the NEC’s Greening the Workplace Task Group, build the networks of green reps, and help to raise theprofileofgreenissuesonBranchagenda’s.

Conference is disappointed however that whilst theCabinetOfficeagreedtoestablishasustainabilityconsultative forum under the Civil Service Forum, as yet no progress has been made on setting up this group. And whilst PCS was invited along with Prospect and TUC to the cross departmental sustainability practitioners’ forum in September, there has been no direct engagement with government ministers since April 2012.

Conference agrees:

•Workplace Environmental Reps (WERs) have a vital role to play in advancing green policies in the workplace and PCS will continue to lobby for statutory time-off for WERs;

•To convene a Green Forum by the end of 2014 and to continue to develop resources for green reps such as materials and training;

•To press, through the Trade Union Sustainability Development Advisory Group (TUSDAC) along with Prospect and the FDA, for the completion of the Environmental Audit pilots and evaluation report with recommendations;

•To press for the re-establishment of formal consultation machinery for sustainability issues through a joint sustainability forum and to replicate at delegated level.

A37DWP Cheshire (047014)

Conference notes the widespread destruction caused by therecentfloodsinBritainandtheconsternationshownby impassioned residents of areas of the country against Fracking.

Conference believes that the evidence produced by membersofthescientificcommunityshowingthatthesedrastic meteorological developments are being caused, at least in part, by man-made climate change is compelling. That fossil-fuel energy creation and the new-toy in the hands of the energy companies – fracking – are root and branch catalysts of the destruction of our planet.

Conference further believes that trade-unions have historicallybeenattheforefrontoffightingforprogressiveenvironmental policies. That simple acts such as energy-saving at work, recycling and encouraging local, low-carbon footprint consumption as well as campaigning for big-political changes such as the banning of fossil-fuel energy production and diverting money into creating green-jobs in the renewable sector are just a part of the work of our green-reps. Conference believes that this vital work will be needed much more urgently in the near future.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to argue in meetingswiththecabinetofficeforincreasedfacilitytimespecificallyforGreen-repsandfurtherinstructstheNECto release guidance for branches to top-slice facility time exclusively for use on green and environmental campaigns.


Conference is aware of an increase in the abhorrent practice of badger culling in the UK. Badgers are native species of Britain and we don’t know what their destruction could do to the rest of our complex ecosystems. It has been reported that as many as 6 in 7 badgers who are killed, being free of TB, so effectively collateral damage. All in all the cull has been a huge waste of money, costing around £4,000 per badger killed. At a time when people are suffering due to unnecessary and brutal austerity measures, this is a further slap in the face to the people of Britain, (as well as the badgers!)

Conference believes that this is an unnecessary and cruel practice and one which should be made illegal, and not encouraged by the government.

This NDC compels the NEC to:

•Work with local community groups to oppose the barbaric nature of badger culling

•Lobby the government to end this barbaric practice, using our parliamentary group where necessary

•Publicise events and provide support for those who are trying to help the badger’s cause.


A39R&C North Wales & North West (200078)

That this NDC recognises the positive work of the Transition movement and the vital nature of their approach as Climate Change becomes manifestly obvious and energy supplies less stable.

Conference instructs the NEC to seek to work with the transition movement by:1 Publicising its work via PCS green forums2 Developing and delivering training in Transition for Green

reps so that they may introduce and initiate Transition within their communities.

7. EQUALITY

A40DWP Leicestershire Pensions (047138)

Conference agrees that Disability Leave should be included as an integral part of the range of Reasonable Adjustments and included in the attendance management policy in all parts of the Civil Service. Staff with acknowledged disabilities are forced to take sick leave when, in reality, their absence is directly related to their known illness or condition.

Absence also leads to our disabled members being disciplined or even dismissed under attendance management policies, and suffering loss of earnings when they are on half or even nil pay. We believe that this is potentially discriminatory. The Equality and Human Rights Commission recommend Disability Leave as an example of a reasonable adjustment. Disability Leave would also reduce the amount of time misrepresented as sick leave across the Civil Service, and reduce pressure on staff to achieve unreasonable attendance management targets in what is supposedly a supportive environment for disabled members and a “two ticks” employer. This may also focus the employer on delivering other practical and supportive adjustments.

We instruct the NEC to negotiate Disability Leave as a practical solution to supporting disabled staff.


Dyslexia is a learning disability that not only affects reading and writing but also memory and organisation. Many adults who suffer with dyslexia are unaware, having developed advanced coping mechanisms and strategies to deal with thedifficultiestheyface.

Conference notes that in a recent study, Dyslexia Action estimate that 10% of all adults in the UK suffer with dyslexia to some degree. It therefore follows, that many of our members in the workplace may be suffering with dyslexia,

without realising it. This will obviously impact on their ability to meet targets and they may well be covered by the Equality Act 2010.

This motion instructs the NEC to ensure that all PCS equality and diversity reps undertake dyslexia awareness training and that at least 1 rep per branch is in receipt of the requisite training by May 2015. This will enable PCS reps to:

•Learn how to support members with dyslexia and ensure theemployerfulfilsitsobligations.

•Identify possible dyslexia in members in order for a full assessment to be undertaken by the employer.

•Increase awareness of dyslexia and how it relates to The Equality and Diversity Act 2010.

•Help to create a workplace that understands and supports members with dyslexia, with a view to holding regular events promoting dyslexia awareness.

A42R&C East Midlands (200033)

This Conference notes that PCS is committed to the social model of disability as is the TUC.

Conference believes that using the social model and social model language helps concentrate policy development and communications in the correct direction – towards the full inclusion of disabled people. It believes that negotiations with employers is hampered by their failure to use the social model themselves leading to inappropriate responses and sentiments.

Conference instructs the NEC to negotiate with the CabinetOfficetoadoptthesocialmodelitselfandpromoteits use in all government departments and agencies.

A43PSg DCLG HQ (141802)

Conference notes that although the Equality Act 2010 states that employers have to make reasonable adjustments or provide auxiliary aids to remove the substantive disadvantage that disabled staff would otherwise suffer, it is apparent that:

•Instead of civil service management leading by example and it is all too often failing to comply with either the law or best practice.

•Despite having medical evidence to support the implementation of their adjustments, some of our employers are failing to act upon them and are allowing our members to put at a substantial disadvantage.

•At the same time, some of these members are also being unfairly penalised under performance managements systems or under sick pay rules.


•Carry out a review to establish best civil service practice in the development of policies for removing disadvantage from disabled staff and to uncover the extent to which our employers are failing to meet the requirements of the 2010 Act and vary in their policies and practices from the best practice elsewhere.

•SeekurgentnegotiationswiththeCabinetOfficetoensure our departments and agencies meet their legal and moral obligations.

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8. SERVICES & STRUCTURES

A44Covers E245-E251R&C South Wales (200102)R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)

This conference notes the carriage of motion A22/2005 which expressed support for the introduction of procedures that would make PCS a more democratic, accountable and effective union.

We further note the carriage of motion A94/2007 which referred to the need to address a number of democratic and management issues prior to changes being implemented.

We note that a second strategic management review established a Senior Management Team of six Senior NationalOfficer(SNO)poststocoverthefollowingareas:

•Head of Bargaining

•Head of Campaigns, Communications and Organizing

•Head of Central Services

•Head of Equality, Policy and resources for Representatives

•HeadofGeneralSecretaryOffice•Head of Regions and Nations

Given these developments, conference agrees to make a start to making PCS a more democratic, accountable and effective union by considering extending elections to the SNO posts set out above.

Conference calls on the NEC to:1 review which, (if not all), of the six SNO posts listed

above should be subject to election; and2 identify the most suitable time when the election for the postsidentifiedinpoint(1)aboveshouldtakeplace.

A45Home Office West Croydon (026102)

Conference applauds the activist-rep ethos that recognised that local reps can carry out the full range of representational duties. Rightly, this extends to representing members before Employment Tribunals and conference encourages more reps to do so. However, conference notes that the proportion of reps who will take cases to Tribunals is much lesser than the total number of reps and, the demands placed upon those reps mean they cannot take every viable case before the Employment Tribunal. As a result many members with valid claims do not pursue them for lack of PCS support – in a climate where the government’s austerity agenda is hitting the disabled and other protected groups the most this amounts to a betrayal of PCS’ strategic focus on defending it most vulnerable members and combating the attacks on public services.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to:

•Establish a process by ADC 2015 whereby member cases which have the support of the PCS Legal and Personal Casework Unit will, if a local rep is unwilling of unable to

represent, be represented by a solicitor/barrister, full time officialorothersuitablyqualifiedpersonwithoutanyfurtherconsiderationbyfulltimeofficers;and

•Issueabriefingtomembersoutliningthenewscheme;or•Establishviamemberbenefitsadiscountedlegal

expenses insurance scheme for members enabling them to pursue cases that have merit when the union itself is unable or unwilling to do so for lack of a representative or union instructed solicitor.

A46DWP Lambeth & Southwark (047031)

This motion notes the introduction of settlement agreements in law.Settlementagreementshavebeenintroducedofficiallyas

a way to end an employment relationship with a payoff and apromiseofagoodreference.Onfirstglancetheymayseem like a good thing. When we look deeper they have the following issues:

They are legally binding.They can waive the right to an employment tribunal.There is only a guide to negotiate the settlement

agreement of only 10 calendar days.Settlement agreements leave the employers opportunity

to unfairly dismiss staff with no repercussions.There is no right to be accompanied to these meetings

meaning anyone accompanying is not automatically covered by unfair dismissal.

This is obviously a tool which can be used to completely destroy any fear of retribution should an employer act unfairly, could possibly lead to discrimination and a bullying culture at work.

This motion instructs the incoming NEC to do the following;

Have the legal department fully investigate the implications of settlement agreements, as well as the potential effects on labour relations.

If any department tries to introduce them into policy we shouldoutrightopposethemasafirstportofcallanduseany means necessary to ensure these are not bought into policy.

If the settlement agreements are imposed in any department, immediate advice should be given to branches, members and groups to refuse to agree to any settlement agreement and if they are pressured into one take out bullying and harassment as well as discrimination cases if appropriate.

For it to be negotiated with departments who impose this for any union reps to be given training over and above the normal trade union training, for a separate pot of time be given for training on individual negotiating and advising members on settlement agreements to be a separate elected trade union role and for the training to be classroom based and robust.

Once training is completed for any time used negotiating with the employer over an individual settlement agreement andadvisingmemberstobeofficialtimeandnottradeunion time.

Until this can be agreed by management then for all advice and negotiations with management on individual compromise agreements and advice to members in compromise agreements should go through the legal department at PCS. This would be for two reasons:1 So that the member gets the best possible result and

support.2 So that it causes such a back log with cases that it forces

managements hand in negotiations with the NEC/GEC for trainingandofficialtime.


Members to have the right to be accompanied by reps in negotiations and those reps to face no detriment because of this.

The time to negotiate the settlement to be a minimum of 4 weeks to allow time for robust negotiations.

Standard letters to be drafted refusing settlement agreements unless the following terms are agreed to be issued by all members involved in settlement agreements.

For PCS to co-ordinate and consult the rest of the Trade Union movement on how to oppose settlement agreements.

A survey to be collated of the diversity of those entering settlement agreements as well as Trade Union status.

If any member of staff is dismissed following a refusal of a settlement agreement for PCS to support their employment tribunal, for Trade Union reps for branches to be consulted on a strike ballot.


This past year has seen the true scale of anti-trade union practices associated with the blacklist given a long-awaited airinginpublicdiscussion.WithintheHomeOfficeanEarlyDay Motion has drawn attention to the anti-trade union policies and the victimisation of PCS representatives by that department.

This government’s draconian cuts to legal aid and facility time make the position of the dedicated PCS representative who will pour heart and soul into defending his or her member’s livelihoods, terms and conditions and safe places of work even more vital to the future of the entire labour movement. It is not surprising then that when a hostile employer looks to target a trade union rep in their sights it is to these most effective of reps they focus their attention. Asrepsfighttodefendthemostvulnerableoftheir

members so those reps have an expectation that the union they represent will stand by them in solidarity. Too often though when these reps seek to legally challenge decisions that they believe they have been targeted for trade union activity the response of the union is the likelihood of success is not high enough.

Conference believes that it is time that when a rep or activistisconcernedPCS’sfinancialsupportshouldnotbesacrificedforthesakeofapercentagepointorthree.Conference therefore directs the NEC that where there is a realistically arguable case that trade union activities are a factor in a decision PCS will support those reps and activists by all legal (non industrial) means at its disposal which shall always include instructing solicitors and barristers to act on the activist or representative’s behalf in Tribunal and/or Civil Court proceedings.

A48DEFRA York (001048)

Conference is appalled by the recent attacks on trade union reps by this government. Reductions in facility time mean many reps are struggling to adequately represent their members during the working day and are having to resort to working for members in their own time. This is nothing more than a cynical attempt to undermine the effectiveness of the union when defending members

against unscrupulous employers.Conference notes that there are many experienced reps

who have retired from work but remained supporters of PCS though ARMS. ARMS members are a resource that could and should be used.

Retired members wishing to continue to help members should be allowed to retain FULL membership if they so choose, and remain attached to their original branch. This would ensure that experience is retained and utilised.

In this way PCS would:

•Benefitfromtheretainedexperience•Benefitfromextracampaigningpower•Gainfinancialbenefit(thedifferencebetweenfull

membership and ARMS membership)

•Have additional reps available to support branches where facility time is an issue

•Be able to continue to handle personal cases for branches where facility time is an issue.


•Liaise with ARMS to look at ways in which the above can be achieved

•Conduct a survey of ARMS members to ascertain what percentage of retired members would be interested in becoming/remaining active in PCS after retirement

•Liaise with ARMS to consider any constitutional amendments that may be necessary to achieve the above and present these as a motion to ADC in 2015.

A49Met Police East London (033103)

Conference notes increased youth unemployment across the country, caused by a lack of viable jobs both in the public and private sectors, and by the raising of the retirement ages.

We also note that the PCS Young Members Network is beginning to see a decline in eligible members as a result of this.

Our Young Members, as they take on additional workloads as Branch and Group Executive Committee members, are struggling to be able to allocate time to build the network and require additional support.

Conference therefore resolves that the age limit of the Young Members Network is raised immediately to “30 and under”.

This will ensure that the Young Members Network will be able to continue to thrive and actively campaign on youth issues across the country, and bring our Young Members Network in line with those networks of the RMT, NASUWT, BECTU and CWU.


Conference is aware of an increase of PCS Representatives suffering from mental health conditions. The triggers for stress can be many and various, from pressure in the work place to personal circumstances.

On occasions a lack of understanding from fellow union representatives, as well as managers can hinder their recovery. Not all representatives have been trained in, or have had experience of mental health conditions

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and so can fail to make reasonable adjustments for fellow representatives. This lack of support can be most unhelpful at a time when support is paramount to peoples’ wellbeing and can be detrimental to a person’s recovery. Asrepsweareconstantlyfightingforreasonable

adjustments to be made by managers for our members. Conference believes that by being more supportive of

one and other and making adjustments once people have returned to work this will improve the situation for all involved.

This National Delegate conference instructs the NEC to:

•Liaise with the TUC to ensure that all Stage 1 (or equivalent) training for all representatives, including workplace representatives, health and safety representatives and union learning representatives includes, as a minimum, an introduction to mental health awareness.

•To ensure that any introductory training run by PCS for representatives, including but not exclusively, Introduction to PCS and New Reps course has an introduction to mental health awareness

•Encourage branches to send reps on the existing Mental Health course run by TUC Education.

•To further publicise the PCS counselling support service helpline number.

A51MOJ Greater Manchester (052010)

The current situation cannot be ignored. The economy is slowly improving, and though we know that it is mainly the richthatarebenefitingfromthis,thegovernmentmightbeable to persuade the electorate that their policy of austerity is working & that they should be given a further term of 5 years to continue the work they have started. If they succeed in being re-elected there will be a further sustained onslaught on the public sector and by 2020 parts of the public sector will be unrecognisable.TheunionsaffiliatedtotheLabourpartyareworkingto

help the Labour Party win the next general election in 2015. Not only does this mean that we have to suffer another year of pain at the hands of this government, but there is no guarantee that the Labour party will win the election, or that if it does, they will make life any better for ordinary working people, in both the private & public sector, because they have stated that they agree with austerity measures & therefore they are unlikely to reverse the cuts.

Also, the Labour party leadership is taking steps to alter theirfinancialandindividuallevy/affiliationrelationshipswith trade unions and their members. The Labour party no longer represent the trade union movement that created the party. It is time for PCS to support a viable alternative to the Labour party.

This Conference instructs the NEC to initiate a debate and consultation with our members/branches about funding ormakingspecificdonationstoanalternativeparty/parties to the Labour Party – such as the Green party or Left Unity (whose basic views accord with PCS policies and campaigns) or at the very least, part funding candidates (perhaps independents) standing in elections whose policies/views are compatible with those of PCS – especially anti privatisation, defence of our public services and who support industrial action in support of those aims.

The NEC are to act on the majority view, conducting a permissive all members ballot – if this is required, so that we can act to assist a party/parties/individuals who support PCS policies and campaign aims.

The major unions support the Labour Party – it is high time PCS supported those who support PCS.


This conference noted the growing use of the “support with statement” by the NEC at ADC. It is further noted that thereisnoprovisionforthisinthePCSRules,andspecificallyat Annex A covering Conference Standing Orders. NEC speakers who introduce “statements” do so at the ends of debates and the ability of conference to accept of reject the statement does not exist, and in some cases the statements can alter the instructions contained within the motion.

Conference in concerned that this practice is undemocratic as;

•It interferes with the principle that motions should stand or fall on their wording

•The possibility that the statement from the NEC negates part of the motion

•The inability of delegates to vote on whether the statements should be accepted or not.

The principle of conference is that motions are submitted and voted on by delegates, it is not the place of the NEC to add ‘riders’ or caveats to their progress. This conference does not seek to infringe on the rights of the NEC to comments and provide recommendations at conference however it does instruct the NEC to stop the practice of “support with statement” or similar phraseology, where the statement alters the interpretation or intended application of the motion.

A53DSg Filton Abbey Wood (014180)

We all know that the Government is trying to destroy the Civil Service unions. They are removing our facility time and may prevent us from using government IT to support our members. We can already be sacked if we send the wrong type of email through their servers.

PCS has already started to collect private email details of all members. Not only is this a massive task to undertake to gather the details, it will also be a major task to maintain. People are always changing ISPs and email addresses. This task simply cannot be undertaken nationally. The best place for this is at the local level.

However, at local level we are already struggling to get around our members on large sites because of the reduction in facility time. What we need are local branch websites – websites that can be used to inform local members of local issues and communicate locally. Where we can keep our records and communications free from our employer’s IT systems. Somewhere we can communicate without fear of disciplinary action.

The national website is great for national issues, but poor for local issues in individual departments. Many branches do have free local websites.

However, free sites have a number of drawbacks:

•They tend to be insecure and prone to hacking.

•They often attract advertising which may not be in keeping with PCS core values.

•The URL is not an easy to remember, bespoke branch chosen address.

This motion seeks to instruct the NEC to fund local branch websites with reasonable costs so that branches can create their own website, with secure email and collaborative


working facilities; an area free from the employer’s surveillance. At DSg Abbey Wood we have such a website whichhasalreadyprovedveryusefultotheregionalofficewhen gathering information such as a recent training analysis.

A54DWP Somerset (047099)

This Conference, mindful that with the progressive increase of retirement age, and the abolition of compulsory retirement at any age, the number of members in this higher age group will be on the increase, and that such members are likely to have age-related conditions and particular needs and circumstances as a result, RESOLVES that a new section of Union Membership (open to members aged over 50)known as ‘Senior Members’ be created on parallel lines to that already existing for young members AND INSTRUCTS the NEC to effect all consequential and organizational changes to facilitate and enable same.

9. FINANCE

A55Covers E260-E279R&C Waterview Park (200131)MOJ RCJ/PRFD (052054)

This conference notes with disappointment the unilateral decision taken by the NEC last year to discontinue the provision of free diaries to all members.WeareawareofthefinancialrestraintsplaceduponPCS

due to falling membership numbers and we acknowledge thatdifficultdecisionsneedtobemade.Thedecisiontowithdraw publication and issue of the diary has led to a significantnumberofcomplaintsbeingreceivedatlocal,regional, and national levels.

As activists, we are all very aware of the many services PCS provides to its members. For many of our members, the PCS Diary serves as a signpost to those services. The diary is regarded by many as their ‘badge of identity’ as a member as well as a valuable resource, providing useful information attheirfingertips.

Whilst we actively encourage members to access pcs.org for the latest information and some will be making full use of the new electronic diary, not all members are able or willing to do so. These members rely on their PCS diary which they carry with them at all times. The withdrawal of the diary has effectively disenfranchised these members to some degree.

This ADC instructs the NEC to reinstate the PCS diary attheearliestopportunity.Giventhefinancialrestraints,the NEC may explore the most cost effective way of doing this, considering the following suggested options, but not excluding alternatives:

•Members ‘opt in’ to receive a diary free of charge, meaning that only those members who request a diary will receive one.

•Members are given an option to purchase a diary for a nominal fee not exceeding £1.50, which will go towards production & postage costs.

•The diary is reinstated for all members but the NEC seeks to cover production & postage costs through sponsorship fromcompanies/organisationsaffiliatedwithPCS.

A56MOJ Greater Manchester (052010)

Conference notes the recent instruction issued to Branches thatcontainedalistoforganisationsBranchesmayaffiliate/donate to within a total limit of £100.

In the case of MOJ Gtr Mcr Branch they were previously affiliatedto4TradesCouncils(asPCSpolicyencouragesbranches to do so), Unite Against Fascism. The £100 limit nowmeanswehavedecidedtoonlyaffiliatetoMcrTCandBury TC at a total cost of approx £65, to not renew our affiliationstoSalfordandOldhamTCsnortoUAFandthisleavesuswithjust£35todonate/affiliatefortherestof2014.

We have already seen PCS move from a formula of funding branches according to their numbers of members to a reduced cost system of just paying branches what they use, typically, from year to year. PCS – from declaring itself to be a member centred and activist campaigning union is now saying ‘no more than £100 to other organisations regardless of your membership numbers, activity, or what is in your branch accounts.

PCS instructs the NEC to increase this limitation to £250 and allow Branches to remain active and support other organisations with similar objectives to ours so long as the BEC or ideally their Branch AGM, approves same.

A57DWP Highlands & Islands (047070)

Conference deplores the political attack on TU facility time, which will lead to some elements of TU activity being unpaid and therefore done in activists own time. Of particular concern is the role of Branch Treasurer, which will ultimately attract no paid facility time. Branches are thereforelikelytostruggletofindpeoplewillingtotakeonthe role leaving them unable to function within PCS rules and constitution. It is vital that arrangements are in place to deal with such a situation before it occurs.

As all funds are distributed from the centre, it would appear to make sense for all transactions to be dealt with from a central point. Branches could still be allocated a budget, but would not have to administer funds or maintain and audit accounts. With the use of internet banking and BACs transfers, payments should be easier and quicker to administer.

Conference therefore calls on the NEC to investigate the practicality, cost, and impact of dealing with all financialtransactionscentrallyandtoreporttheirfindingsto Branches at least three months before the end of the financialyear.

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A58DWP North London (047032)

Conference believes that representatives acting on behalf of the union should be fully reimbursed for all costs incurred on fundamental union business, particularly representing members in formal hearings. Whilst accepting that the unionisingreatfinancialdifficultyespeciallywiththelatest political attack on busting the union by ending a years old practice of ‘check off’, branches still have to have enough funding to be reimbursed for travel to represent members. Therefore Conference instructs the incoming NEC to, at the very least, award branches with 1% of their membership subs in order for branches to undertake their basic fundamental duties without incurring cost that the individual representative has to pay for them self.


Conference notes that ADC as a vital part of PCS democracy, and is designed as an inclusive event. Conference further notes that much discussion and debate among delegates takes place outside of the conference hall, either at hotels, in restaurants, or occasionally a pub.

Conference notes that delegates taking part in conference are entitled to claim expenses in line with PCS policy. Conference further notes the majority of delegates are not well paid, and are now required to attend conference in their own time.

Conference also note an anomaly as far as conference is concerned whereby some delegates are not entitled to claimexpensesiftheyarewith5milesoftheiroffice,orhome. Given the levels of low pay among PCS members this has the effect of either:

•Preventing PCS delegates local to the conference areas from engaging in events/discussions with their comrades outside of the conference arena;

•Or continuing to take part at much greater expense to themselves than their comrades from further away who are entitled to claim expenses.

Conference is therefore of the view that local delegates should be entitled to claim the 24 hour expenses rate whilst they are attending PCS conferences, and instruct the NEC to implement the necessary changes so this is implemented from 2015.

10. PERSONNEL POLICY

A60Covers E286-E298R&C VOA Greater London Valuation (200148)BIS South & Wales (041042)

That this ADC instructs the NEC to co-ordinate a campaign across PCS, and where possible involving other Civil Service Trade Unions, against the invidious quotas/guided distribution being introduced to the already discredited performance appraisal system.

A61R&C Criminal Justice (200039)

This conference notes the strike action taken on 14th February 2014 by the First Division Association against the Performance Management System. It further censures the National Executive Committee of the PCS for its total failure to alert our members of the FDA’s action or to make any efforts to support it. The implementation of PMR has made the working lives of many of our members utterly miserable. It is detested by the overwhelming majority of staff across most of the grades in the civil service. The FDA action presented a golden opportunity to carry out effective joint work with another union (a principle that is at the very core ofPCS’soverarchingstrategy)thatwouldhavebeenfiercelysupported by our members. Instead, scandalously, PCS responded to the FDA’s action only with silence. The 2013 successful national conference demand for a ballot of our members on non-compliance with PMR has been ignored and an opportunity to support the FDA action has been missed.Ratherthanfightinginthedefenceofitsmemberson this issue PCS has, instead, derailed the movement against PMR by its reliance on futile negotiations with a ruthless, super ambitious and careerist management. In so doing they have cleared the way for the implementation of PMR without the slightest resistance from the majority of civil servants. The leaders of the PCS are put on notice that if they cannot or will not provide the lead that our members require in forcing the abandonment of this hated system then the time will soon be upon us when it is clear that our leaders should be replaced by new leaders, by real fighters,whoarearmedwiththeclarityofperspectivesandthe courage to lead our members in a genuine struggle that can and will rid us of this odious attack on working people.


A62Covers E299-E300DWP East London (047030)PSg Treasury Solicitors (141024)

This Conference notes that the reporting system in the civil service continues to be marked by seriously disturbing and adverse correlations in box markings and equality categories and at least including ethnicity, age, disability, and grade.

This Conference believes it is now time for a fundamental overhaul of civil service management of staff with a view to ending decades old dogmas that some “box” or “ranking” system can fairly and accurately capture performance and be combined with a serious and mature approach to training, coaching, skill and knowledge enhancement and development.

This Conference instructs the NEC to consult with Groups and branches and PCS equality networks and to work with progressive experts and equality campaigners with a view to developing a less judgemental, biased, and backward looking system that truly places the emphasis on the development and motivation of staff and equality of outcomes and that breaks the link between so-called performance assessment and pay.

A63Covers E301NECMOJ Associated Offices (052046)

Conference congratulates members in HMRC and DWP groups for running successful industrial campaigns which have won major improvements and concessions for contact centre workers. Conference recognises that these are the result of well organised, well fought campaigns that have brought about lasting changes to conditions in those workplaces.

Conference notes motion A116/2009 that called on the NEC to campaign for a National Call Centre Framework Agreement in the civil service and related bodies centred on the PCS Call Centre Charter developed as part of an important initiative to help PCS’s bargaining, organising and campaigning agenda around call centre worker issues.

While a national framework agreement has yet to be agreed, conference welcomes the steps that have been undertaken to revise the contact centre demands in the light of the changing nature of contact centre work. This includes the impact of the government’s digitalisation or digital by default strategy on contact centre workers. It is also timely that these have been reviewed in light of the gains made in HMRC and DWP.

Conference instructs the National Executive Committee to:a) Reassert its commitment to negotiate a National Contact

Centre Framework Agreement in the civil service and related bodies;

b) Run a national contact centre campaign across the union as part of the national campaign, highlighting the key demands, and where there is detriment to support and encourage local industrial campaigns;

c) Consider the impacts of digitalisation on contact centre workers and feed into the digitalisation campaign;

d) Engage the PCS Young Members Network in the campaign;

e) Continue to develop work on contact centres within the

wider trade union movement both nationally and at an international level.

A64PSg DCLG HQ (141802)

This Conference notes:a) The decision last July of the Secretary of State for

Communities and Local Government to end “check off” in DCLG in clear breach of the contractual rights of DCLG members.

b) PCS’ entirely correct decision to challenge that decision in the High Court, resulting in the Hearing of 3rd September 2013.

c) The succinct but comprehensive dismissal by MR Justice Popplewell of all the arguments mustered by Counsel for the Secretary of State.

Conference completely endorses the Union’s decision to seek legal redress and welcomes the way in which national officialsandDCLGnationalbranchrepresentativesworkedtogether in insisting on the contractual rights of PCS members in DCLG.

Conference emphasises the important lesson that:a) The fact that the DCLG Staff Handbook explicitly

incorporates many of the Handbook provisions into the individual contracts of employment of the civil servants in DCLG provided the basis for the legal challenge to an arbitrary act that was designed to harm PCS and reduce its ability to represent members.

b) The fact of explicit contractual incorporation of employment provisions within DCLG has provided a degree of protection to members on other occasions, such as in the operation of pay progression to maximum through the wage slashing period of the pay freeze and the right of DCLG delegates to attend PCS conference with paid time off work.

Conference does not believe that reliance on the Courts can be an answer to the attacks raining down on the heads of civil and public sector workers but it does believe that all employers should have the protection of strong and pro-employee laws, strong and meaningful contracts of employment that restrict the ability of an employer to act arbitrarily whenever that employer feels like it, and free and ready access to the courts and tribunals of the UK.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to:a) Instruct all bargaining representatives to seek the incorporationofbeneficialemploymentprovisionsintoindividual contracts of employment whenever they are negotiating collective terms on behalf of members, recognising that success may be a matter of long term work.

b) Ensure all Groups seek to amend all management proposals so that they are precisely written and have contractual effect.

c) Includes training in contract law in its employment dimension in the training of PCS representatives and full timeofficers.

d) Seek Labour Party agreement to strengthening the contractual rights of individual civil servants if and when theLabourPartyentersoffice.

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A65DWP East Sussex (047103)

Conference notes that it has been revealed in Cabinet papers published in “Civil Service World” that the government has been secretly and illegally victimising union members in the Civil Service since 1984 in the full knowledge that they were breaking the law in doing soSecretfileswerekeptonmembersandusedtovictimise

them by denying them career opportunities or postings in breach of the law

Conference believes that such acts of victimisation have been and are continuing as an attempt to intimidate andbreaktheunion’sabilitytofightattacksuponitsmembership and as such must be exposed and defended against by all means possible and necessary

Such attacks show the cowardice of successive governments in seeking to do this instead of dealing with the legitimate concerns of members raised through the union’s organisation

The NEC is instructed to take up the matter with the employer to ensure that this policy ceases and that the offending records are destroyed

We further instruct the NEC to explore the question of legal action to secure compensation for what was in effect illegal blacklisting for the members concerned

A66DWP Bradford (047002)

Conference notes with dismay the unfairness that remains in Civil Service pension arrangements for members who live with a partner but are not married.

Currently if you are married or in a Civil Partnership and die in service, or after you retire, your spouse can get your pension. If you marry after retiring your spouse is entitled to half of your pension.

If you die and are not married but live with a partner the person you have chosen to be your partner is not entitled to anything if you are in either the Classic or Classic Plus schemes.

Conference calls upon the NEC to negotiate changes to the relevant schemes to achieve equal treatment of so that whomever you chose to be your partner even if so after retiring they have the same entitlement as if they were married.

A67Covers E302DWP HQ Leeds (047011)DWP HQ London (047039)

This Conference believes that the concept of Smarter Workingisseriouslyflawed.Departmentshaveseizeduponso-called Smarter Working as a way of saving money at a time when budgets are being attacked by the Government, and are seeking to sell it to staff as an alternative to even moredrasticstaffingcuts.

This Conference calls upon the National Executive

Committee to launch an investigation into the real costs of this pernicious practice, in conjunction with other Unions, the TUC or other interested parties if necessary. Theinvestigationshouldlookatthehiddenfinancial

costs associated with the practice. These include:

•Timewastedfindingadeskandsettingitupatthestartof each day

•Time wasted at the end of the day returning things to a locker

•Time wasted by having to walk to and fro to talk to team members because a desk cannot be found with the team

The investigation should look at the costs of the de-humanisation of the workplace. These include:

•Loss of personal space

•Lossofcoherentteams–thecosttoworkingefficiencyand social interaction

•Diminished opportunities for support and leadership

•Increased noise levels affecting, in particular, considerative work

•Hygiene/health issues arising from multiple users of keyboards/phones etc

•Adequacy of IT to support multiple users

•The long term effects on health and wellbeing, particularly with regard to mental health

The investigation should look at the very real possibility that Smarter Working is discriminatory. Those who cannot get in earlyenougharetheoneswhofindtheyarespendingthemosttimetryingtofindadeskandbeingdislocatedfromtheir team. Very often this is because people work part time and/or have caring responsibilities and this is more likely to be women. Additionally the increasingly squeezed space canseedisabledmemberswithfixeddesksundereverincreasing pressure to hot desk. An Equality Analysis should be a fundamental part of this investigation.

Conference instructs the NEC to report back on this investigation by the end of the year and issue campaigning material as appropriate.

A68Covers E303MOJ London Tribunals (052049)MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

Conference recognises that the Whitehall II study revealed that there is a relationship between Civil Service grade and longevity, essentially the higher your grade the longer your life expectancy and the lower your grade the lower your life expectancy.

Conference recognises that there are many factors affecting health and life expectancy. However, our employer should take active steps to identify working conditions that have short and long term effects on members’ health and life expectancy. These working conditions can include control over your own work as well as physical working conditions.

Conference instructs the NEC to campaign to have our employer engage with academic research, agreed with the NEC, to identify and address the relationship between working conditions, health and longevity.


A69NOMS (037105)

Conference notes that the introduction of “New Fair Deal” still presents a considerable threat to all members working wholly or mainly on the outsourced (or transferred) function.

Under the current guidelines promotions and lateral transfers are deemed as a contractual change. Therefore the decision about whether or not employees would still be eligible to participate in the PCSPS following promotion is for the employer to make as part of the terms and conditions of the new role.

The incoming NEC is therefore instructed to re-open negotiationswithCabinetOfficetoensurethatallmembersthat are working wholly or mainly on the outsourced function can remain in the PCSCPS following promotion or lateral transfer.

A70R&C Benton Park View (200126)

Conference notes that currently there is no statutory right to paid leave after bereavement. Instead staff are legally entitled to a “reasonable” period of unpaid absence in accordance with the Employment Rights Act 1996 (s57A).

In the past the union negotiated for managers to be given the discretion to allow a short period of paid special leave for bereavement. As there is no statutory right to paid leaveitisbecomingmoreandmoredifficultformemberstogetit.Wearefindingthatourmembershavetogointointricate levels of detail at a very stressful time just to get just a couple of day’s paid special leave.InJanuarythisyearapollingfirmranasurveyonbehalf

of the Dying Matters coalition – an alliance of 16,000 charities hospices and care homes – and the National Council for Palliative Care for those working in end of life care. They surveyed over 4000 people and found that almost nine out of ten people believe that companies should have a “compassionate employment policy” that includes paid bereavement leave and the right for those coming to terms with recent personal loss to be able to workflexiblehours.Thiswouldbenefitouremployerinthelong run by ensuring workers were better able to cope with changes in their lives.

This conference instructs the NEC to:

•Campaign for a change in the law to force employers to give members paid bereavement leave after the death of a dependent, i.e. a spouse, civil partner, child, parent or anyone who lives in the same household or someone who depends on you for care or for help during an emergency.

•Negotiate a Compassionate employment policy that includes paid bereavement leave and the right for those coming to terms with a personal loss to be able to work flexiblehours.

•Provide an update on progress made by January 2015.


Conference notes a condition of service issue, regarding paternity rights. Currently the amount of Paternity leave available to civil servants is two weeks off paid at full rate of pay.

Although there have been improvements; Fathers now have the option of taking additional paternity leave. This is only available when the mother doesn’t take her full maternity leave.

The issue with this is this additional paternity pay is only paid at a statutory rate. Maternity pay and even adoption leave is currently paid at full rate of pay for 26 weeks.

Parents should be allowed the same conditions of service to look after their children and not have to choose which parenttakesonthatresponsibilitybasedonfinancialimplications.

Conference instructs the NEC to negotiate with the employers for better paternity rights. Firstly an increase to the amount of time given to fathers following the child’s birth and secondly for any additional paternity pay to be paid at the full rate of pay to match the existing agreements for maternity and adoption leave. Such negotiations to be conducted within the next 12 months and report back at Conference 2015.

A72Home Office Disclosure and Barring Service (026125)

Unpaid Parental leave is available to help parents look after their child’s welfare and is currently available to parents of children up to the age of 5 (or 18 if their child has a disability) with special provisions for adoptive parents. However, parental responsibility for a child’s welfare does not end at the age of 5.

Conference also notes the lack of provision for time off to care for other dependents, such as elderly parents and relatives and adults with disabilities.

Conference agrees that the NEC should campaign for the introduction of Carers’ leave in the Civil Service and NDPBs, to include entitlement for parents of children up to at least the point the child enters secondary school and carers of other dependents such as elderly relatives and adults with disabilities.

Conference also agrees that the NEC should campaign for all or part of Carers’ leave entitlement to be paid, in order torecognisethebenefitscarersbringtotheeconomyandwider society.

A73PSg Treasury Solicitors (141024)

Conference notes the latest measures on Special Leave emanating from the centre and in particular the blurring of the purposes of Annual leave and Special Leave. By encouraging managers and staff to use annual leave (orflexi-leave)inplaceofspecialleavefordomesticemergencies, the new policy contradicts the purpose for

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which annual leave is intended ie Rest and Recuperation. While attending funerals might be some people’s idea

of a relaxing day out, the guidance represents a clear departure from existing guidance which is clearer to managers and currently serves its purpose.

If you mix unclear guidance and devolved management, you allow the steely eyed fundamentalists to reap havoc with people’s lives. Cue shedloads of unnecessary personal cases.

It is noted further that the proposed restrictions are likely to have a disproportionate effect on disabled staff or staff with caring responsibilities as well as ethnic minority staff needing to attend funerals abroad.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to include as one of the aims of the national campaign negotiations on leave provisions that protect the use of annual leave for rest and recuperation and the use of special leave for domestic emergencies.


Conference congratulates the National Executive Committee on its campaign to oppose the attacks on the Civil Service jobs, Civil Service pay, pensions and Civil Service Compensation scheme and the imaginative Campaign “There is an alternative”.

Conference rejects the notion that Public Sector workers should be made to pay with their jobs, pay, conditions ofserviceandpensions,forthemistakesofthefinancialspeculators and spivs. Conference rejects the attempts by theGovernment/CabinetOfficetodramaticallycuttheamount of payment made to members through the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. We note that this attack was just a precursor to attacks on jobs in the Emergency Budget and the Comprehensive Spending Review; making it cheaper to make people redundant.

Conference notes that the coalition Government did not accept the original Court’s decision and instead decided to change the law (and effectively backdate the change of the law) by means of a money capping act, a device that no other employer could have foisted on its employees after being defeated in the Courts.

Conference congratulates the NEC in its campaign to oppose the detrimental changes and in taking the Government back to Court.

Conference notes with dismay that in the outcome of the Legal Hearing, the judge Mr Justice McCombe, said that because rights to certain redundancy terms had accrued through length of service, they were classed as a “possession” and should not be “interfered with”. But he also ruled that Government Ministers had not acted unlawfullybecausetheyhadjustifiedthecutsasawayoftacklingthebudgetdeficitanditwasnotforthecourttointerfere with the Government’s economic or social policy. In other words there are times when the Law doesn’t apply, or equally the Law only applies to some people not all and only when it suits.

Conference rejects the imposed changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme and the decision of the judge Mr Justice McCombe and instructs the incoming NEC to continue with the campaign to oppose the attacks on the CSCS including methods such as:a) Consideration of a continuation of the Legal Challenge to

a higher Court (and ultimately to the European Court of Human Rights)

b) Media publicityc) Lobbying MPsd) Industrial Action

This list is not exhaustive.ConferencefinallyinstructstheincomingNECtokeep

members regularly updated as to any developments in the Campaign and also use the issue as a method to recruit new members into PCS.

A75Crown Prosecution Service Northern (070001)

This conference notes that since the Coalition Government cametopowerfollowingthefinancialcrisis,travellingcoststo get to work for individuals have soared due to rising fuel pricesandtheincreasinginflationrate.Thecostsofbusandrailfareshavesignificantlyincreasednationally,meanwhileour members’ pay has been frozen and this year we are to get a paltry 1% pay rise to compensate.

In addition the public sector has contracted with voluntaryandcompulsoryredundanciesresultinginofficeclosures across the country and workers being displaced tonewofficelocationsoftenaconsiderabledistancefromtheir previous place of work. In the Crown Prosecution Service Group, as with a number of other public sector/government departments, members are entitled to claim Excess Fares for their additional travel costs to offset the financialburdensimposedbytheirforcedrelocation.

However at present most Excess Fares Policies generally only allows staff to claim for up to 3 years from the date of their relocation unless the journey is over on and a half hours duration where in some cases it may be possible to extend the period.

The 3 year period assumes that by the time the 3 years haveelapsed,theindividualwillhavehadinflationbasedpay rises each year to compensate/offset the impact of theextrafinancialcostsofexcesstravel.HoweverduetoGovernment pay restraints this has or will not happen and yet again members are forced to bear the burden of the increased travel costs on top of a pay freeze and increased pension deductions.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to negotiate for an immediate increase from 3 years to 5 years for excess fares to be claimed automatically by ALL staff, regardless of whether their travel is within the one and a half hour duration, who by no fault of their own have been relocated andbeingfurtherfinanciallypenalisedbytheexisting3years policies.

A76DWP Wirral (047019)

Much debate rages around Pay Day Loan companies and the excessive rates charged to often hard working low paid people who simply take a loan in desperation. The contention within this motion is an option of weekly pay for PCS members would alleviate the necessity of members to seek high interest pay day loans. Simply put a month is too long to wait for pay because often life will not wait until payday.

This motion calls on PCS at all levels to campaign for an option for all members to receive weekly pay.


11. AFFILIATIONS

A77BIS NERC (041108)

Conference notes with concern that climate change caused by human activities is affecting the world’s weather patterns. The UK has just experienced the wettest winter onrecordwithassociatedfloodinginsouthernEngland,California has experienced a catastrophic drought and incidents of extreme events such as Typhoon Haiyan that devastated parts of the Philippines are becoming more common.

Conference is concerned at the recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC predicts a rise in global mean temperature of around 4C by the end of the 21st Century if the current use of fossil fuels continues. Such an increase would have a devastating effect on the stability of the planet for future generations.

Conference believes that tackling climate change, especially through the creation of climate jobs, is of immediate relevance for trade unionists and their families.

Conference notes the work of the Campaign against Climate Change (CCC), an organisation that exists to push for the urgent and radical action we need to prevent the catastrophic destabilisation of the global climate. The CCC raises awareness through demonstrations and lobbying, and in recent years has formed a Trade Union Group that led to the publication of the Million Climate Jobs pamphlet and associated campaign.ConferenceresolvestoaffiliatetotheCampaignagainst

Climate Change nationally at a cost of £150 per annum, andencouragesbranchestoaffiliateandmakedonationstosupport the work of CCC.

A78 Covers E305R&C North West & Central Lancashire (200146)R&C Greater Manchester (200135)

This Annual Delegate Conference recognises that the PCS’s currentaffiliationtoAbortionRightsisasourceofmuchcontroversy within the union and that in the interests of avoiding disunity amongst the membership on such anemotiveissueresolvesthatthePCSdisaffiliatesfromAbortion Rights forthwith and adopts a neutral policy on the subject of abortion.

A79 Covers E306 – E309DEFRA Southern (001026)DWP Leeds (047006)

We face the most concerted attack on our public services, jobs, pay and pensions for generations.

The Tory led coalition is committed to austerity as an excuse to drive down our pay and living standards and drive through cuts to our services that even Thatcher never dreamed of. The onslaught on the poor through the Tories ongoingattacksandscapegoatingofbenefitclaimantshasto be stopped.

PCS must continue to support local and national resistance against the government onslaught, including campaignssuchasthePeoplesAssembly,DPAC,BenefitJustice and Keep Our NHS Public.

However we need our trade unions to lead the resistance to austerity. Organisations that focus on grouping together union activists for solidarity and joint action are key to delivering this. It is crucial that alongside conferences and protests we develop an industrial campaign against the government including a campaign of coordinated national strikes.

We saw what our unions could do on 30 November 2011 when 2.5 million workers took action together against the attack on public sector pensions. Since then, despite a modest revival of ballots and action by other unions, we’ve not seen strike action on that scale. We need to build mass industrial action to stop the Con-Dem’s austerity attacks.AspartofthisapproachweresolvetoaffiliatePCSto

Unite the Resistance (£100 pa national). Unite The Resistance are a group of trade unionists from

the NUT, PCS, Unison, Unite and UCU who called a national convention to build the co-ordinated strike action which took place on 30 November 2011 and have continued to hold national and regional conferences and local iniatives aimed at organizing the maximum unity of trade union activists, anti-cuts campaigners, young people, students and pensioners in order to build the widest possible support for strikes, such as the recently successful BFAWU dispute at Hovis.

A80MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

Conference notes that CRAIC (Campaign for the Rights and Actions of Irish Communities) Fighting the Cuts was established in June 2011. Its aim is to campaign against the negative impact of cuts on Irish people and their families in their capacity as workers, service users, residents and communities, especially during a time of mass emigration caused by the austerity crisis in Ireland.

Campaign for the Rights and Actions of Irish Communities (CRAIC) Fighting the Cuts is a new coalition opposed to the government’s plans that affect the entire Irish Diaspora in Britain. It consists of public and voluntary sector workers, trade unionists, community organisations, service users and concerned individuals with an aim to create a critical mass of opposition to the current Government’ policies. Such policies include cuts in public services as well as community third sector organisations, deregulation of industry, lack of trade union rights and unnecessary evictions, especially Travellers that will further discriminate against Irish societies in Britain. These policies will act as a catalyst leading to

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cuts in social, cultural and welfare support along with opportunities, and alienate the communities from the rest of society.

The main objectives of the campaign are:

•To campaign in defence of jobs and services,

•To highlight the disproportionate and adverse impact that the cuts will have on Irish communities in Britain.

•Toprovideacampaigningplatforminordertofightagainst cuts in jobs and services, including any adverse disproportionate impact on Irish communities, thereby preserving their services for future generations!

•To Work in partnership and build alliances with others facingandfightingsimilarattacks.

•To fully engage with various Irish community groups and the Irish community throughout Britain.

•Oppose poverty and austerity in Ireland.

Conference believes that the work of CRAIC Fighting the Cutsmustbesupported.Therefore,weaskthatPCSaffiliateto this organisation on a national basis at a cost of £100 perannumandencouragebranchestomakeaffiliations/donations as well.

12. SOCIAL & ECONOMIC

A81Covers E325-E343NECDH London (022010)

Conference notes that our union has a distinguished history of campaigning against destructive ‘welfare reforms’, and in favour of a fair social security system.ConferencenotesthatinJanuary2014,theUK’sbenefits

were branded “manifestly inadequate” under the Council of Europe’s Social Charter, putting the UK in breach of our Article 12 duty to provide social security.

Conference congratulates our members who work in DWP and elsewhere to deliver social security, for their dedication to supporting those in need. Conference however notes that In recent years welfare reforms have increasingly privatisedthesocialsecuritysystem,bringinglargeprofitsfor often incompetent contractors, while cutting resources andbenefitsdedicatedtohelpingthoseinneed.Staffhavebeen undermined in their work by cuts and privatisation – as well as by government policies that have transformed social security into a system that increasingly persecutes those in need through extra conditionality and sanctions.

Conference welcomes the campaigning work of the union, building working relationships with disabled people’s organisations like DPAC and Black Triangle, other campaign groups and charities, fellow trade unions, and like-minded activists and politicians, as well as challenging the bullying culture and imposition of DWP targets.

Conferences reiterates its opposition to the sanctions regime imposed on people claiming jobseeker’s allowance and employment and support allowance; and notes the findingsofinternalresearchwhichshowsourDWPmembersare more opposed to these policies than the average UK member of the public.

Conference believes the blame for the vile and divisive policiesofthisgovernmentmustbelaidfirmlyatthefeetof those ministers who proposed them and the MPs who

voted for them. These are political decisions and must be challenged through political campaigning.

Conference believes the way to bring down these poisonous policies is through a co-ordinated campaign of protest, lobbying, educating, informing, and direct action – which will include claimants, workers and campaigners – such as that which has brought down the bedroom tax orthatwhichcontinuestoraisetheprofileoftaxjustice.Conference notes legal advice that non-compliance by DWP staff with policies of sanctions, assessments or workfare would amount to illegal industrial action, leaving members unprotected, and would be ineffective.

Conference condemns those politicians who use divisive anddemonisinglanguageaboutthoseinreceiptofbenefits,includingthosewhopeddlethemythof‘benefittourism’towhip up racist reactions.

Conference further notes the problems that have beset the implementation of Universal Credit, but believes the problems are more fundamental than those of IT failure and cost-overrun. Conference believes Universal Credit as currently designed could:

•increasepovertythroughbelowinflationbenefitincreases,

•reduce the autonomy of women, disabled people and others within households,

•increaseconditionality,andthelikelihoodofbenefitsanctions, including on those in work,

•increase homelessness, as has been evident in pilot areas where rent arrears have increased.


•continue to build a broad campaigning alliance against conditionality, sanctions and workfare, and to lobby all parties on this issue in the run up to the 2015 general election,

•put the case for a fair social security system,

•campaignforhigherlevelsofbenefitsthatensurepeoplelive in dignity,

•oppose and expose those who peddle lies and hate about the social security system,

•explore the possibility of supporting an universal basic income as an alternative to Universal Credit.

A82Covers E344-E359Land Registry Croydon (030006)MOJ West Midlands & Warwickshire (052011)

Conference believes that the coalition Government’s commitment to equality is demonstrated by the attacks on the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Major budget cutshaveledtosignificantjoblosses,thelossofthehelplineandtheclosureofregionaloffices.

There is strong evidence of every single equality group being disproportionately affected by the austerity agenda. We have seen the disgusting demonisation of people with disabilities, not least through the hated Bedroom Tax and the widely discredited Work Capability Assessment regime. Women are hard hit by regressive welfare reforms with the Fawcett Society reporting that single mothers and single women pensioners are particularly suffering. Young people areincreasinglyunableeithertofindworkoraffordtocontinue studying, facing a lifetime of living with parents because a home of their own is nothing more than a dream, and of course thousands of our members are so low-paid because of the pay freeze that they are claiming in-work benefits.Atthesametimechangestotermsandconditionssuch as punitive performance management regimes means that black, women, older and LGBT, along with those living


withadisability,findthemselvesfacinglowboxmarkings.Conference recognises that those least able to are

bearing the brunt of the attacks and congratulates PCS on leading the way in campaigning against austerity. In very challengingfinancialcircumstancesPCShascontinuedtohold national equality seminars for lay representatives, and has piloted region/nation equality seminars in order to ensure these important events are accessible to as many members as possible.

In order to ensure that equality continues to be at the heart of everything we do as a Union conference instructs the NEC to work with the TUC, with other Unions and with equality organisations as appropriate to campaign:

•In defence of the EHRC including its monitoring and enforcement functions, and to call for full implementation of the Equality Act 2010

•Against the detrimental impacts of welfare reform

•In defence of human rights and human rights legislation in society and at work

•For an end to punitive and discriminatory performance management systems and in defence of terms and conditions that ensure fair treatment for our members in the workplace

•For an end to public sector pay restraint condemning many members to a life of poverty

•For fair pensions and dignity in retirement.

A83Covers E360-E369R&C East Midlands (200033)DWP Avon (047093)

Conference notes:1 Thepressbriefingissuedbytheshadowimmigration

minister, Chris Bryant, ahead of a speech on Monday 12 August, in which he criticised Tesco for recruiting immigrants from Eastern Europe on wages lower than British-born employees.

2 That Bryant’s speech followed attempts by the Government to pander to racism by sending advertising vans round areas of London telling immigrants to “Go home”orfacearrestandanumberofhighprofileraidsbyUKBorderAgencyofficersontransporthubsinLondon.

3 That the recent period has seen the rise of UKIP, which took 25 percent of the vote in county council elections, on the back of a campaign largely based on anti-immigrant scapegoating.

4 That far right and fascist groups such as the BNP and EDL havealsosoughttobenefitfromtheracistargumentsofmainstream political parties.

5 The Xmas & New Year media frenzy directed at whipping up hostility to migrant workers from Eastern Europe, echoed by all but an honourable minority of politicians.Conference believes

•The problem is not Eastern European workers undercutting the wages of British workers but that bosses have used the economic crisis to drive down the wages of all workers and to attack conditions.

•That pandering to anti-immigrant arguments does not undermine racism but instead normalises it, helping further fuel the growth of right wing political forces.Conference resolves

•To resist slogans such as ‘British jobs for British workers” which are divisive and undermine attempts to encourage andorganiseworkersforafightbackofallworkerstodefend their wages and conditions.

•To produce material for members exposing right wing myths about immigration.

•To support broad-based organisations campaigning against racism and the scapegoating of immigrants.

•To lobby politicians to defend immigrants and reject racism.

•To continue to support mobilisations by Unite Against Fascism against the EDL’s racist marches.

A84Covers E370-E371MOJ London Tribunals (052049)DSg Catterick (014177)

Conference Parliament has passed the transparency of lobbying, non-party campaigning and trade union administration bill – aka the gagging bill – which will attack our basic democracy in this country. The coalition government has insisted on pushing through parliament, is intent on severely hindering third-party campaigning. The bill will have a devastating effect on trade unions, which is surely the government’s intention. Unions will be beset with endless bureaucracy. It’s a trap.

The bill will allow government-appointed trade union certificationofficerstoimposefinesonunionsfornothaving a completely accurate membership list. Anyone involved in large membership organisations, not least political parties, will understand the complexity in keeping their records 100% accurate. People are constantly joining, retiring or changing jobs. It is a recipe for failure. But that willresultinaheftyfineandpotentiallyagagontheunion,preventing it from communicating with its members.

Of equal concern is that employers, who often agree to allow union subs to be deducted from an employee’s monthly pay so are complicit in this process, will now be able to raise complaints about the membership records of the union. At times when negotiations are ongoing between a trade union and an organisation, who is to say that this power will not be exploited?

Most worrying is the access the government is giving itself to union membership records. In the wake of the blacklisting scandal last year, thousands of people who have opted to keep their union membership private will now have to allow the government access. It is deplorable, and potentially in breach of article 8 and 11 of the European convention on human rights.

Many other campaigning groups have spoken out against the caps the bill will impose on them, with overall spending limits slashed by 60% in the runup to a general election regardless of involvement in the political process. The implicationsareclearfortradeunionsthatdosignificantwork in local communities and help fund local party candidates in council and parliamentary elections.

There has been loud, stringent opposition from a huge number of charitable and campaigning organisations, from the British Legion to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, as well as the Electoral Commission and Citizens Advice Bureau. The UN rapporteur on rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Maina Kiai, joined the foray, said: “Althoughsoldasawaytoleveltheelectoralplayingfield,the bill actually does little more than shrink the space for citizens – particularly those engaged in civil society groups – to express their collective will. In doing so, it threatens to tarnish the United Kingdom’s democracy.”

The Communication Workers Union has raised this matter via an emergency motion at TUC conference, working with other unions by drafting amendments to put into the bill, but the majority that the government enjoys within parliament means none of our fears and concerns have been addressed.

The true shame of this bill is that it fails to tackle the

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scandal of “cash-for-questions”, which has tainted several MPs in recent years and presumably was the initial impetus. The lobbying industry is free to continue secretly cajoling politicians while charities and trade unions will be silenced. This is an attack on the rights of individuals to speak out and, most worryingly, it increasingly seems that was the point from the outset.

This conference instructs the NEC:

•To support the Communication Workers Union emergency motion concerning the gagging law.

•To support other organisations wherever possible in repealing this pernicious legislation.

A85Covers E372R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)DWP Leeds (047006)

There has been substantial mention in the news recently about the sharp rise in the number of Food Banks – there has been a 170% rise in numbers turning to foodbanks in last 12 months.

Trussell Trust foodbanks have seen the biggest rise in numbers given emergency food since the charity began in 2000. Almost 350,000 people have received at least three days emergency food from Trussell Trust foodbanks during the last 12 months, nearly 100,000 more than anticipated and close to triple the number helped in 2011-12. 346,992 people received a minimum of three days emergency food from Trussell Trust foodbanks in 2012-13, compared to 128,697 in 2011-12 and up from 26,000 in 2008-09. Of those helped in 2012-13, 126,889 (36.6 percent) were children.

Some 13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK. Every day people in the UK go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income rising costs of living, static incomes, changestobenefits,underemploymentandunemploymenthave meant increasing numbers of people in the UK have hit a crisis that forces them to go hungry. This dramatic rise in foodbank usage predates April’s welfare reforms, which could see numbers increase. It is highly likely, given the wage freezes our members have had, that they are amongst those who are relying on foodbanks in order to feed their families.

Staggeringly, the Tories have tried to claim Foodbanks as an example of David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’ idea. Cameron infamously ‘welcomed’ the work that Foodbanks do, and described Foodbanks as ‘an excellent example’ of the Big Society in Action. The fact that the need for the meteoric rise in Foodbank numbers arises entirely from the Tories’ failed austerity policies and fundamental lack of economic nous seems not to register as even slightly ironic

In spite of the Tories’ best efforts to divide us all against each other, and to ingrain their ‘greed is good’ mentality into the UK’s collective worldview, we know that once that people are aware, once they perceive clearly, many people will refuse to buy into that Big Lie and will not harden their hearts against those who are in need or vulnerable.


•Campaign to raise awareness of the use of foodbanks in this country, alongside the causes of why they are necessary.

The campaign should include:

•Highlighting through the use of the PCS Parliamentary Groupthefactthatwefindtherisingneedforfoodbankshorrific.

•Early Day Motions to raise awareness of the damage the

Government’s Policies on Welfare are doing and further push for opposition to them.

•Production of literature to encourage & support Groups & Branches, to inform members about the help they can give to their local foodbanks and those in need.

•These could easily be incorporated into our policies on Welfare and the Alternative.

•The NEC is further instructed to set up a National Committee in order to progress these aims and report on progress at the next ADC.

A86Covers E373-E374DWP Birmingham South (047053)MOJ London Tribunals (052049)

Conference notes1 The exploitative employers use Zero hours Contracts.2 That Zero hours Contracts exploit workers by denying

them an entitlement to paid leave.3 That Zero hours Contracts exploit workers by denying

them an entitlement to sick pay.4 That employers exploit their staff by making them attend

staff meetings and corporate training at times outside their contracted hours and not paying them for their time at these events and not compensating them for expenses incurred.

5 That part-time staff do not get paid at the overtime rate till after they have worked the standard hours of a full time staff member.

6 That whilst not paid overtime they do not accrue leave as a full time member of staff would for working those hours.

7 Many exploitative employers require them to buy their own uniforms and have them customised to conform to corporate liveries at workers own expense.

8 The part-time working is becoming more common.

Conference Believes 1 That the above practices are unfair and iniquitous.2 That workers should be paid for the times they are sick as

most sick absence is down to work related conditions and stress.

3 That for most worker zero hours contracts do not offer security of employment and income and only serve to exploit them.

4 That for all work related training and meetings employers should pay their workers as if doing their normal work and compensate them for any expenses incurred.

5 That it is only fair that all workers should have annual leave accrual based on their actual average working week, if it is in excess of their contracted hours. (Including such things as overtime and travelling time.)

6 That all clothing that employers require due to their dress codes should be bought at employers expense.

Conference instructs the NEC to1 Oppose and campaign against zero hours contract be

they within or outside the Civil Service.2 Campaign for workers to be paid for the times they are

sick.3 That all for work related training and meetings employers

should pay their workers as if doing their normal work and compensate them for any expenses incurred.

4 Campaign to have the law of the land require leave entitlement be accrued based on average working week (including such things as overtime and paid travelling time) where that is in excess of contracted hours.

5 Campaign to have the law of the land require that all


clothing that employers require due to their dress codes should be bought at employers expense.

A87R&C Cumbernauld (200027)

This NDC notes the alarming growth of in-work poverty, with low-paying, insecure jobs meaning work is no longer a route out of poverty. Zero-hours contracts, short-term contracts; the rising proportion of part-time jobs, under-employment and the totally inadequate level of national minimum wage all contribute to those in work making up the biggest single section of people in poverty.

Conference calls on the NEC to lead a systematic campaign supporting initiatives such as the ‘Scottish Living Wage Campaign’ – to not only demand high quality job creation, including `green jobs̀ and expansion of the public sector, but also to address the epidemic of poverty pay. Conferencenotes2013figuresshowthemalemedianearnings are £13.60 an hour, yet in Scotland alone 435,000 workers earn below even the £7.45 Living Wage.

Conference notes the trade union movement has a rich tradition – including in the 1970s and 1980s – of campaigning for a national minimum wage based on two-thirdsmalemedianearning,whichintoday’sfigureswouldmean over £9 an hour. This formula has the advantages of lifting hundreds of thousands out of the poverty trap, helping to combat the growing gender gap and pay inequality, and removing the minimum wage level from the whims of the Low Pay Commission members.

Conference instructs the NEC to initiate a campaign of conferences & rallies with other trades unions and supportive bodies such as poverty action group and supplemented with workplace meetings to:

•argue the case for the legally-binding national minimum wage to be immediately upgraded to at least the (entirelyvoluntary)LivingWage(£7.45IN2013figures)

•apply this to all workers, trainees and apprentices at 16, removing the lower youth rates

•demand this to be only an emergency initial step towards a national minimum wage for all over 16 based on the time honoured formula of two-thirds male median earning(£9anhourin2013figures).

A88Covers E375MOJ Associated Offices (052046)MOJ London Tribunals (052049)

Conference is seething at the way repressive legislation has been used, in the most cynical manner, to prevent collective action by workers in defence of their hard – won rights. We note with distaste, the development of consultancies,legalfirmsandagencieswhospecialiseinassisting business to exploit these draconian laws.

All who stand for workers’ rights, progress and social justicefindtheirtaskmadeevermoredifficultbythissituation. Hamstrung in the face of constant attacks, by regressive and unjust anti – union laws, workers are confronted with the legalised chicanery of big business, exploiting every loophole to forestall collective action: technicalities cynically written into the law for precisely this reason.

For 30 years, it has been illegal to sack a worker for his or her union activities and it is commonly thought that blacklisting is, also, against the union law. It was included in the 1999 Employment Relations Act, but in a discreet u – turn, the Government never formally brought in regulations to bring it to the statute book. Technically, it remains legal.

In an Employment Tribunal held in 2006, Alan Wainwright, a former manager in the construction industry testifiedthatblacklistingoftradeunionistsdidgoon.TheTribunal concluded that a blacklist exists. Given the fact that employers are collecting and storing more information about their staff than ever before, it will be easier to blacklistanddifficulttoprovethattheydoexist.

Although more associated with the private sector at present, public sector workers ignore these developments at their peril. Therefore, Conference asks the NEC to:a) Conduct research into the identities and activities of

companies or individuals engaged in “union busting” activities.

b) Attempt to establish who their customers are, and above all, whether their services are used by any public sector employers.

c) Find out more about the exact nature of these nefarious activities and identify any illegal practices which should be challenged through appropriate means.

d) Use this information in the widest possible domain to expose, denounce and criticise any organisations or individuals found to be culpable.

e) Promotevigorous,effectiveandunifiedcampaigningthroughout the Trade Unions and wider labour movement to put an end to union busting activities.

f) Counteract propaganda designed to dissuade disorganised workers from joining unions.

g) The right for employees to see references or information about each individual which is passed from employer to employer.

A89Covers E376-E377DfT HQ & The Regions (019008)PSg DCLG HQ (141802)

This conference notes the increasing repression of gays and lesbians across parts of the world. This contrasts with recent real gains in the US and Europe.

This conference reasserts the fundamental right of people to enter into consensual relationships of their own choosing, be these relationships casual or more permanent.

Whilst this conference agrees that this union should throw its weight behind those progressive forces in the worldthatarefightingfortherightofpeopletobeabletoopenly express their sexuality without hindrance from the state or other people in society, this conference recognises that as a union we have a duty to reach out to other unions and to the labour movements in those countries where gays and lesbians are facing formal repression.

Accordingly this conference agrees on the following actions:FortheNEC,throughitsinternationalunionaffiliations,

to contact unions and labour movement bodies in Nigeria, Kenya, Russia etc. to determine the attitudes of those bodies to freedom of sexuality in their countries. If they are supportive then we should develop links with them, publicising their campaigns and helping in any material way that the NEC thinks is relevant in the circumstances;

For those bodies that are opposed to freedom of sexuality in their countries then this matter should be raised in the appropriate international union bodies.

If the NEC believes that it is practical then it should make

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links with informal labour movement groups where the officialbodiesareopposedtofreedomofsexualityintheircountry.

A90Telford Aspire (163002)

This conference believes that the Government are misusing the opportunities provided by the ever expanding horizons of IT. When technology could be used to enhance public service and provide an accessible multi-faceted local public service to all the British people it is being used to cut costs, cut jobs and provide a remote interface between the State and the Citizen.

Successive governments have a record of failure in IT, but never appear to learn. Universal Credits and Digitalisation will no doubt be added to the list of failures. The underlying issue is a failure to grasp that for over 20 years IT has moved in parallel with Privatisation. Neither the Corporate BoardroomnortheWhitehallofficeshavethenecessarybusiness knowledge to take the right decisions, hence the increasingly desperate approach in gambling that expensive new systems will simply overwrite past failures.

Conference believes that the real knowledge of Government IT lies mainly with PCS members, whether Civil Service IT providers, PCS members working in the private sector and the front-end users in the civil service. Public services are increasingly delivered despite the interventions of our bosses, not because if them. The break-up of the IT Mega Contracts, and the wholesale job losses in the civil service mean that this resource is disappearing.

The lack of knowledge in IT is exaggerated by the lack of political consensus on Tax and Welfare. One party undoes the work the other at great cost to the taxpayer, and at greatbenefittothecorporations.Conferencenotesthatpoliticians acknowledge that national spending on other Capital projects can take 20 years but are happy to take the hatchet to our public funded IT systems on a 5 year cycle.

This Conference calls upon the NEC to create a charter for public sector IT provision, and a development of a comprehensive and cohesive IT policy to address the challenges that we will face, as providers and users of IT services, to include without being limited to:

•Ensuringthattheendusersoftechnologybenefitfromand have control over the systems developed

•Ensuring that IT systems support the needs of front-line staff, and directly involve front-line staff in the development of systems

•Ensuring that IT system deliver accessible service to all members of the public

•Enforcing transparency of contracts to provide IT services,cappingtheprofitsoftheprivatesector

•Ensuring all private sector providers have a responsible attitude to the environment and national tax laws.

•Preventing off-shoring of IT services and citizen data

•Protecting the rights and jobs of staff delivering IT services

•Seeking to return outsourced workers to employment in the national interest rather than the pecuniary interest of global companies, and re-building the IT business knowledge in the public sector.

A91PSg EHRC (014002)

Conference believes that the Modern Slavery Bill, which is currently progressing through parliament, will require radical amendments if it is to address the scourge of 21st century slavery.

In particular, it fails to provide for the statutory protectionofvictims,forthesupportoftraffickedchildrenor for effective prevention measures.

The proposal to create an anti slavery commissioner is undermined by provisions in the draft bill which place all control of the commissioner’s resources and exercise of functions with the Secretary of State. Further, the Government refuses to extend the limited remit and budget of the Gangmasters’ Licensing Authority (GLA) in order to rootoutexploitationinspecificsectors.Inshort,thisbillasit stands represents a wasted opportunity.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to campaign and lobby MPs, and work with the PCS Parliamentary Group to submit and support amendments to:

•Strengthen the legal framework by the provision of statutory protection and support for victims, including compensation and non-criminalisation;

•Extend the remit of the GLA and increase its resources, in order to tackle the consequences of unregulated exploitative labour practices;

•Enshrine in law the statutory independence of the new anti slavery commissioner.


Covers E378R&C Bristol West (200033)R&C East Midlands (200033)

Since 1967 it has been legal though not always easy for a woman in the UK to get an abortion. Yet in what is supposed to be a civilised society that promotes equality for all, this right has still not been extended to women in Northern Ireland. This is truly appalling in a day and age where all women have the right to expect autonomy over their own bodies. This is not an issue over belief, it is not an issue of religion or ethics. It is an issue of equality. It is an issue of freedom and choice.

Being as the mechanism exists for the Government to rectify this situation, and bearing in mind that PCS has an affiliationtoAbortionRights,ConferenceinstructstheNECto bring whatever pressure they have available to bear in whatever way possible within the next year to ensure that the Government extends the current legislation to provide the same protection, freedom and autonomy to the women of Northern Ireland that is currently available to women in England, Scotland and Wales.


A93Covers E379-E383DWP East London (047030)DWP Cheshire (047014)

Conference notes the “3 Cosas Campaign” campaign being run by contract workers (porters, cleaners, security staff and maintenance workers) at the University of London through their Trade Union, the IWGB, and that:

•The workers are campaigning for equal rights with directly employed workers at ULU.

•The “three causes” that they are campaigning for being equal rights to sick pay, pensions and holiday pay with directly employed workers.

•To win parity, the out sourced workers have taken strike action and that in addition there have been direct actions, protests and events.

•In all of this, the 3 Cosas campaign has been energetically supported by the UCL students union.

•PCS has been supplying logistical and other help to the campaign and Conference congratulates the Union for extending this support.

This conference agrees that:

•The 3 Cosas Campaign is important in itself but also important in that is symbolic of a wider problem (multiple tier work forces) and conference hopes that it could be the shape to come of other disputes.

•More and bigger 3 Cosas Campaign campaigns are needed across the economy.

•ThecampaignissignificantforPCSanditsorganisationand representation of workers in outsourced services.

Conferencefurthernotesthattheirfirstofficialstrikeactionin November last year won major concessions on sick pay and holidays, and that further strikes took place on 27-29 January as the concessions, whilst welcomed by the workers, are not enough to settle the dispute.


•Support and promote the 3 Cosas campaign by publicisingitthroughofficialUnionliterature,magazinesetc.

•Issue a branch circular to all London branches encouraging whatever support branches can provide to the campaign.

•Donate £100 to their strike fund and encourage branch collections.

•Help publicises the 3 Cosas Campaign throughout the labour movement and to explore with the 3 Cosas Campaign and the UCL students union whether a public meeting, with the PCS union paying for the venue, could be arranged to publicise the campaign.

•Encourage union members to attend 3 Cosas Campaign events, raise funds for their campaign and encourage Branch and Regional delegations to visit picket lines in the light of further action.

•Write to UCL and call on it to reach a settlement with the 3 Cosas Campaign and ask the PCS Parliamentary Group to encourage its members to do likewise.

•Arrange for 3 Cosas speakers to address BECs and other union meetings as appropriate.

•Seek to organise, a speaker tour of PCS branches in the London and South East region.

•Consider how it might work with IWGB and other trade unionstosignificantlyincreaseunionmembershipamongst, and organisation, of cleaners and other contract staff in the public sector.

A94Covers E384-E397DWP Avon (047093)Atos IT Services Glasgow (160004)

Conferencerecognisesthefinancialcrashandrecessionhasbecome the pretext for the biggest assault on workers living standards and rights in living memory. We also recognise the success of PCS in raising the issue of Tax Justice and making it a part of mainstream political debate.

Conference also agrees the importance of campaigning forTaxJustice,fightingtodefendthepay,jobsandconditions of members in HMRC and ensuring this remains central to our alternative to austerity.

In order to promote and revitalise our Tax Justice work, conference instructs the NEC to:1 Plan meetings of national PCS, HMRC group, Tax Justice Network,ParliamentaryGroupOfficers.

2 Draw up a Tax Justice pamphlet based on the following but not exclusively:a) HMRC resources, internal policies & procedures and

legislation needed to tackle the tax avoidance and evasion of FTSE companies and super rich.

b) Progressive and redistributive form of taxation.c) Higher rate of Corporation Tax with increased

resources and powers of collection.d) Windfalltaxonprofitsofenergygiants,supermarkets

and banks/investment fundse) Radical reform of UK tax havens.f) A Land Value Taxg) Robin Hood Tax on transactions in equity/bond

markets.

The pamphlet should explore the options, scope and increased revenue from a progressive system of taxation in the UK. It should also explore the scope for international co-operation between trade unions and at a governmental level. The pamphlet, along with a series of launch events and associated campaign materials and activities can assist our industrial and political agenda of challenging austerity and raising our alternative.

A95Covers E398DfT Nottingham (201044)R&C Leeds & District (200056)

Conference notes that:

•The jury at the inquest into the killing of Mark Duggan concluded that he had not been holding a gun when he was shot dead by armed police;

•Despite this the killing was found ‘lawful’ by the jury into his inquest;

•Despite Mark Duggan’s criminal record being minor, with 2finesonhisrecord,themediahavecontinuallyreferredto Mark as a violent gangster and ‘one of the 48 most dangerous criminals in Europe’ – which is simply untrue; and

•The police and the IPCC actively collaborated with the media to spread lies and disinformation in the days after Mark’s killing – e.g. that there was a ‘shoot-out’ in which anofficerhadbeen‘saved’whenabulletlodgedinhisradio (where the bullet was actually from a police gun)

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Conference further notes that 50 people have died in police shoot outs since 1990 and that over 1,500 people have died in police custody.

Conference is shocked to discover that Mark Duggan is the latest in a series of men and women including Cynthia Jarrett, Joy Gardner, John Charles De Menezes, Smiley Culture, Ian Tomlinson and now Mark Duggan for whose deathsnopoliceofficerhaseverfacedcriminalcharges.

Conference very strongly believes that:

•TheverdictwasinfluencedbytheracistwayinwhichMark’s character was tarnished by both the police and media;

•The decision by the inquest jury into Mark’s death of lawful killing for the police to shoot an unarmed person has put all young black people at risk; and

•That everyone, irrespective of race, age and background, should be entitled to walk the streets without fear.

As a result Conference fervently resolves to instruct the NEC to:

•Send our union’s immediate condolences and solidarity to the family of Mark Duggan;

•SupportthefamilyintheircontinuingfightforjusticeforMark;

•To publicise this campaign for justice for Mark Duggan’s family through all structures of our union including the National Equality Committee, National Black Members Committee, Regional Black Members Networks, Group Equality Committees and Group Black Members structures as well as within all Groups, regions and branches; and

•TocallonboththeTUCandallsisterTUCaffiliatedunions to support this campaign.

A96Covers E399R&C North Wales & North West (200078)R&C East Midlands (200033)

This Conference notes with alarm the removal of the concept of civil liability from cases where employees are made ill or are injured at work, following on from a breach of health and safety legislation or regulations by employers. This removal now places the burden of proof on employees to show that employers have behaved negligently in order to receive compensation from the courts.

This is in sharp contrast to what applied prior to the removal of civil liability when employees only had to show that employers had breached health and safety legislation and/or regulations and did not have to establish negligence on the part of the employers. This additional test effectively makesitconsiderablymoredifficultforemployeestosuccessfully pursue a claim for compensation for injuries caused to them.

Therefore this Conference instructs the NEC to immediately launch a parliamentary campaign with a view to getting this change in the law reversed in its entirety.

A97Covers E400MOJ London Tribunals (052049)MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

Conference notes the recent report from the housing charity Shelter which states that average private rents are unaffordable for working families in over half of all local authorities in England and details the failure of the private property sector to meet basic housing need, such as the “BuytoLet”fiasco.Conferencere–affirmsitsexistingpoliciesontheneed

for major expansion of council/social housing.Conference is appalled at the current policies of housing

pursued by all three major political parties which directly hit the working class and is nothing more than social cleansing especially in London.

Conference instructs the NEC to lobby the TUC to campaign for the following:

•Make the case for a return to statutory rent controls on commercially – leased domestic accommodation, as was previouslycarriedoutbyRentOfficers.

•The building of council and social housing which has affordable rents that mean affordable.

•Lobby against the introduction of market rents in Council or Social housing.


Conference notes that nearly all County Councils in England propose to implement Beeching style cuts to the National Bus Network, arising out of the Government’s cuts programme.

In Lancashire, the Council intends to withdraw all Evening and Sunday services. Many councils intend to withdraw support from the bus service network altogether.

Whilst it is often stated that the majority of services are run commercially, there are several problems with this idea as follows.1 Inprofitableroutesintownsandcities,de-regulationby

the government in 1985 has allowed wasteful duplication as a result of “pirate” operators springing up. These pirate operators often do not operate in the evenings or at weekends, and abstract revenue from “regular operators”, making cross subsidy of more marginal routes moredifficult.

2 The “regular” operators themselves have mostly been privatised, and are dominated by 5 or 6 major operators, who can cut services at a whim in pursuit of maximum profit,asindeedhappenedinCornwallin2013.

3 There may be a majority of services run commercially if the number of buses (see point 1) is added up, but that is not the case if the size of the network, both by places served, and by the times those places are served, is analysed.

Conference condemns these cuts which will prevent people from travelling, affecting employment, leisure, and essential activities.

Conference instructs the NEC to work through the TUC and the Parliamentary Group to oppose these cuts, as part of the work to oppose the cuts more generally, and to call for the revocation of de-regulation.


A99MOJ Northampton (052004)

Conference notes with concern the heavy-handed treatment of our RMT colleague, Mark Harding by the police during a peaceful strike. Conference also notes that Mr. Harding’s bail conditions, which prevent him from engaging in any union activity, are oppressive and entirely disproportionate. Conference believes that such behaviour by the authorities is an attack on democracy and on the freedom of movement and freedom of association.

Conference calls on PCS to join with the RMT in seeking a full explanation from the Metropolitan Police and in making clear that PCS will not stand idly by should similar treatment be meted out to our members while engaging in lawful industrial action.

A100Covers E401PSg DCLG PINS (145802)R&C Fenland (200107)

This Conference notes:

•Kazakhstan is a police state, ruled by Nursultan Nazarbayev where opposition activists and workers leaders face harassment, imprisonment and violent attacks from the regime

•Nazarbayev and his regime’s position, is bolstered by active support of, amongst others the UK, US and German governments keen to maintain lucrative trade links

•Since 2010, the trade union movement, in particular the new trade union federation Zhananartu (“Renaissance”) has been at the forefront of opposition to the regime and the main defender and advocate for democracy and workers rights

•“Campaign Kazakhstan” has been set up with the aim of co-ordinating world-wide condemnation of the regime and the international corporations who collaborate with it. It also seeks maximum support for those who are fightingback–mostprominentamongthem,Zhanatuleaders Ainur Kurmanov, and Essenbek Ukteshbayev, prime targets of the state, Natlaya Sokolova lawyer of the striking oil workers of West Kazakhstan and human rights activist Vadim Kuramshin. These have faced constant threats of arrest and periods of imprisonment over the last three years.

This union believes:

•The Nazarbayev regime must immediately halt all attacks on opposition and workers activists

•Full democratic rights – free assembly, freedom of speech, the right to protest, to strike and to join independent trade unions – must be granted immediately

•That it falls to the international workers movement in its best traditions, to support the movements for democracy and workers rights in Kazakhstan

•That assisting and building “Campaign Kazakhstan” is one crucial way that the workers movement internationally can support our fellow workers in Kazakhstan.

Conference resolves to:

•Add PCS’ name to the public list of sponsors and supporters of Campaign Kazakhstan

•Donate £1000 to Campaign Kazakhstan in order to help

funding of the national Trade Union Federation, Zhanartu, who often have to meet outside of the country because of repression from the Nazarbayev regime

•Publicise the campaign to PCS branches.

A101Covers E402R&C North Wales & North West (200078)DEFRA York (001048)

That this NDC notes with concern the rising cost of energy and the unaccountable nature of the big energy companies.

Conference notes with interest the expansion of community owned energy in countries such as Germany.

It instructs the NEC to work through the TUC to1 Educate communities about community owned energy2 Actively support communities in setting up such projects3 Seek to establish a fund to assist such projects with the

TUC, the co operative movement and other interested bodies.

A102Covers E403DEFRA York (001048)R&C North Wales & North West (200078)

This Conference believes that vital public services such as Transport and Energy should be owned and controlled by the general public for the good of all, not by private businessforprofit.

Conference instructs the NEC to actively campaign, co-coordinating with all interested parties from Trade Unions to various user groups and Communities, for the return of these services back into the public sector.

Conference recognises that previous models of public ownership were overly bureaucratic and largely unaccountable.

Conference instructs the NEC to commission work to help identify new models of public ownership based on the genuine democratic control of such facilities by workers and communities.

A103DWP Central London (047029)

This Conference notes and supports the work and progress made by the People’s Assembly in defending the working class’ interests and promoting progressive policies. However it also notes that this work has not gone far enough and that even though media organisations such as the BBC are supposed to offer a balanced view of current events, during the current economic crisis, the left analysis and critique of the neo-liberal consensus solutions has not been heard and the left alternative has not been heard.

This has left a wide section of the public believing that there is no alternative to the cuts in public spending and the savage attacks on the hard won gains of the working

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class. Previously the Trades Union movement could rely on the Labour Party to defend workers interest and provide a voice for the alternative economic view. This is no longer the case and the TUC as the largest organised representative body in the country needs to aggressively promote this agenda, in the media, to defend and pursue by all means its right to express these views in those areas of the broadcast media where balance and impartiality are supposed to be fundamental to those organisations.

Conference instructs the NEC to put forward a motion to the Trades Union Congress to persue these objectives and to campaign to have our voice heard as regularly as others on those media who proport to offer a balanced view.

A104R&C Criminal Justice (200039)

Conference believes that public money lost to alcohol fraud is far in excess of the £1 billion lost in duty and VAT each year admitted by HMRC. Smuggling and other alcohol fraud also damages the legitimate alcohol trade such as pubs, off licences and small breweries who are increasingly being forced out of business as they are undercut by those evading duty and taxes.

Parliamentary enquiries have shown that the big UK brewers supposedly export some 500 million litres of beer to Europe but that the legitimate demand is only some 150 million litres. Meaning that about 350 million litres, twice the legitimate exports, are either never really shipped abroad or are smuggled back into the UK. Even on the lowest estimates this amounts to around £300 million on beer alone. Wines and Spirits have higher rates of duty making the smuggling commodities of these even more profitabletotheorganisedcriminalsinvolvedinthisfraud.

The NEC are instructed to initiate a campaign along the lines of the Tax Justice campaign that has now become part of mainstream debate not just in the UK but internationally. As part of the campaign the NEC should work with HMRC Group,HomeOfficeGroup,PCSParliamentaryGrouptheCampaign for Real Ale, Tax Justice Network and other interested groups.

The campaign should include demands for

•increasedstaffingtocombatthefraud;•duty stamps on beer;

•regulation and control of all of those involved in the alcohol trade;

•large brewers to be brought to account and to pay the Taxes they should be paying.

A105Covers E404R&C Glasgow & Clyde (200119)R&C Dundee (200029)

That this conference notes that one of the legitimate aims of strike action is to disrupt the employer’s ability to undertake its normal business and whilst this can have a huge impact on the ground, it has a limited impact on the employer’s online services.

Conference also notes that as the technology becomes available, the employer could plan to make an increasing amount of services available online via automated systems, which would have a detrimental impact on the staff it currently employs to do these jobs.

As such, conference agrees that PCS needs to adopt a strategy which seeks, as a form of industrial action, to disrupt online services and impede any future employer plans to use automated services at the expense of real jobs.

Conference recognises that Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks can be used as a legitimate means of protest which would aid PCS in its ability to carry out the aforementioned aims, but conference also understands that DDoS attacks are currently illegal in the UK.

Conference recognises that in the past, DDoS attacks have gained bad publicity due to their use by some groups as a form of unmandated, apolitical, cyber-vandalism and as such, conference does not seek to endorse DDoS attacks when used in this manner.

However, conference also agrees that the indiscriminate criminalisation of those who carry out DDoS attacks constitutes an attack on the Trade Union movement’s legal right to undertake industrial action as when used properly, DDoS attacks amount to nothing more than a cyber-picket.

Conference instructs the NEC to call for the immediate legalisationofDDoSattackswhenspecificallyusedasalegally mandated form of industrial action.

Conference further instructs the NEC to actively lobby for this as part of PCS’ broader ambitions to improve the UK’s labour laws.


Conference should be aware that the current Government isopposedtothebanningofshortsellinginthefinancialmarkets. Short selling is where a broker borrows shares sells them at a high price and then talks the shares down to their previous cost so he can buy them back cheaply and make aprofitbyhandingthembacktotheoriginalowner.Thereare many permutations of this kind of selling but what it can mean is that drives the market into recession by stopping companies from recovering their values in the stock market. Some Brokers or “Hedge Funds” buy enough shares in a company so as to block any recovery so they can bet on a rival company whose shares will escalate. Shares that these Hedge funds or Brokers have already bought and stand to make a killing if the rival company fails. It is like sabotaging a horse so the one you want to win will win. Short selling is banned in the US, Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong and Australia. In1997theAsianfinancialcrisiswastriggeredbyaco-ordinate attack by short sellers on the Tai baht.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC

•To lobby the TUC to prohibit the practice of short selling in the United Kingdom.


Conference should be aware that the billions acquired by Bankers, Tax Evaders and deposed dictators are being squirreled away in Tax Havens under the authority of the UK government. Yet while ordinary working people suffer as a result of the greed and mess left by the banking fraternity and ex dictators the current UK government refuses to clamp down on these tax havens where there is enough cashtoplugthedeficitcausedbytaxpayershavingtobailout the banks.



•To lobby the TUC and our Parliamentarians to close the tax havens under UK authority.

•To get back all tax owed to the taxpayer to used to properlyfinancepublicservices.

•To lobby Parliament and the TUC so that the public can access what every company and individual has paid in tax on the internet, similar as to what happens in Finland.

•Toinsistoncompletetransparencyofallfinancialaccounts and transactions in all off shore tax havens and to exclude any company who refuses to divulge their assets in these offshore havens from trading in Britain.


Conference will be aware of the immense damage that Private Equity Firms do companies that they take over and slice to the bone. Such companies are on record for reducing employees to the very minimum and doing vast damage to their terms and conditions. The review done by David Walker does not go far enough to control these privateequityfirms.ThetakeoverofAAbyprivateequityfirmPermiraresultedinthousandsofjoblossesandaneventual merger with Saga, the over 50’s insurance and publishingfirm.Privateequityiscentredonitsgetrich-quick asset stripping and tax avoidance. One could well argue that it is the failure to regulate the private sector has contributed to the “credit crunch” which has affected economies around the world.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to lobby the TUC for the following

•Private Equity Firms and so-called portfolio companies based in the UK that use huge loans to purchase large companies should release plans of what they intend to do with those companies, and how they intend to pay back the loans, to the employees, customers and stakeholders before any acquisition attempt.

•They should disclose details of investments and how they have performed over time. An annual report would suffice.

•Firms based off shore to escape UK taxes should be excluded from acquiring other companies in the UK.

•Buyoutfirmsshouldalsodetailtheboardmembersandseniormanagersinchargeofspecificfunds.

•An annual report which should appear no later than 3 months after the year end should include a discussion of its performance and information about employees, its effect on the environment and social and community issues.

•Thefinancialrisksofusingexcessivedebttofundbuyoutsshould also be added to the reporting requirement.

•The huge pay and fees enjoyed by private equity bosses should be included in the annual reports.

•There should be robust protection for employees’ terms and conditions of employment once an acquisition has taken place.

•The above bullet points should not be part of a voluntary code but should be made compulsory.

A109DWP Central London (047029)

This Conference notes that especially under the present European economic crisis, the major victims have been the working class and that any defence of them has been hampered by the fact that working class organisations are set up to defend their interests on a national stage rather than the wider European one.

The ruling class have organised and lobbied to defend and increase their interests, whilst the organised working class have failed to co-ordinate its actions on a European wide basis.

It is now time to acknowledge that in order to defend workers interests at the key European level, the EU Parliament, it is necessary for the TUC, along with its fellow organisations in other member states, to organise a European Workers Party to represent and defend workers interests across the EU in the European Parliament.

It is only through doing this will the European working class be able to defend its interests at the key level against the neo-liberal onslaught, promote progressive policies and influencethefuturedirectionoftheEuropeanUnion.

Conference instructs the NEC to formulate a motion to be put before the Trades Union Congress to further this objective.


R&C Northern Ireland (200082)

PCS National Conference is instructed to campaign to have the TUC young members forum age for attendees amended from the current limit of age 25 and under, to, anyone aged 27 and under at the time of the forum. Thus bringing the age limit in line with PCS young members age limits.

38

OTHER MOTIONS

13. NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

(For information about D markings – see introduction to SOC Report No.1.)

B111See B12 ADC 2013 and A14 ADC 2012DWP Fylde Central Benefits & Services (047139)

This Conference rejects the ongoing severe pay restraint in the Civil Service (and the wider Public Sector) that has been imposed by the Government (i.e. that will be pay rises of no more than one percent in 2012, 2013 and 2014). Conference notes with alarm that the Government have stated that they no longer intend to pay the measly one percent pay rise to the Public Sector workers in the National Health Service.

Conferences notes that this severe pay restraint is on top of the pay freeze imposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the post General Election Emergency budget. Due to this continuing pay freeze or severe pay restraint Conference notes the members in the DWP have now had their sixth year of pay freezes or severe pay restraint and face the same again for the next two years.

Conference notes that in real terms members in the DWP have/willhavelostuptotwentyfivepercentofthevalueofwages, and that members in many other Departments will have experienced similar losses. This is without considering the impact of the lack of Pay Progression.

Conference notes that for many members their entire increase in take home salary was swallowed up by the increase in pension contributions, and that the one percent pay rises imposed in 2012 and 2013 will be likewise swallowed entirely by the increase in pension contributions (the Public Sector Workers’ tax) due in Spring 2014.Conferencenotesthatinflationhasbeenrunningat

higher levels (on average) than wage increases for many members for the best part of a decade.

Conference also notes that elsewhere in the Public Sector Pay Progression is/ was funded separately from the Pay Rise element, whereas in the Civil Service the two havebeenblendedtoartificiallyinflatePayOfferstolookbetter than they really were. Conference also notes that the Government have been threatening removing pay progression elsewhere in the Public Sector and rather than making Pay Scale Maximum the “going rate” this would mean that over time the Pay Scale Minimum would be the only rate of pay for many members.

Conference acknowledges however that there are some areas of the Civil Service who may have managed to achieve contractual pay progression arrangements prior to the Chancellor’s “Iron Curtain” descending across the Public Sector in terms of pay progression.

Conference acknowledges that there is a need to address key issues i.e. the need to restore Civil Service Pay bargaining and Civil Service Pay structures including the need for Pay Progression within a reasonable timeframe (which is the time that it takes to move from scale Minima to scale Maxima) to ensure that we are on a level playing

fieldwiththerestofthePublicSector(andtosupportthe other areas of the Public Sector who are now facing removal of their contractual pay progression arrangements).

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to ensure that there is campaigning activity in place aimed at achieving the stated aims above as well as pressing for the ultimate aim of restoration of National Civil Service Pay bargaining and a National Civil Service Pay structure.

Conference also believes that there may now be opportunities for coordinated campaigning action with other Public Sector Unions who have now stated their opposition to the pay freeze (and severe pay restraint), face removal on their members’ pay progression and have stated that they may be prepared to take action to oppose the attacks.

B112See A14 ADC 2012DSg Portsmouth (014121)

Conference is aware that getting the employer to sort out the future of pay scales/progression arrangements for the civil service and wider public sector needs to be the a priority issue for the national conferences to adopt and press the employer to set out proposals as part of the 2014 pay remit. TUs, representing all public sector employees and led by the TUC, should demand an end to the pay plateau since many public sector employees have seen little or no increase to their take home pay for years, contrary to the recent government assertion that take home pay for everyone has seen a rise of 2% or more during 2013.

Conference instructs the NEC make the future of pay scales/progression the priority in pay negotiations.

B113See B122 ADC 2013 and A14 ADC 2012PSg Treasury Solicitors (141024)

Conference notes the continuing absence of any negotiations protocol for civil service pay and conditions and is somewhat miffed at the fact that successive Governments have sought to blur the negotiating channels.

In previous negotiations on pay and the Civil Service Scheme, we have witnessed the mysterious and meddling interventions of various parties in negotiations where more than one party has been allowed to intervene on behalf of the employer.

There remains a fog of confusion around terms and conditions with a gaping hole at the centre where there should be negotiations for uniform conditions across the civil service. Local bargaining units are invited to expound their views on the latest stream of bile emanating from the CabinetOfficeorCivilServiceEmployeePolicy,buthavenocontrol over detrimental changes, only on local guidance and implementation.

For example, performance management has become subject to a putrid melange of central diktat and local baronial freedoms.

Such arrangements continue to be exploited to introduce worst practice, particularly in areas such as sick absence management.

The right to negotiate centrally on national pay, terms and conditions, is at the heart of this dispute, where the


employer has replaced industrial relations with diktat. It is essential that a clear set of industrial relations protocols is in place that facilitates industrial relations engagement at all levels and includes the restoration of facilities for local reps proportionate with the scale of their industrial relations activities.

On this basis, Conference instructs the NEC to take immediate steps to negotiate a single national negotiating machinery on civil service pay and conditions, with protocols entailing single party negotiation on each side, and binding agreements on that basis.

Conference instructs the NEC further to insist that national pay is negotiated centrally with the Treasury alone and that terms and conditions are negotiated on a national basiswiththeCabinetOfficealone.

Such steps should be a primary objective of the national campaign.

B114 See A5 ADC 2013MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

This conference notes motion A2 at 2012 ADC which set out our approach and the recommendations i-iv of NEC 19/24/12 provide the basis of closer co-ordination nationally and between areas covered by the PCS independent shared services group.

In view of the current scale of privatisation threatened by shared services and across all departments, agencies and NDPBs and with further privatisation plans expected in the C.S.R., we agree a number of further recommendations;1 The national union must to draw up plans for

a campaigning anti-privatisation forum, with representatives from Groups, following the 20th October and before the end of the current year. The forum should co-ordinate campaign activities in groups and invite key note speakers from campaigning organisations, anti-privatisation organisations and other unions.

2 Groups invited to send PCS representatives from all areas facing privatisation.

3 The national union to consider how the anti-privatisation campaign can be highlighted in future national campaign activities.

4 The anti-privatisation campaign to be covered in the roundofregionalbriefings.

5 The national union to consider consulting members facing privatisation seeking support for key union demands and campaign activities, including industrial action.

6 Campaign material to be drawn up by the national union.7 To consult other unions through the TUC, TUCG and bi-

lateral discussions on joint campaigns, including industrial action.

D115DWP Glasgow Benefits Centre (047076)

Conference notes with concern the deterioration in the value of Civil Service Pay in relation to the cost of living. This process of erosion has been on going for several years buthassignificantlyworsenedundertheausteritypolicyand public sector cuts of the current Coalition Government.

Recent Budget Statements from the Chancellor and the Treasury issued Civil Service Pay guidance set out the

prospects of more years of our pay being restrained by the imposition of a limit of an average increase of 1% per year.

This follows years of pay freezes and restraints, below inflationincreases,lackofprogressionandsuppressionofband maximums by paying increases on a non-consolidated basis.

This has been compounded by recent increases in pension contributions further eroding our take home pay and extinguishing any “gains” from the increase of the threshold of the personal allowance for Income Tax.

The Civil Service Pay Guide says that our employing department’s are “encouraged to include contractual progression increments to which there is legal entitlement as part of the one percent award.” and that for 2015-16 “Department’s have the opportunity to submit proposals for removing contractual progression as part of their 2015-16 Spending Round proposals”

Effectively this proposal threatens an end to any form of pay progression across the Civil Service despite that fact that the lack of pay progression in recent years has resulted in massive anomalies in the pay received by staff of the same grade.

For example, in DWP Band B staff doing the same job can have a difference in Pay of up to £2,600 pa or over 16%, with Band C staff having a difference of nearly £3000 pa or 13.5%.

While Conference recognises that Pay is primarily an issue for collective bargaining and therefore requires that the union gives priority to organising and campaigning on pay issues, and where necessary taking industrial action, it is important that where there is scope for legal action to challenge our employer’s unfair practices that that we fully explore and progress such opportunities.Were-affirmourviewthattherateforthejobshould

be the pay band maxima and that there should be a clear, transparent and time limited route from pay band minima to max.

On the basis of this view thousands of our members are being underpaid for the job they are doing as they are getting less than the pay band maxima.

We note the recent cases involving PCS members in the Rural Pay Agency and the House of Commons Commission. These were mainly concerned with the contractual right to pay progression.

We refute any management view that there is no contractual right to pay progression and call on the NEC to seek legal advice on this matter and if appropriate challenge this assertion.

In addition we note that the Equality and Human Rights Commission recognises that there can be equality issues wheretherearesignificantpaydifferencesduetolackofpay progression that adversely affect either men or women, ethnic minority employees, disabled or non-disabled, or those of differing age.

Conference recognises that our members widely view the lack of pay progression to be unfair and discriminatory.

Conference calls upon the NEC research the effect of pay policies across different groups of Civil Service workers to establish the case for challenging the lack of Pay Progression and other Pay Policies on the basis of Equal Pay legislation.

Conference also notes the longer term intention seems to be to replace any existing “automatic” progression with payments based on performance either as consolidated increments or non-consolidated bonus payments. We re-affirmourlong-standingoppositiontoperformancerelated pay especially when the performance management system lacks transparency and fairness and is demonstrably discriminatory against disabled and ethnic minority staff.

40

D116DWP Sheffield HQ (047012)

The Conference condemns the government’s agenda of privatisation

With no democratic mandate we see this Government usingthemythofthedeficittodestroythewelfarestate.This conference agrees that this is basically theft, and an excuse to do what they have always wanted to do. This conference further agrees that privatisation results in a poorer service and job losses and therefore should be treated in the same way compulsory redundancies are treated

This conference instructs the GEC/NEC to:

•Begin an industrial and political campaign the moment privatisation is known

•To begin a tidy up of membership lists in affected areas immediately and to keep this ongoing for ballot purposes.

•To appoint in Branches, Regions or Town Committees a ConstituencyofficerforrelevantMP’s

Conference agrees the longer any campaign is put on hold the less room for manoeuvre or opportunity for a successful outcome will be the result.

E117Covered by A1R&C Euston Tower (200040)

Conference recognises that the cut backs in the public sector are far from over as George Osborne has declared ‘permanent austerity’. This gives the lie to the Coalition government’s claims that they had no choice but to cut spending and reveals the naked ideology behind using the deficitasanexcusetoshrinkandprivatiseourwelfarestateand public services. DavidCameron’srecentcommentonthefloodsinwhich

he stated that ‘money is no object’ is further evidence that the money is there when the government deems it politically necessary.

Conference also believes that, rather than making cuts on the poorest and most vulnerable in society, the government should instead target the tax dodgers who are depriving the economy of an estimated £100billion a year.

Conference also recognises that the cut backs in trade union facility time for reps in the Civil Service are an attempt by the government to break our capacity to organise and resist the increasing attacks by this vicious but weak Coalition Government.

Conference notes that, in recent years, PCS has become a beacon of resistance across the trade union movement, as wehaveledthewayinunitingafightbackagainstboththeLabour government’s and now the Coalition government’s attempt to make workers pay for the economic crisis caused by the banking industry.Conferencefirmlybelievesthatthebestwaytogoon

the offensive is to push for united action across the trade union movement similar to the historic strike on 30th November 2011 which saw over 2.5 million workers take unitedactionoverpensions.Conferencealsofirmlybelievesthat,byPCStakingnationalstrikeactionfirst,ithelpedtopush the other unions into taking joint action. Conference is aware that the programme of industrial action started in March through to June 2013 had an impact on operations inmanyareasbutwasnotsufficienttobringtheemployerto the negotiating table.

Conference further notes that, from June 2013, the NEC conducted a consultation exercise to discuss a future strategy and that the results of the consultation included targeted action and organising levies.

In light of this Conference instructs the NEC to:1 Continue to utilise all available avenues to seek

negotiations on the issues in dispute;2 Continue to organise a programme of industrial action

capable of bringing the employer to the negotiating table;

3 Set out an industrial action strategy including all appropriate forms of action e.g. half and full day strikes, work to rule and so on;

4 Continue to pursue our Civil Service dispute with the employer through our national campaign against job losses, service cuts, privatisation, cuts to our pension and the pay freeze;

5 Organise extended and continued action as a single union if necessary; and

6 Continue to build for joint co-ordinated action across the publicsector,specificallyonthequestionofpay.

The following motions are covered by A1 and identical to E117:E118 R&C South Wales (200102)E119 DEFRA Southern (001026)E120 DfT Nottingham (201044)E121 DWP Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire (047108)E122 R&C Leeds & District (200056)

E123 Covered by A1DWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)

Conference notes the progress of the national campaign to secure national agreements on pay, pensions, jobs, privatisation and facilities. The programme of industrial action started in March 2013 through to June 2013 had a considerable impact on operations in many areas but was notsufficienttobringtheemployertothenegotiatingtable. Conference congratulates the NEC on conducting the most extensive consultation ever carried out by a union in this country and thanks all reps and activists for their commitment in ensuring this consultation was successful.

Conference agrees that the feedback should be used by the NEC to continue and further build for an effective escalation of the dispute during the coming year and therefore instructs the NEC to:

•Set out its demands in a suitably focused manner, highlighting the core issues of pay, jobs and privatisation.

• Ensure communications are directed where required and that branches and groups are given guidance on their role in issuing communications.

•Collate records of gains and achievements won through campaigning work over the past few years and a simple explanation of what unions have achieved over the decades in order that reps can easily access arguments to explain relevance of the union and unions generally; and this to be prominently and permanently displayed on the front page of the website and regularly updated.

•WriteagaintotheCabinetOfficedemandingnegotiations.

•Step up its political media and other campaign work with a particular emphasis in preparing for the 2015 general election.

•Sets out an industrial action strategy including all appropriate forms of action e.g., half and full day strikes, work to rules, and so on and under the general principle


ofequalsacrificeappliedappropriatelytotheareastheyare likely to be most effective.

•Lookatspecificareasfortargetedactionandfortheimplementation of a national levy to support such action

•While recognising the necessity to win the dispute with our own employer the union should continue to advocate and build for joint coordinated action across the public sectorandspecificallyonthequestionofpay.

The following motions are covered by A1 and identical to E123:E124 Land Registry Croydon (030006)E125 R&C Benton Park View (200126)E126 DWP Tyne View Park (047123)E127 R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)E128 PSg DCLG PINS (145802)E129 BIS North & Scotland (041067)E130 EFRA Natural England (001064)E131 MOJ West Midlands & Warwickshire (052011)E132 DWP Durham House (047125)E133 DWP Cumbria (047021)E134 DWP Northumbria (047120)E135 Land Registry Durham (030009)E136 DWP Lincolnshire & Rutland (047045)E137 DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)

E138 Covered by A2DWP Bradford (047002)

This conference sends solidarity to:

•NUT/NASUWT members who have been striking in a rollingprogrammesendingaclearmessageofdefianceto the government over cuts to education.

•FBU members striking over cuts to their pension and the service on which we all depend.

•UCU, Unison and Unite members who are striking against pay cuts.

Thisconferencere-affirmssupportforthepolicyagreedin2013 membership ballot and endorsed at PCS conference 2013 that we should seek to co-ordinate with other unions, but take action as a single union if necessary. We agree that united action is the best way to defeat the Tories austerity agenda.

Conference also congratulates PCS members and representatives who have shown that they are resolute in theirdeterminationtokeeponfightingbackthroughthenational and Group actions that took place between March and June last year.

Strike action stopped while extensive consultation took place. Despite that consultation determining that members wantedtocontinuefightingandstrikingnofurtherstrikeaction has yet been called.

In this vacuum the coalition government have not stopped attacking us:

•Privatising and threatening to outsource Shared services members jobs

•Threatening to privatise Land registry

•Sacking reps

•Cutting more jobs

•Shuttingoffices•Threatening to end check off

These attacks must be countered and pushed back without delay.

Conference therefore agrees that PCS seek to build co-ordinated mass strike action with the FBU/UCU/NASUWT/

NUT/UNISON/UNITE and any other groups of striking workersfightingthesameorsimilarattacksasthosefacedby PCS members.

This conference also agrees that the NEC should continue to pursue our Civil Service dispute with the employer through our national campaign against job losses, service cuts, privatisation, cuts to our pension and the pay freeze. Membersaredeterminedtofightbackagainstausterity.We therefore agree that the NEC should implement a programme of national strike action without further delay.

The following motion is covered by A2 and identical to E138:E139 DWP Leeds (047006)

E140 Covered by A3Land Registry Fylde (030024)

Conference notes that privatising Shared Services continues to be a key part of the government’s plans to cut jobs in the Civil Service. Thousands of our jobs in already hard hit communities are threatened by the government’s political dogma. So are 160,000 civil servants who face having their personal and private data sent and accessed abroad as a way of cutting jobs at home.

PCS members in the Department of Transport (DfT) were thefirsttobeprivatisedandtransferredtoAvartoinJune2013. In November 2013 staff in DWP and DEFRA shared services were privatised and transferred to a new company called Steria/SSCL owned by a French multinational. BIS will transfer in 2015. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) is now considering the privatisation of its shared services using Avarto or Steria/SSCL. This is a direct u-turn to what is set out in the Government’s own strategy and therefore it is clear that PCS must continue to be alive to the fact that all in-house provision is under threat of privatisation.

These plans impact on every single civil servant – either because of the threat to thousands of jobs or because of major concerns about the security of private and personal data; this impacts not only on Civil Servants but also on external customers which could include farmers, health workers, medical records, etc.

Additionally, despite the Prime Minister’s statement that he wants companies to bring jobs to this country, this does not seem to apply to Government jobs as they have agreed theSteriaplanstocutjobs,closeofficesandoffshorethework done by our members in DWP and DEFRA to India.

Conference welcomes the excellent work already conducted by PCS and congratulates those members prepared to strike and get involved in the campaigns which have already resulted in some protections for members.

However we believe there is a lot of work still to be done if we are to achieve protections for jobs services and stop theoff-shoringofwork.Were-affirmourcommitmenttoacampaign which continues to include:

•a nationally co-ordinated programme of work designed to achieve no compulsory redundancies, no compulsory relocation and no off-shoring of work – robbing Peter to pay Paul.

•Further and more regular material to expose the hypocrisy of government – privatisation does not mean efficiency,itmeansjobcutsandpoorservices:liningthepockets of big business at our members expense. This material to include continuous bulletins to members both within shared services, but the “client based to”, regular articles in PCS People and activate

•A campaign of opposition amongst those areas beyond

42

PCS whose members and communities could be impacted upon by plans including the justice sector, welfare sector, education sector, farmers and the health service.

•Liaison and work with our Parliamentary Group to build the political opposition to these plans including the continued use of e-actions, PQ’s and delegations to constituencies and any other initiatives which help us achieve our aims.

•A media strategy designed to increase pressure both at local and national level including members continuing to “front-up” local letter writing campaigns/press releases to the local press and media as well as nationally.

•A campaigning strategy which sets and agrees targets to increase membership levels and build our organisation in all shared service centres. Thought should be given about if and when this is expanded to other areas of corporate services as it is clear that government wishes to cut all these areas including HR and estates.

•To use the economic impact analysis already commissioned to build an alternative to privatisation and use the information contained there-in to expose the nonsense that this Government cares about the welfare state and those who work for it

•To continue to co-ordinate this work nationally through the auspices of a single campaign, using all means necessary including national strike action to achieve our demands.

The following motions are covered by A3 and identical to E140:E141 Land Registry Croydon (030006)E142 PSg DCLG PINS (145802)E143 BIS North & Scotland (041067)

The following motion is covered by and identical to A4:E144 Independent Living Fund (142004)

E145 Covered by A5DfT West Midlands (201046)

Conference notes the intention of the government to change the status of the Highways Agency from Executive Agencytoanasyetunspecifiedgovernmentownedcompany.Conferencebelievesthatthisisthefirststepto

privatisation of the Agency and of the strategic road network in England.

Conference instructs the NEC to mount a public campaign to keep the Highways Agency within the civil service.

The following motion is covered by and identical to A7:E146 DWP Fylde Central Benefits & Services (047139)

X147Unclear in intentMOJ RCJ/PRFD (052054)

Conference notes that, in some departments of the Civil Service, our members have been used by the present and previous governments as shock troops in the transformation of the United Kingdom into a low-wage society with very limited welfare protection. We recognise that our members working in the Department for Work and Pensions are at theforefrontofthis.Theuseofsanctions,workfare,benefitcaps and more intrusive investigations where, for example, people are suspected of cohabiting has made the lives of many thousands of people intolerable and the price of labour across the economy has been driven down as a result.

Conference further notes that our members often have friends or relatives who are out of work and that, through performance and attendance management, our members are clearly targeted for dismissal and therefore at risk of ending up unemployed themselves. Our members in the DWP are also at ever greater risk of physical attack as they are called upon to administer a grossly unfair and inequitable system. Industrial action, together with the chaos resulting from the current inept welfare reforms, would make much of this machinery unworkable and materiallybenefitmanythousandsofclaimants.

Conference therefore agrees that, in selected instances, targeted and sustained industrial action in those individual departments which are at the forefront of this assault on our society should be a tactic to be deployed. The entire unionshouldbewillingtoassistinsupportingfinanciallythemembers involved as those members cannot be expected to bear so vast a burden themselves.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to urgently look towards:1 balloting either of all our members in the Department for

Work and Pensions, or selected groups of workers within that department, for a sustained campaign of industrial action;

2 findingwaysinwhichthosetakingindustrialactioninthatdepartmentcanbesupportedfinanciallybythebroader membership and resources of the union;

3 approachingotherTUC-affiliatedunionsworkinginthedeliveryofbenefitsincampaigningforjointindustrialaction; and

4 approachingotherTUC-affiliatedunionsforfinancialsupport in such a dispute.

X148 Branch cannot instruct the NECDWP North Merseyside (047018)

North Merseyside Branch requests harmonisation of civil service pay across all departments. The branch recognises NIPSA’s success for the equalization of civil service pay in Northern Ireland. This branch instructs the incoming NEC to pursue a similar action within the civil service.


14. ORGANISING

(For information about D markings – see introduction to SOC Report No.1)

D149R&C Northern Ireland (200082)

This Conference instructs NEC to maintain the positive relationship it has fostered with ICTU and associate unions in respect to the NI ULF and to continue active partnership in any future NI ULF projects.

D150R&C Leeds & District (200056)

This PCS Annual Delegate Conference notes the selective way that civil service employers pick and choose which aspects of the civil service people survey they take action on and their lack of action on our members concerns about pay, pensions and terms and conditions.

We therefore believe PCS should carry out our own annual survey of our membership using an electronic questionnaire so our members can tell us what their concerns are and what PCS should prioritise when campaigning.

This ADC instructs the NEC to design an electronic online questionnaire to survey all PCS members on what concerns they have at work and how PCS can improve their working lives.

This ADC further instructs the NEC to invite all PCS members to complete this questionnaire with the assistance of branches.ThisADCfinallyinstructstheNECtousethesurveydata

we gather to inform our negotiations with the employers negotiate with and our bargaining agenda.

D151R&C East Midlands (200033)

Conference notes that during the 2013/14 year the NEC carried out a survey on stress in two groups without prior consultation with at least one of those groups. This put reps in the very embarrassing position of not knowing anything about the survey. Meaning they did not know what to advise when members asked if it was a real survey or if they should ignore it as spam. Reps were also unable to defend PCS against the accusations made by the department when members were told they were not allowed to use departmental facilities or time to complete the survey, as PCS had not provided the assurances the department requiredaroundthingslikeconfidentiality.

At the HMRC group conference a motion was passed

regarding carrying out a survey on work related stress. The survey the NEC carried out did not cover the things the motion stipulated needed to be covered. If the NEC had consulted with the group their survey could have been adjusted so that one survey could have covered both the groups and the NECs purposes.

If the employer had behaved in the manor the NEC did PCS would quite rightly criticise them.

This conference instructs the NEC to not carry out any group surveys without prior consultation with the groups involved. This will ensure that reps are informed prior to the members and the employer. They can then answer members’ questions and the NEC can incorporate any group directives passed at their own group conferences saving PCS time and money.

D152R&C Dundee (200029)

That this Conference notes the importance of the work undertaken on our behalf by the PCS Parliamentary groups at Westminster and in the devolved administrations.

With a view to bolstering the parliamentary groups and furthering the Make Your Vote Count strategy, Conference instructs the National Executive to publish annually to Branches a list of the constituencies of each Parliament (To wit Westminster, Stormont, Cardiff and Holyrood), indicating whether the elected Member for that Constituency is a member of the respective PCS Parliamentary Group, and attaching application forms to join the relevant groups such that Branches can work to recruit members to the groups.

E153Covered by A10R&C Portsdown Vectis (200091)

Conference condemns the attack on trade union facilities instigated by the current government. Conference deeply regrets these attacks which are being driven through departments despite clear evidence that industrial relations is improved by an active and democratic workplace union. In the light of this evidence conference agrees that these attacks are politically motivated and designed to attempt to attack the fabric of the union.

Conference pays tribute to all those reps, at branch, regional, group and national level who have continued to build the union and service members despite the reduction in facility time.

Conference instructs the NEC to:a) Continue to oppose these attacks b) To monitor the effect of the reduction in facility time and

continue to try and engage the employer on this issue.c) Work with other unions and the TUC to expose the

political ideology behind these attacks. Encourage members to show their opposition to these attacks using the slogan “defend those who defend you’

d) Facilitateandusetheunion’sstructuresandofficestoprovide support for branches and reps in the light of the reduction in facility time.

Conference further instructs the NEC that as part of the MYVC campaign in the run up to the 2015 general election we seek a commitment from political parties as to their

44

commitment to industrial relations and an environment where trade union representatives are given adequate time to represent their members.

The following motions are covered by A10 and identical to E153:E154 DWP Avon (047093)E155 R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)E156 DWP Cumbria (047021)E157 DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)E158 DSg Veterans Agency (014300)E159 DWP HQ Leeds (047011)E160 DWP Glasgow (047066)E161 MOJ London Tribunals (052049)E162 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

E163 Covered by A10R&C Shipley (200101)

This Conference condemns the attacks and changes to the Branch facility allocations.

This Annual Delegate Conference notes that the attack on facilities time is having a negative and stressful impact on reps who are having to support members in their own time.

Some Activists have had to use 4 days annual leave to attend this year’s Conference, something which impacts on the work/life balance which PCS has striven to promote and protect over the last few years.

Members are likely to suffer as reps spread themselves too thinly and are unable to give extra support when that is required.

Workplace activists are, in effect, working unpaid overtime to maintain the current level of PCS representation. This can add up to an extra 15 to 20 hours per week in a large branch for more than just one rep. This Conference cannot condone or support this type of unpaid overtime.

Support from the TUC was sadly lacking when their initial response was to arrange meetings in reps own time to discuss the attacks.


•ChallengetheCabinetOfficeonthereductioninfacilitiestime.

•Continue to vociferously pursue an increase in facility timeforlayrepswhosupportmembersthroughdifficultand challenging circumstance

•Conference instructs the NEC to keep Branches fully informed throughout the coming months ahead and to strive for an outcome to these idealogical and draconian cuts before Conference 2015.

E164 Covered by A10DfT Nottingham (201044)

Conference notes the decision by the current MP for Cannock Chase to stand down following revelations in the press regarding his purchase of a Nazi uniform. As chairman of the Trade Union Reform Council, the credibility of that organisation and its impact on public policy must be called into question.

Chaired by Conservative MPs and backed by the current Prime Minister, TURC is an exemplar of why public policy must never pander to political or private interest. It is cited asacontributortotheCabinetOfficeconsultationonfacility time which resulted in a 60% reduction of facility time for union representatives. How can it be reasonable that an organisation with discredited leadership has such sway with public policy?

The NEC is instructed to: 1 Demonstrate where the reforms have caused employer

failure to comply with legislation and statute through press and Parliamentary campaign.

2 Continue to push for a review of the reforms to facility time implemented at Departmental level through the aegisofCabinetOfficereform.

3 Continue to seek via parliamentary, campaigning, bargaining and other means, to revoke the reforms and restore the ability of trade union representatives to function effectively without a 60% handicap.

The following motions are covered by and identical to A11:E165 DSg Veterans Agency (014300)E166 Land Registry Croydon (030006)E167 R&C Benton Park View (200126)E168 DWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)E169 R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)E170 PSg DCLG PINS (145802)E171 BIS North & Scotland (041067)E172 EFRA Natural England (001064)E173 MOJ West Midlands & Warwickshire (052011)E174 DWP Glasgow (047066)E175 DWP Northumbria (047120)E176 DWP Lincolnshire & Rutland (047045)E177 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)E178 DWP Cumbria (047021)E179 BIS Companies House (041044)E180 R&C Glasgow & Clyde (200119)

E181Covered by A12 (Composite A)R&C Leeds & District (200056)

ThisADCdeplorestheCabinetOfficedecisiontoincludehealth and safety time under the heading of facility time. This is a mean spirited and devious attempt to shift the blame for lack of provision of facility and health and safety time away from the employer and directly onto the union.

There is strict provision laid down in the Safety Representatives and Safety Committee Regulations 1977 which states: “(2) An employer shall permit a safety representative to take such time off with pay during the employee’s working hours as shall be necessary for the purposes of – (a) performing his functions under section 2(4) of the 1974 Act and paragraph (1) (a) to (h) above;

There is no limit of time mentioned anywhere in the regulations. This conferencethereforebelievesthattheCabinetOfficeisindirect

breach of these regulations.Conference also believes that this is a short sighted

attempt at limiting the health and safety representatives ability to carry out not only their normal day to day health and safety roles, but often carrying many of the functions which should be carried out by management themselves.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to mount a vigorous legal challenge covering all Departments affected by this ruling and utilise all other necessary means to remove health and safety time from the facility time allocations given to the relevant unions.


E182 Covered by A12 (Composite A)R&C Leeds & District (200056)

ThisADCdeplorestheCabinetOfficedecisiontoincludeUnion Learning time under the heading of facility time. This is a mean spirited and devious attempt to shift the blame for lack of provision of facility and Union Learning time away from the employer and directly onto the union.

This makes a mockery of the many learning agreements in place across the departments and clearly demonstrates the governments couldn’t care less approach to motivating and supporting its employees, giving the impression that it is only interested in “bums on seats, working” mentality ignoring the welfare of its staff.

Conference also believes that this is a short sighted attempt at limiting the Union Learning representatives ability to carry out not only their normal day to day Union Learning Representative role, but often carrying many of the functions which should be carried out by management themselves.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to mount a vigorous legal challenge covering all Departments affected by this ruling and utilise all other necessary means to remove Union Learning time from the facility time allocations given to the relevant unions.

E183 Covered by A13PSg DCLG HQ (141802)

This Conference notes the current attack on check off and believesthatitisdesignedtounderminethefinancialbasisof free trade unionism in the public sector.

Conference believes that: a) Workers should have a statutory and a contractual right

for their employer to collect union subscriptions This Conference from their salary/wages and pay this directly to the Union concerned if the employee so chooses.

b) Nevertheless PCS should seek to transfer members to direct debit payment of Union subscriptions and to recruit new members on that basis and instructs the NEC to do so as a matter of Union priority.

c) Union representatives should have full and free access to members and potential members at their place of work for the purposes of recruitment, organisation and representation and should be entitled to a proper amount of paid time off work for the full range of trade union duties and activities – a right currently denied to Union representatives under current legal provisions and the ACAS Code.

Conference instructs the NEC to:a) Submit a motion along the above lines to the Trades

Union Congress.b) Raise these demands through the PCS parliamentary

group.c) Raise this demand directly with the Labour Party

leadership, in conjunction with the TUC if possible, with a view to obtaining a manifesto commitment to legislation for positive rights for workers as trade union members and representatives.

The following motion is covered by A13 and identical to E183:E184 DWP East London (047030)

E185Covered by A13DfT West Midlands (201046)

This Conference notes the current attack on check off.Conference believes that workers should have a statutory

right for their employed to collect union subscriptions from their salary/wages and pay this directly to the Union concerned.

Conference instructs the NEC to:1 Consider submitting a motion along these lines to the

Trades Union Congress;2 Raise this demand through the PCS parliamentary group;3 Raise this demand directly with the Labour Party

leadership, in conjunction with the TUC if possible, with a view to obtaining a manifesto commitment for such legislation.

The following motions are covered by A13 and identical to E185:E186 DWP South East London (047035)E187 DWP Sheffield (047008)E188 DWP Cheshire (047014)


This Conference condemns the decision of the Cabinet Officetowritetoallgovernmentdepartmentsaskingthemto review the decades old check-off system by which union subscriptions are collected directly from the salary of civil servants, as they are from millions of workers in the public and private sector.

Conference agrees that this is a deliberate and vindictive political attack on PCS. Government ministers are now seeking to take revenge on our union for the campaigning it has done in the defence of members pensions, pay and jobs, and against their austerity policies. Our championing of a real alternative to austerity, campaigning for tax justice, and persistent calls for co-ordinated industrial action with other unions has made PCS particularly hated by Tory ministers.

Conference is concerned that what was in effect a suspension of the national industrial action campaign in June 2013, and the absence of any further national action following the ‘summer of consultation’ has been interpreted as a sign of weakness by the Tories and emboldened them to launch this attack on our union.

Conference agrees that new members are more likely to be recruited and existing members more likely to be retained by a union that is taking decisive action to improve their pay, defend their pensions and protect their jobs.


•Continuetofightallthreatstoendcheckoffthroughpolitical lobbying and exploring the potential for legal challenges

•Produce material to support the campaign to switch to direct debit which emphasises the campaigning work of the union as well as services and protection in the workplace.

•Re-launchahighprofileNationalCampaignonPay,Pensions and Jobs as soon as possible.

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E190 Covered by A13R&C Benton Park View (200126)

This Conference condemns the attack on the Trade Union movement in the Civil Service through the proposed end to “check off” or payment of union subscriptions through the employer.

This is a blatant political attempt to starve the union of funds and it is an attack on all members.

The NEC is instructed to use all avenues to combat this threat. This should include taking legal advice, campaigning with the TUC and political work with the Labour Party and PCS Parliamentary Group.

E191 Covered by A13DWP HQ Leeds (047011)

This Conference condemns the Government’s continued attacks on PCS and other civil service unions and notes its latest plans to ask Departments to review their check off facility (taking union subscriptions from salary arrangements) with a view to withdrawing this. Conferencebelievesthereisnojustificationforthis

actionwhichisapoliticallydrivenattackspecificallydesignedtoweakenourunionandundermineitsfinancesbymakingitmoredifficultforstafftojoinaunion.Conference believes that the Government’s action to put pressure on Departments to withdraw this facility is incompatible with the behaviour expected from a good employer and how a recognised union should be treated.

Conference instructs the NEC to campaign to reverse this decision with this government and the government that replaces it in 2015. In the meantime Conference calls upon the NEC to continue to improve methods and publicity material to recruit new members and switch all existing members to direct debit for union subscriptions.

The following motion is covered by and identical to A15:E192 DWP East London (047030)

E193 Covered by A16DWP Sheffield (047008)

In May 2013, Hewlett Packard (HP) supplied PCS with statutorilyspecifieddetailsofproposalstosacka584workers on 31 July. When the HP North West Branch Secretary, John Pearson, circulated those details to branch members, he was suspended and later dismissed on a chargeofbreachingcompanyconfidentiality.Johnwasalsocharged with talking to a journalist about the industrial action without obtaining HP’s prior permission. The PCS HP Group Secretary, Alan Brown wrote to HP on 7 June 2013 condemning John’s suspension as an attack on the union and demanding his reinstatement.

However, a few months later, whilst mass sackings were still taking place; the work to rule was ongoing; and John’s branch was conducting a consultative ballot on escalation of action, Alan Brown wrote to John, on 29 November 2013, informing him that the union is no longer taking action to seek a remedy for him and that not only would John be unabletocontinuetoholdofficeasBranchSecretarybutthat his membership of PCS was at an end forthwith.

The General Secretary, Mark Serwotka wrote to John on 10January2014reaffirmingtheendingofunionsupport,on the grounds that the union’s lawyers had advised that “we could not support any Employment Tribunal (ET) claim as there was no realistic prospect of securing your reinstatement” and that “neither the group nor the branch are in a position to take industrial action aimed at your reinstatement”.RankandfilePCSactivistshaveexpressedastonishment

and anger at the abandonment of support for John by unionofficialsandarelaunchingtheJohnPearsonDefenceCampaign, with the aim of reversing this withdrawal of support.Ofcourseitshouldnotbeforrankandfileactiviststo

do what the union should be doing. Nor should the union abandon victimised activists. Consequently this conference instructs the NEC to do the following:1 Fully support John in his ET. Such support to consist

of paying the ET fees, and meeting John’s legal costs, including paying for a Barrister for the ET Hearing.

2 Reinstate John to full membership of the PCS until, at least such time as the ET process is completed

3 Publicize John’s case to the wider membership outside HP.

The following motion is covered by A16 and identical to E193:E194 DfT HQ & The Regions (019008)

E195 Covered by A17Met Police East London (033103)

Conference notes the lack of trade union education in our schooling system. We also note that with the current parties in government this is unlikely to change.

We therefore instruct the NEC to form a Trade Union Education Policy, for debate at the next Annual Delegate Conference.

The policy should discuss building links with national teaching unions, and working together to gain access to education establishments to provide this training to young people.

The policy should also consider the active involvement of the PCS Young Members Network in delivering such training.

The following motion is covered by and identical to A18:E196 DfT Nottingham (201044)

The following motions are covered by and identical to A19:E197 Met Police East London (033103)E198 DWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)E199 R&C HQ London (200145)E200 R&C Fenland (200107)E201 PSg DCLG HQ (141802)E202 PSg DCLG PINS (145802)


X203 Unclear in intentR&C South East Essex (200144)

Conference notes the ideologically driven attacks on union facility which represents an undisguised attempt to break thestrengthoftradeunioninfluencethroughoutthepublicsector and particularly in the civil service. The major reason

for this attack is to clear the way for mass privatisation of the civil service and to leave workers defenceless in the face of an assault designed to strip away their rights and conditions and the services they provide.

We recognise that unwelcome as this assault may be the attempt to effectively destroy union activity at all levels also offers opportunities for the union to build an organising culture which, linked to our campaign and bargaining work, will be capable of facing and defeating the government’s strategy.

Conference notes the PCS Organising Plan, the national event held in August 2013 and the on-going work of the Organising Committee, the NEC, Groups and branches in responding to these attacks. We endorse the following principles set at previous PCS Conference which should continue to be central to our strategy:1 The workplace must be the focus of our activity and

organising work. That is where our members are and that is where we must be most visible and active.

2 The union must see an increase in democratic accountability, not a diminution, in order to face these attacks. PCS is a lay led union and it has been that central principle which has made it, with other factors, thefighting,democratic,campaigningunionitis.

3 The issue of equality is at the forefront of our strategy and must continue to be so. Attacks on facilities will disproportionately impact on women, ethnic minorities, disabled activists and members and youth. The union must strive to ensure those representing members are reflectiveofthewidediversityofthemembershipitself.

Conference agrees that we must focus on bringing into activity a new generation of activists and strengthen the current cadre. Conference therefore instructs the NEC to:a) Build a culture that puts organising at the very forefront

of our work.b) Review regularly organisation at all levels of the union,

including at Group and branch level, including reviews of constitutions were appropriate in order to ensure the structures of the union offer the best basis on which to build.

c) ReviewtheroleofFull-TimeOfficersandhowtheiractivity is best focused to work effectively with reps at all levels and to build an organising union.

d) Organise further Regional events along the lines of the national organising meeting held in August 2013.

e) Campaign around the issue of facilities at all levels and to use whatever methods are appropriate, e.g., like the successful legal action against Eric Pickles’ attempt to stop check-off in DCLG.

X204Unclear in intentDWP Sheffield (047008)

Believes:1 That between the alternative outcomes of the 2015

General Election, we are not neutral. We want a Labour government, not because Labour’s policy as it stands is good (it isn’t), but because where the Tories and Lib Dems are straightforward ruling class parties, Labour is a party based on trade unions that can be put under more direct pressure.

2 That2.7millionworkersaremembersofunionsaffiliatedtoLabour,andthatnon-affiliatedunionscanalsobepartof a labour movement campaign to put demands on Labour through cross-union bodies like Trades Councils, throughco-operationwithaffiliatedunionsandthroughour own campaigns,

Further believes:1 That in making demands on the Labour Party and about

what a future Labour government will do, our approach shouldnotbeseeking“valueformoney”onafinancialinvestment,butfightingforworking-classrepresentationand working-class politics.

2 That in addition to making demands on Labour, PCS should be more actively involving its membership in more general political campaigning.

3 That none of this implies waiting for a Labour government to solve our problems rather than resisting the Government’s attacks and campaigning for our alternative now.

Resolves:1 To ask the executive to use the run up to the

General Election to step up political campaigning for union policies, involving members through stalls, demonstrations, rallies and other direct action.

2 To call on and approach the Labour Party, locally and nationally, to support these campaigns.

3 To call on Labour councils to defy and help local communities and labour movements mobilise against local government cuts, working with the Councillors Against the Cuts initiative.

4 To campaign for Labour to adopt and implement pro-working class policies, including

•Reversing the Coalition’s cuts to services, jobs and benefits;

•Reversing privatisation and outsourcing;

•Restoring the NHS as a public service providing quality healthcare for need;

•Raising the Minimum Wage to the level of the Living Wage, without exceptions, and banning Zero Hours contracts;

•Taking the banks into real public ownership, under democratic control;

•Reversing attacks on trade union rights and repealing the anti-trade union laws.

5 To reconstitute our Parliamentary Group so that it only includes labour movement MPs committed to basic pro-working class policies.

6 Toapproachotherunions,Labour-affiliatedandnon-affiliated,tocampaignwithusonthisbasis,andtopublish a Workers’ Manifesto, for general distribution but also making demands on Labour.

7 To ask branches and other union bodies to discuss and hold meetings on campaigning in the run up to the general election and what we should be demanding from a Labour government.

X205 Unclear in intentDWP Lambeth & Southwark (047031)

This Conference notes the current attack on check off.

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Conference believes that workers should have a statutory right for their employed to collect union subscriptions from their salary/wages and pay this directly to the Union concerned.

Conference instructs the NEC to:1 Consider submitting a motion along these lines to the

Trades Union Congress.2 Raise this demand through the PCS parliamentary group.3 Raise this demand directly with the Labour Party

leadership, in conjunction with the TUC is possible, with a view to obtaining a manifesto commitment for such legislation.

Election of FTOsConference agrees with the principle that employed

officersoftheunionshouldbeelectedbyandaccountableto members of the union.

With this in mind conference instructs the NEC to present to ADC 2014 the relevant rule changes to enable this principle, ensuring that the employment rights of current employedofficersarenotinfringed.

X206 Unclear in intentR&C London North (200070)

This ADC notes that the recent changes to Facility Time arrangements severely impacts on Branches’ ability to adequately represent members.

Consequently, the NEC is instructed to negotiate improvements to the above, to include:-

The removal of the 50% ceiling on time that can be allocated as Trade Union duties for the purpose of Branch Executive Committee meetings.

Given the introduction of the Employer’s PMR system will potentially increase the amount of Facility Time spent on appeals by nine fold. The time utilised by PCS representatives in supporting members through this process shouldbe‘re-badged’asOfficialduties.

15. UNITE

E207Covered by A21Scottish Government Edinburgh Central (038002)

Conference recognises the increasing political divergence between Westminster and the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Conference instructs the NEC to ensure that this differing political approach is taken fully into account in any future merger talks with UNITE.

The following motion is covered by A21 and identical to E207:E208 Scottish Government Leith (038008)

The following motions are covered by and identical to A22:E209 DfT Nottingham (201044)E210 DWP Birmingham South (047053)E211 R&C VOA Greater London Valuation (200148)E212 R&C Euston Tower (200040)


This Conference notes that Annual Delegate Conference 2013 narrowly carried Motion 31 which authorised the National Executive Committee to enter talks with Unite the Union on a possible merger if an approach were to be made by that union.

Conference further notes that Motion A31 required the NEC to make regular reports and open up the widest possible debate and consultation with branches. Conference is therefore disappointed that the NEC did not report to branches or the membership either the approach from Unite or the decision of the NEC to enter talks until long after the event.

Conference notes that Motion A31 made any agreement to talks conditional on such talks being based on clear demands including:

•Keeping our current democratic culture and structures intact

•Guaranteeing representation in UNITE structures at all levels

•ProtectingthefinancesandresourcesofPCS•Protecting and promoting lay powers, our activist culture,

union policies and the leadership role we play

•Ensuring a Political Fund independent of the Labour Party and run in line with PCS policy.

Conference therefore instructs that a full report of negotiations, covering progress on all of these demands and any other issues covered in negotiations must be issued to branches and followed up by regular updates on at least a monthly basis.

X214 Factually incorrectMOJ Greater Manchester (052010)

Conference notes the carriage of motions A30 and A31 at PCS National Conference 2013 concerning talks between PCS and Unite on a possible merger. Conference particularly notes the instruction at the end of the NEC’s motion A30:- “Conference believes that, ultimately, the test to be applied to any merger proposals is the extent to which they canassistourmembersinfightingtodefendtheirjobs,pensions, pay and public services against the Tory/LibDem government’s brutal and damaging cuts programme.”

And also notes the instruction at the end of Motion A31:- “The NEC are also instructed to open up the widest possible debate and consultation with branches and members to assess whether and how a merger can increase our bargaining power on behalf of members and the democratic safeguards that would be essential”. Some activists might have spotted, in a small paragraph in Labour


Research Vol 103 No1 January 2014 page 11 the wording “The two unions have been in informal discussions.”

As at February 7th 2014 PCS members have not seen anything that can remotely be considered as meeting the instructions contained in either motion – let alone actual proposals in time for Branch AGMs to enable members to have an informed debate on the question of such a merger. A rushed out paper from the NEC just before ADC 2014 or an NEC motion placed before ADC 2014 does not constitute meeting the terms of A31.

Most PCS members are likely however to have been aware of the Unite debacle concerning the selection of a candidate by the Labour Party in Falkirk (Unite pressed for oneoftheirfulltimeofficerstobeselected,laterwithdrewin the media furore but handed over £700,000 to the Labour Party afterwards) and even more so of the Unite debacle concerning the total surrender to the employer Ineos at Grangemouth.

These two serious concerns raise valid questions about thefitnessandaccountabilityofUnitetobeaunionPCScan or should consider merging with. Conference therefore instructs the NEC to cease proposing a merger of PCS and Unite at any ADC until they have both followed the instructions given in A30/13 and A31/13 and that the NEC have judged and issue their stance to branches as to how a union that has acted as Unite has done over Falkirk and Grangemouth can be a union the PCS NEC can argue we should still merge with – or consider merging with. PCS ADC 2015 might be in a position to discuss merger terms once the NEC have complied with A30/13, A31/13 and the extra instruction in this motion.

X215 Branch cannot instruct the NECMet Police Central London (033107)

This Branch wishes to raise our concerns about the prospect of PCS and UNITE Unions being merged, all our dealings with the Unite union within the Metropolitan police force has been negative. They have sided with management to the detriment of PCS Members on Pay / Terms and Conditions meetings in the MPS.

This Branch instructs the incoming NEC not to merge with Unite Union.

16. DEVOLVED ADMINISTRATIONS

E216 Covered by A24MOJ Greater Manchester (052010)

Conference notes the carriage of the NECs motion A519 at PCS National Conference 2013 and also notes that it was not available for Branches to discuss at their 2013 Branch AGMs nor, more seriously still, at branch Pre Conference mandating meetings. Motion A519 required the NEC

to organise a special Conference of Scottish Branches in Autumn 2013 to assess “whether or not PCS should adopt a stance for or against Independence/and or further devolution to report back to the NEC to return to ADC 2014 with a policy proposal.”

Conference notes the article in PCS People Issue 6 page 10 which stated PCS members reactions to independence were split and further debate would ensue at a Scottish Conference of Branches in Glasgow on 22 February. Nowhere in that article was a position taken or advocated of PCS being for or against independence for Scotland. Additionally there were arguments made at PCS Conference 2013 that the question of Scottish Independence has consequences for and affects workers in Britain outside of Scotland who are not being allowed a say in any special conference for them.

Conference is highly sceptical that anybody or organisation or University can claim to predict the economicfutureofanIndependentScotlandwithsufficientaccuracy to reliably and responsibly inform the electorate when they cast their votes in the referendum in Autumn 2014 – that supporting or opposing Scottish independence willactuallyprovebeneficialtomostordinarycitizensinthelonger term. Such a historic decision should not be based on opinions of the short term economic situation at the time of the vote.

Conference agrees that the vote for Scottish Independence will take place under an economic system dictated by and for the needs of capitalism – not socialism. Conference agrees that Scotland cannot be seriously consideredtobeanoppressednationandfindsitoddthat the Scottish people are urged by the SNP to reject control by Westminster only to swap that for control by the EU/Brussels. Conference agrees that you cannot achieve true socialism in one country – a Stalinist doctrine since disprovedmanytimes.Conferencefindsitunacceptablefor a progressive union like PCS, which adopts an internationalist outlook, to support the rampant Nationalism we are seeing grow in Scotland, a nationalism that will divide the British working class not unite it and will simply increase English Nationalism and other nationalistic groups. It is a move to the right.

Conference therefore agrees that PCS will maintain a position of neutrality on the question of Scottish Independence but should continue to argue in the arenas where both campaigns operate for the defence of our public services and to raise relevant PCS campaign issues. Conference therefore instructs the NEC to adopt and publicly declare PCS’s neutral stance on Scottish Independence up to, during the referendum and until such time as a subsequent PCS Conference endorses a different stance.

17. RULES

X217 Fails to amend all relevant rules

R&C Dundee (200029)

That this ADC agrees to amend the PCS Rules as follows:-Rule 6.24 – delete sub paragraphs (d) to (i)Rule 7.34(b) – delete “together with half of each

delegation to the other TUC conferences referred to therein”

Rule 7.34 – insert new sub paragraph (c.) – One half of

50

delegates toSTUC ConferenceSTUC Women’s ConferenceSTUC Youth ConferenceShall be elected at the Scotland Committee AGM. Not

more than one third (rounded to the nearest whole number) of those so elected (excluding those to youth conferences) shall be members employed by the same employer.

One half of delegates toWales TUC ConferenceWales TUC Women’s ConferenceShall be elected at the Wales Committee AGM. Not more

than one third (rounded to the nearest whole number) of those so elected (excluding those to youth conferences) shall be members employed by the same employer.

18. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES


D218BIS North & Scotland (041067)

Conference welcomes that PCS has consistently challenged the government’s austerity agenda and put the case for an alternative. An important part of this has been the One Million Climate Jobs campaign as a solution to both the economic and environmental crisis.

Conference notes with great concern the latest report of UN Intergovernmental panel on climate change which is unequivocalthat“humaninfluencehasbeenthedominantcause” of global warming since the mid 20th Century. Despite conclusive evidence, government continues to push for polluting energy sources and to reverse binding carbon reduction targets. So called extreme weather events such asthefloodingcausedbythe“wettestJanuaryever”aredismissed as exceptional rather than climate change related.

Conference believes that trades unions are critical in progressing a green agenda. In line with the One Million Climate jobs campaign this agenda should argue for the establishment of a publically owned National Climate Service to invest in the creation of climate jobs which contribute to reducing harmful greenhouse gases. They are also central to dispelling myths that the current ‘dash for gas’ or investment in nuclear are real solutions to cutting carbon emissions, rather than publically funded investment in renewable technologies such as solar, wind and wave.

Conference supports the updating up of the One Million climate jobs pamphlet and agrees this is central to the national campaign.

Conference agrees to promote the campaign widely and particularly within the trade union movement. It also agrees to call on the NEC to seek through the TUC a discussion within the trade union movement on an industrial strategy that supports a transition from ‘dirty’ energy to investment in climate jobs based on publically owned renewable technology.

The following motions are covered by and identical to D218:D219 R&C Fenland (200107)D220 DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)D221 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

The following motions are covered by and identical to A30:E222 DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)E223 R&C Fenland (200107)E224 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

E225Covered by A33R&C Fenland (200107)

Conference welcomes the PCS Aviation Review Report – Protecting jobs; protecting the planet – as a timely contribution to the public debate about the future of aviation in the UK. The report can assist PCS in engaging the TUC, other unions in the sector, the PCS Parliamentary Group, the media and external organisations in a dialogue aboutthereport’sfindings,andtoprogressouraimofsafeguarding members jobs alongside practical measures to protect the environment.

The PCS Aviation Report is a result of analysis and consultation with PCS members and reps at group and national level and provides a realistic assessment of the industry and its challenges. It has been used as the basis for PCS submissions to the Airports Commission chaired by Sir Howard Davies set up to examine the need for additional UK airport capacity.

Conference is disappointed that the interim report of the Airports Commission released in December 2013 has short-listed three options based on adding a third runway at Heathrow, lengthening an existing runway at Heathrow, and a new runway at Gatwick. A third runway at Heathrow is the most favoured option with strong support from industry and business lobby groups, and the House of Commons Transport Committee which explicitly puts the case for not just a third runway but also a fourth runway at Heathrow.

John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington which covers Heathrow, says at least 2,000 rising to a potential 10,000 of his constituents could lose their homes under Heathrow expansion plans. In 2010, David Cameron made the blocking of a third runway a key election pledge and evidence of Tory green credentials. WiththisannouncementitisdifficulttoviewtheAirportsCommission other than a cynical attempt at tax payer expense to enable a Tory u-turn under cover of an “independent review”.Conferencereaffirmsitsoppositiontoathirdrunwayat

Heathrow and believes any discussion of the future of UK aviation capacity needs to take account of the impact on the environment and local communities. Further conference believes a publicly-owned integrated transport system, as set out in the PCS aviation review, would better serve the UK’s needs rather than the airports commission’s proposal for airport expansion. Conference also backs the call by MP John McDonnell for ‘people power’ over the commission’s betrayal on climate change and instructs the NEC to support relevant campaigns and actively promote the PCS Aviation Review report with other unions in order to open a dialogueonthereports’findings.


The following motions are covered by A33 and identical to E225:E226 DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)E227 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

The following motions are covered by and identical to A34:E228 PSg DCLG PINS (145802)E229 Land Registry Fylde (030024)E230 National Museums Liverpool (103001)E231 BIS North &Scotland (041067)E232 R&C Fenland (200107)E233 NEC

The following motion is covered by and identical to A36:E234 R&C Fenland (200107)

19. EQUALITY


D235Dsg Filton Abbey Wood (014180)

This motion seeks to instruct the incoming NEC to investigate whether there are issues which are peculiar to men, for we believe that there are issues that predominantly affect men; e.g. family law. Is it not about time that we looked at Men’s issues too? We might have “Father’s for Justice”, but they cannot be taken seriously because of their behaviour. We need a serious and effective voice for men.

20. SERVICES & STRUCTURES


D236DWP London HQ (047039)

Conference recognises that the Internet has become an extremely useful tool for the Union in its Campaigning work and for communicating more generally with members.

Many branches are also developing their own websites to supplement the National site. Conference also believes that it is in the interests of our Organising strategy to encourage and generalise such developments.


•Provide links to branch websites from the national PCS website

•Investigate and promote suitable resources that branches can use to develop their own websites

•Develop training for reps to use such resources

•Research additional resources suitable for use by branches

D237R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)

This Annual Delegate Conference instructs the NEC to investigate the possibility of a facility enabling PCS members to opt-out of receiving PCS communications by post (other than ballot papers) and instead supply their private e-mail address so that PCS communications may be received electronically.

Conference instructs the NEC to produce a report about this with six months of the end of conference.

D238DWP Cardiff & District (047115)

This Conference agrees to award Distinguished Life Membership to Dave Richards of DWP group in recognition of his hard work and dedication to PCS and its predecessor unions.

D239DWP East London (047030)

This conference recognizes that postal balloting has become increasingly more expensive at a time when PCS needs to be cutting its costs. We instruct the incoming NEC to draft an appropriate rule amendment to enable on line voting for group elections to be presented to the 2015 conference.

D240MOJ Cheshire & Merseyside (052061)

Conference instructs the incoming NEC to award Philip Green Distinguished Life Membership in recognition for 40 years service to PCS and its predecessor unions.

He has made an outstanding contribution as Chairperson of Merseyside Branch and North West Region TUS for decades. He dedicated many years on the MoJ GEC and has served as President and Vice President of the MoJ Group.

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D241R&C Greater Manchester (200135)

Conference notes the importance of campaigning and that PCS is a campaigning union. However, conference recognises that PCS has to be available to help and support the member when they are under personal attack to meet its purpose and have credibility to call on when it asks for action. Furthermore, because the Civil Service now increasingly only applies the legal minimum to department’s guidance, the PCS more than ever needs to provide legally based help, from Health and Safety to workplace disputes and contracts. The NEC is instructed to re-prioritise and increase the amount of resources given to central PCS advice in real terms, in the knowledge that branches are strugglingwithdemand,andtofindpeopleandtime.In order to assess the extent of support needed, the NEC is instructed to carry out a PCS wide survey of how branches cope with personal cases and health and safety legislation needs, publish the results to branches and take their feedback on the outcome, before the NEC makes recommendations that will be put to the next conference.

D242National History Museum CMSOA (101016)

Conference instructs the NEC to commission a review of communication methods from Headquarters with a view to improvingclarityofbriefings,reducepostalcostsandmakebranches more effective.

The review should consider the frequency, and content ofpostalbriefingsfromHeadquarters;whethercontentwithinbriefingsshouldbecondensedandsalientpointshighlighted so that information is more easily understood, and postal costs are reduced.Thebatchingtogetherofbriefingsshouldbeconsidered.

Also whether email should go out prompting reps on what briefingsareonthewayandwhen,flaggingupthemostimportant ones for immediate branch executive attention.

The review should also consider whether email attachments should be reduced in size thus making them more easily accessible.

D243DWP Highlands & Islands (047070)

Conference recognises the importance of PCS bulletins to inform and assist activists and members. However, they also recognise the pressure on PCS representatives to reduce printing and digital storage on Departmental platforms and realisethatnoteveryonehasthemeanstofindapersonalsolution.

Whilst much of the information contained in bulletins may be present on the PCS website, it is frustratingly difficulttofind.ConferencecallsontheNECtostoreallbulletins on the PCS website in one easy to navigate area.

D244R&C Liverpool City (200136)

Conference notes that The PCS People magazine is delivered to our homes in a sealed plastic cover.Conferencenotesitisdifficulttodisposeoftheplastic

cover and remove our personal details i.e. name, address, and PCS membership number in an environmentally friend manner whilst upholding the integrity of our personal information in order to prevent the possibility of identity theft, which is unfortunately so widespread.

As such The NEC is instructed to consider alternative methods of enveloping the magazine in order to address the concerns expressed in the motion.

E245Covered by A44R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)

This conference notes the carriage of motion A22/2005 which expressed support for the introduction of procedures that would make PCS a more democratic, accountable and effective union.

We further note the carriage of motion A94/2007 which referred to the need to address a number of democratic and management issues prior to changes being implemented. We recognise that, since motion A94/2007 was carried, PCS has completed a comprehensive job evaluation exercise and a pay & grading review. Furthermore, the union has developed a staff appraisal scheme and a comprehensive training package for staff.

Further, we note that a second strategic management review has been undertaken. This proposes six Senior NationalOfficer(SNO)poststocoverthefollowingareas:

•Head of Bargaining

•Head of Campaigns, Communications and Organising

•Head of Central Services

•Head of Equality, Policy and resources for Representatives

•HeadofGeneralSecretaryOffice•Head of Regions and Nations

We further note that it is proposed that the holders of these posts will be “a part of the senior management team”, (SMR2 document, page 9). Given these developments, conference agrees to make a start to making PCS a more democratic, accountable and effective union by considering extending elections to the SNO posts set out above.

Conference calls on the NEC to:a) make the six SNO posts listed above subject to electionb) identify the most suitable time when the election identifiedinpointAaboveshouldtakeplace.

The following motions are covered by and identical to A44:E246 DWP Liverpool (047017)E247 DWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)E248 National Museums Liverpool (103001)E249 MOJ West Midlands & Warwickshire (052011)E250 DWP Lincolnshire & Rutland (047045)E251 DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)


X252Requires rule changeWelsh Government (042004)

We currently face the biggest attack on our living standards and working conditions in living memory and as a result we are required to mount the largest defence possible.

Conference notes and commends the work undertaken by the Associate and Retired Members (ARMs) group. Dedicated individuals who have often given many years of service and have the wealth of knowledge and skills and continue to be active after retirement. Membership of PCS is currently in decline as a result of agenda driven cuts based on ideology rather than economics and we need to fightthisinnewandcreativeways.

PCS has a large pool of talent that we need to call on inthesetimesofenforcedausteritytoassistinthefightagainst these unnecessary cuts and for this task ARMS need a voice at conference.


•Offer delegate places to ARMs Branches at National Conference so that ARMs can participate in debates and vote on motions in time for next years ADC.

•Continue to promote ARMs to PCS members leaving the Civil Service,

•Ensure the ARMs newsletter is distributed to all branches to highlight the work and campaigning which ARMs members are involved in and the issues they face.

•Integrate ARMS into PCS giving ARMS members the same rights under PCS Rules/Constitution as working members (where appropriate).

X253 Unclear in intentDWP East London (047030)

Conferenceagreeswiththeprinciplethatemployedofficersof the union should be elected by and accountable to members of the union.

With this in mind conference instructs the NEC to present to ADC 2015 the relevant rule changes to enable this principle, ensuring that the employment rights of current employedofficersarenotinfringed.

The following motions are identical to X253 and unclear in intent:X254 DWP South East London (047035)X255 DWP Sheffield (047008)X256 DWP Cheshire (047014)X257 PSg DCLG HQ (141802)

X258Unclear in intentDWP Sheffield HQ (047012)

This conference notes the situation of many activists and members who have been privatised. This conference further agrees that privatised members who were formally the civil

Service while they remain in a Civil Service Branch should still be entitled to attend Group conferences until such time alternative arrangements and organisation is put in place.

This Conference instructs the NEC/GEC to make a rule change for this reasonable expectation to take place, given thedifficultcircumstancesmanyfaceinthissituation.

21. FINANCE


D259DWP London HQ (047039)

This Conference acknowledges the valuable contribution made by the PCS Benevolent Fund in helping members who areinseverefinancialdifficultiestothetuneofupto£500in any 12 month period. The PCS Benevolent Fund has been a last resort where even the Charity for Civil Servants has been unable to help further. Conference also understands that due to limited resources assistance has to be prioritised and many deserving cases have to be turned away. Many of these applicants have been victims of payday loan lenders who charge an APR of up to 4000% and are trapped in a spiral of debt.

Conference instructs PCS to look at the practicalities of referring future unsuccessful applicants to the PCS Benevolent Fund to the PCS Credit Union to assess whether they can be assisted by way of an arrangement that could help ease their plight. Conference also instructs that consideration be given for referral even where applicants have been successful in getting help from the Fund.

E260Covered by A55MOJ RCJ/PRFD (052054)

Conference notes that in late 2013 our members were surprised not to receive a PCS diary with the regular circular. Although we recognise the need for economy, many of our members are not pleased that they no longer receive a diary in the post, something which most of them use. Members have therefore been forced to buy one themselves,soputtingthematfinancialdisadvantage.Thediary was also often prominently displayed on our members’ desks, helping to give the union a visible presence in many ofouroffices.

Conference therefore instructs the relevant full-time officersoftheunionandtheNationalExecutiveCommitteeto prepare for the reintroduction of the PCS diary, to be posted to all members, from the autumn of 2014.

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This Conference expresses its disappointment that the National Executive Committee decided, apparently without any consultation with members or branches, not to produce a paper diary for members for 2014.

Conference notes that this decision was met with great disappointment by members, many of whom have been using diaries produced by PCS and its predecessor unions for many years.

Conference agrees that while it is right for the union to lookfindsavingsatatimeoffallingsubscriptionincome,and to prioritise our campaigning work, it is clear that the real savings that need to be made are in the major areas of spending. In particular we note that staff costs currently account for around 70% of expenditure.

Conference believes that removing a clear, tangible benefitthatmembersreceiveandvalueaheadofanexercise to get every member to sign a direct debit form was an own goal the union could have done without.

Conference notes that many other unions still provide a diary to members, but do not necessarily use the same methods that PCS has used in the recent past. The NEC is therefore instructed to conduct a review of the methods used by other organisations with the aim of providing or offering paper diaries to PCS members on a more cost effective basis in 2015. This review should include considering using some or all of the following measures:

•Requiring branches to ask members if they wish to place an order for a diary, rather than despatching a diary to every member whether they want one or not. Branches would then put in a diary order.

•Sending diaries to branch contact points in bulk for distribution instead of posting them to individual members.

•Offering diaries for sale at a reasonable price instead of providing them for free.

E262 Covered by A55DWP Leeds (047006)

Conference notes that the decision to stop issuing diaries to members has been unpopular with many members.

Conference believes that, for those members who use them, the cost of a diary every year does not seem too extravagant an expenditure given the subs they pay. It is useful to have your diary provided, and it is useful to have details of PCS services to hand, including numbers for membership records and PCS+ legal and advice services. That is the value to the individual member.

Conference believes value to PCS as a whole is in promoting the PCS brand, and promoting the brand help with retention and recruitment. Regularly using a PCS diary has contributed to the sense of belonging and membership for existing members; the sense of belonging is an important part of retaining existing members. And seeing colleagues using PCS diaries, especially when some government departments have stopped issuing diaries for staff, helps to promote PCS to non-members and to normalise the PCS brand as part of the workplace so is a useful part of the promotional contribution to recruitment. A PCS pen will promote the PCS brand for a few weeks, but

a PCS diary will promote it for a year.Conference believes that the value to members who use

them and the value to union in promotional terms when added together means a diary for all members who want one is good value for money.

Conference instructs the NEC to make PCS diaries available for members to want them for 2015 onwards, and recommends that the NEC explores minimising distribution costs by delivering the required numbers to branches or officereps.

E263 Covered by A55R&C HQ London (200145)

PCS members in our branch are annoyed that PCS chose not to provide 2014 diaries to the membership. The PCS diary was well received by all members over the years. Its demisecameasashocktoallandthebranchofficialshadto face anger due to the fact that no prior announcement was made about the diaries. The members got even angrier when they read the announcement made on 27th November2013aboutchangestothememberbenefitsfor 2014 and learnt that the paper diary has been replaced by a smartphone digital diary. Not all members have smartphones.

The main reason given by PCS was that postage charges had doubled and therefore it was decided to do away with paper diaries.

This conference demand that the NEC reverses its decision and reinstate the provision of the PCS paper diary for 2015 onwards. In order to keep the cost at minimum, the following should be considered:a) Look for a different way of delivering the diaries to the

branches rather than to individuals.b) Charge £1.00 per diary.c) Ask the branches to sell them to the members.d) Get the orders from the branches by the end of August

each year to ascertain the quantity required.

E264Covered by A55DWP Fylde Central Benefits & Services (047139)

Conference agrees that the NEC decision to remove the diary, which is the only tangible connection for some within the union was incorrect.

Conference instructs the National Executive Committee to investigate a better way to manage resources and keep the diary for those who wish and those who wish to use the apps can do so.

Conference instructs that access to a diary for those members who wish to have one is reinstated.



Thisconferenceacknowledgesthefinancialconstraintson PCS caused by the drop in membership resulting from the Coalition Government’s continuing attack on public services.Thisconferencealsoacknowledgesthedifficultdecision to stop providing diaries for PCS members was taken following consultation.

However, conference also notes that the decision to cease supplying diaries has not been a popular one with the members. Many members were unaware of the consultation exercise, and only became aware of the decision once their 2014 diaries weren’t received.

This conference calls on the NEC to investigate the possibility of securing funding from our commercial partners to allow PCS to provide diaries for all members next year with no additional cost to the union.

Conference also instructs the NEC to only proceed with thesupplyofdiariesifitcanbedonewithoutfinancialconsequence to PCS.

E266Covered by A55DWP Doncaster (047007)

That this Conference censures the NEC for their decision to stop issuing diaries to our members. In the present climate when we are desperately trying to retain and recruit members, this action has had a negative affect.

Conference understands that there is a cost factor, mainly in postage, but feels that an alternative method of delivery could have been put in place. The diary is a valued tool for members, and Reps. in particular, to access legal and advice services.

Conference believes that savings can be made by considering:1 Asking members if they want to receive one.2 A notional charge of £13 Alternative methods of distribution.

It instructs the incoming NEC to make PCS diaries available for 2015 onwards.

E267Covered by A55DWP Stockport & Tame Valley (047024)

The ADC notes the decision taken not to supply members with a diary for 2014 on the basis of cost, particularly the cost of delivery.

The only information passed to members being from the website communication:‘Changestomemberbenefitsfor201427 November 2013 For 2014 we have made some

significantchangestomemberbenefits.Thepaperdiaryhas been replaced by a smartphone digital diary for 2014. Changes to the way Royal Mail charge for postage have significantlyincreasedthecostofsupplyingmemberswitha diary.’

This Branch has been inundated with requests from members to reinstate the extremely popular PCS diary.

The NEC is instructed to reconsider issuing the paper diary for 2015, alongside the electronic one, giving consideration to alternative methods of distribution, like bulk delivery to Branches, rather than the arbitrary withdrawal of one of the most well liked and tangible memberbenefits.

E268 Covered by A55Home Office Northern (026121)

This Conference notes that PCS has ceased providing members with paper diaries from 2014.

Whilst Conference acknowledges the increased costs of producing and despatching diaries to members due to the charges imposed by Royal Mail, PCS branch reps from across the country have been inundated with complaints from huge numbers of members following the article in the October 2013 edition of PCS People magazine.

Members realise the need to prioritise funds for legal advice, but the vast majority of members do not make use of PCS legal services as a matter of course, and wish to see the diary reinstated.

PCS members place great value on their diaries, which help them to manage work and home commitments as well as providing a range of useful contacts and information. Also, many low-paid members do not own smartphones and are therefore unable to take advantage of the online diary app.

Conference appreciates that many members see the provision of a paper diary as a small “thank you” for remaining loyal to PCS over the years, and that PCS should be able to cover the costs of the diary from the intake of members’ subscriptions.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to reinstate the paper diary with effect from 2015.

E269 Covered by A55R&C Anglia (200147)

This conference notes with disappointment the decision of the NEC to discontinue the PCS diary.Thiswasregardedbymanymembersasausefulbenefit

providing as it did both scope for planning, information and contact details for PCS services.WhilstrecognisingthechallengingfinancialPCSclimateis

operating in making a decision to withdraw a key piece of PCS branding and identity is an even bigger risk than normal when we need to retain and recruit members more than ever.

This conference instructs the NEC to:1 Provide diaries to all members that want them.2 Continue to provide the electronic diary service.3 Change the method of providing PCS diaries to a system wheretheyaresenttoofficesforrepstodistribute.Thiswill save money and create more engagement than posting diaries to members on an individual basis.

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E270 Covered by A55DWP West Kent (047102)

Conference notes the replacing of a traditional paper diary with an electronic diary compatible with smart phones. We note that this was done in a background of a decline in members levels cuts by the employer, and to increased postage costs and to enable funds to be redirected into campaignsandcaseworkforthebenefitofmembers.

However not all members has smart phones and the loss of a paper diary is an issue that many members feel strongly about. Therefore this motion calls for some form of paper diary to be reinstated in time for the start of January 2015.

It is also suggested that in order to produce and distribute a paper diary cheaper possible options could be:

•Using paper that weighs less

•Sending diaries in bulk to workplaces

•RepsincloseproximitytoPCSofficespickupthediariesfrom there.


In 2013 the NEC took the decision, without consultation of the members, to cancel the paper diary as they said that the cost of printing and distributing it had increased so much that in 2013 it was nearly double the amount the union spends on legal advice on employment matters. They did not state what the exact cost of printing & distributing the diary is, which they should declare so that members can appreciate the sum involved.

The free diary was more valued than some think and we have many members who would like a free diary. Its withdrawal has caused disappointment & annoyance with many of our members. Some will think that this is a trivial issue, but it is our inactive members who are the ones most likely to be resentful about this and most likely to question their continuing their membership as this gets them thinking “what do I get for my subs when I don’t even get a free diary?” The more active members know why we are not winning over pay, pensions, jobs, etc. but the inactive members just see years of defeats, with very few victories, and often do not see that without PCS we’d all be a lot worse off.

Having the diary was also a free advert for PCS because non-members regularly saw PCS members using their PCS diary, and now they won’t. The diary was a bit like a badge & it showed others that we belonged to something.

The NEC assumes that members can use, or have access to, a digital diary, which is not always the case. There will be many members who would prefer to have a paper diary, rather than a digital diary that they will never use. Also, many of our members will not have a smartphone, so there is no point offering them a diary App. It is understood that the smartphone App isn’t a proper App that is downloadable to the phone, and therefore some members cannot use it in any event.

To rectify this situation this Conference instructs the NEC to produce a quantity of free diaries for 2015, and for subsequent years, based on actual demand.

In previous years a diary was provided to every member, regardless of whether they wanted one or not. There will be many members who do not want a diary, so to reduce costs

the number to be produced should be based on the actual demand from our members

Our union could identify the number of diaries required by asking members who want a diary (for the following year) to complete in a simple request form, providing sufficientdetailssothattheycanbeidentifiedaccordingly,via the unions website perhaps or other method as the NEC seesfit,byaspecificdatetoallowtimeforproduction&distribution.

Our union should advertise the reintroduction of the free diary via its website, the union magazine and Activate, making it clear that members must place an order for a diary,iftheywantone,bythespecificdate.


In 2013 the NEC took the decision, without consultation of the members, to cancel the paper diary as they said that the cost of printing and distributing it had increased so much that in 2013 it was nearly double the amount the union spends on legal advice on employment matters. They did not state what the exact cost of printing & distributing the diary is, which they should declare so that members can appreciate the sum involved.

The free diary was more valued than some think and we have many members who would like a free diary. Its withdrawal has caused disappointment & annoyance with many of our members. Some will think that this is a trivial issue, but it is our inactive members who are the ones most likely to be resentful about this and most likely to question their continuing their membership as this gets them thinking “what do I get for my subs when I don’t even get a free diary?” The more active members know why we are not winning over pay, pensions, jobs, etc. but the inactive members just see years of defeats, with very few victories, and often do not see that without PCS we’d all be a lot worse off.

Having the diary was also a free advert for PCS because non-members regularly saw PCS members using their PCS diary, and now they won’t. The diary was a bit like a badge & it showed others that we belonged to something.

The NEC assumes that members can use, or have access to, a digital diary, which is not always the case. There will be many members who would prefer to have a paper diary, rather than a digital diary that they will never use. Also, many of our members will not have a smartphone, so there is no point offering them a diary App. It is understood that the smartphone App isn’t a proper App that is downloadable to the phone, and therefore some members cannot use it in any event.

To rectify this situation this Conference instructs the NEC to produce a quantity of diaries for 2015, and subsequent years, and sell them at a subsidised cost to those members who want them.

The subsidised amount to be paid by the members for a diary is to be either 50% of the cost, or shall cost the member no more than £2, whichever is the lesser amount payable by the member. In previous years a diary was provided to every member, regardless of whether they wanted one or not. There will be many members who do not want a diary, so to reduce costs the number to be produced should be based on the actual demand from our members

Our union could advertise the cost of a diary that members would have to pay if they wanted one via its website, the union magazine and activate.

They could then identify the number of diaries required


by asking members who want one (for the following year) to complete in a simple request form, providing their personaldetailssothattheycanbeidentifiedaccordingly&paymentdetails,viatheunionswebsite,byaspecificdateto allow time for production & distribution.

E273 Covered by A55DWP Wigan Area (047015)

The unilateral decision by the NEC to abolish PCS diaries without prior notice for 2014 came as a shock to many members and is undemocratic. The alternative provision of anelectronicdiaryisnotsufficient.

While appreciating the cost involved there must be alternatives ; members could be contacted by email to confirmiftheywanttoreceiveadiaryandthesecouldbedistributedviaregionalofficestobranchestoforwardtotheir members ,this would avoid excessive postal costs from the newly privatised Royal Mail.

Sponsorship could be sought from any one of PCS’s ethical partners this would drive down the cost of production.

Conference instructs the NEC to investigate all avenues in regard to this and to reintroduce PCS diaries for 2015.

E274 Covered by A55R&C North Wales & North West (200078)

This Conference notes with alarm the removal of the concept of civil liability from cases where employees are made ill or are injured at work, following on from a breach of health and safety legislation or regulations by employers. This removal now places the burden of proof on employees to show that employers have behaved negligently in order to receive compensation from the courts.

This is in sharp contrast to what applied prior to the removal of civil liability when employees only had to show that employers had breached health and safety legislation and/or regulations and did not have to establish negligence on the part of the employers. This additional test effectively makesitconsiderablymoredifficultforemployeestosuccessfully pursue a claim for compensation for injuries caused to them.

Therefore this Conference instructs the NEC to immediately launch a parliamentary campaign with a view to getting this change in the law reversed in its entirety.

E275 Covered by A55DWP Manchester and Salford (047023)

This Conference accepts the need for the union to work within a tight budget however it feels that the Decision By the NEC to unilaterally withdraw PCS Diaries was Counter Productive and that the way the decision was communicated to the membership caused a great deal of anger among ordinary members of the union.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to explore every possible step to ensure that members who wish to have a 2015 PCS diary to have one.

These steps to include but not be limited to:

•Looking at the cost of issue diaries to a central point within branches to minimize postal cost

•Considering getting the diary co sponsored by one of PCS partners such as Thompsons

•Saving the communications budget by issuing other PCS publications by email

We also instruct the NEC and PCS staff to immediately cease making reference to a Mobile phone package that costs more than PCS membership for the majority being a replacement for a paper diary.

E276 Covered by A55DWP East Sussex (047103)

Conference notes the decision to not issue PCS diaries to members this year, as a means of reducing costs to the union.

Diaries are a tangible resource issued to members and are welcomed by them as a token of their membership.

Many members do not use smart phone applications nor do they wish to.

PCS diaries are an invaluable resource for essential contact numbers and information when access to the website is limited.

The cost of a diary is minimal when looked at in the context of a member’s annual union subscriptions.

The NEC is instructed to;1 Source reasonably priced pocket diaries 2 Issue diaries to members for 2015.

E277 Covered by A55DWP East Sussex (047103)

Conference notes the decision to not issue PCS diaries to members this year, as a means of reducing costs to the union. Diaries are a tangible resource issued to members and are welcomed by them as a token of their membership. Many members do not use smart phone applications nor do they wish to.

PCS diaries are an invaluable resource for essential contact numbers and information when access to the website is limited.

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The cost of a diary is minimal when looked at in the context of a member’s annual union subscriptions.

The NEC is instructed to; 1 Source reasonably priced pocket diaries 2 Issue diaries to members for 2015.

E278 Covered by A55Met Police Central London (033107)

Central London Branch, Met Police Group wishes the reinstatement of the PCS Diary.

We see that monies have been found to re-furnish PCS HQ Clapham, also free Tea and Coffee is supplied to those working at PCS HQ staff and PCS NEC Members but not PCS members who use PCS HQ Clapham to hold meetings. The diary have always been an important document for all members and the decision by the NEC not to produce a 2014 diary for the membership is a total disregard to the need of all membership.

The amount spent on other on wanted materials such as too many printing of papers which constitute great waste is very evident in our houses and work place locations. The diary is our essential material that we anticipate having yearly, therefore, we instruct the incoming NEC to reinstate the distribution of our diary come 2015.

E279 Covered by A55DSg Veterans Agency (014300)

Conference fully agrees that the NEC decision to stop the acquisition & distribution of the PCS diary to its members was incorrect & short-sighted. For some, the diary is the main tangible connection they have to our union and many Union members do not have smart phones and thus the replacement app is of no use to them. Conference understands the cost implications behind this decision. The old way of posting out individual diaries to each of its members was very costly & that expense could not be maintained. However, we are a progressive union that works hardatfindingnewwaystodeliver–andthisisoneofthose occasions when this can be achieved – by distributing the diaries to the branches, in one single delivery. The branches would order a number of diaries for their branch membership up to and no higher than their commix membershipfigureatthetimeoftheorderingwindow,which could then be distributed alongside the on-going delivery of campaign material, meaning that only a small distribution based additional cost might be incurred.

Conference instructs the NEC to re-introduce the PCS diary for 2015 & make the majority of its members extremely happy.

22. PERSONNEL POLICY


B280 See A131 ADC 2012PSg Treasury Solicitors (141024)

Conference is disturbed by the introduction of Attendance Management policies that are clearly geared to kicking out staff as cheaply as possible, and, in the wrong hands, a charter for bullies, especially as much of the narrative in the new procedures is based on an underlying presumption of guilt/misconduct on the part of the sick employee. Conference supports early supportive intervention (including occupational health referral) designed to enable and assist staff where sick leave/disability has become/is becoming an issue, but not the monumentally bureaucratized system currently being introduced, which overburdens time strapped managers, and leads to inconsistencies and, at worst bullying, with staff feeling pressured to come into workwhenunfittodoso.

Conference instructs the NEC to negotiate to scrap trigger points and mandatory warnings and provide a framework for consistently applied guidance with adequate time and training for managers tasked with applying procedures.

C281 See A18 ADC 2013R&C South London (200026)

This ADC notes the continuing disquiet and increasing concerns arising from PCS members across the entire Civil Service on the use of Staff Survey data. Indeed PCS guidance to staff in respect of the 2013 staff survey was to boycott the survey given previous misuse and misrepresentation of the results. Unfortunately despite the boycott of the 2013 survey and the reduced numbers of staff completing it management in various departments have already started to suggest small improvements in engagement levels and further spin the results suggesting some movement in the right direction etc.

It would seem that the boycott of the survey has simply meant that a large number of staff who would otherwise have reported negative items & concerns have not done so which has resulted in the results being skewed by a minority of staff reporting generally more positive or neutral opinions. This in turn has given Departments the opportunity to claim further improvements in staff engagement are arising despite the reality facing large numbers of staff across the Civil Service in terms of job cuts, increasing workloads, aggressive & bullying management tactics, increasing attacks on terms and conditions, unfair sickness absence processes and the imposition of a completely unreasonable and subjective performance management system.


Whilst it is understood why the boycott of the survey was originally suggested, following staff concerns that results could be unfairly used against them and may impact on Departmentaldecisionsonofficeclosuresetc;itmustbeclear to most staff now that senior management are going to impose detrimental changes on staff and seek cuts & closures irrespective of what the members say in the staff survey and that they will use any opportunity to put a positive gloss on the survey results.

Given this is it not therefore imperative that all staff should actively be encouraged by PCS to fully complete the staff survey every year giving a completely honest, full and frank opinion of the state of the department and how they are being negatively affected by the many changes imposed from upon high with no apparent thought or concern as to the impact on the staff. By doing so it is hoped that the large number of disenfranchised and disengaged staff can be given an opportunity to actually provide a reality check for senior Civil Service management by reporting the true extent of staff dissatisfaction present and give a voice to the concerns currently not being recognised by them.

Staff may well have good reason to doubt as to whether Departments will meaningfully act on the responses received but a concerted response by staff providing honest, full & frank opinions on the state of the dept and its senior management; may at least empower staff by giving them an opportunity to personally & safely give some feedback on the issues affecting them and prevent Management from being able to easily gloss over the range ofsignificantissuesaffectingmembersonadaytodaybasis as well as bringing to a wider audience the reality facingasignificantnumberofstaffwithintheCivilServicerather than the glossy & selective headlines spun by the departments that we are currently seeing. Anyreductioninthereportedheadlinefigureofstaff

engagement would make it much harder for Departments to try and continue claiming publically that things are improving. At present not completing the survey has given them an easy ride and enabled them to claim just that.

This ADC therefore requests that the National Executive Committee abandon the policy of non-completion with the Staff Survey and actively put in place a programme to encourage and support all PCS members across all Departments to fully engage with the 2014 staff survey providing full, frank and honest answers to all questions toaccuratelyreflectthestarkrealityfacingasignificantnumber of staff within the business.

D282DEFRA Southern (001026)

Conference notes with concern that printers in the Civil Service have been introduced under contracts from the CabinetOffice.

Conference further notes with more concern that these printershaveturnedouttobenotfitforpurposeastheycontinually break down with engineers having to be called out on a regular and systematic basis.

Conference is extremely concerned that this is causing members undue and unnecessary stress both due to the fact that printers are not working when printing needs to be done for urgent work and in members having to take timeouttotryandfixtheseprintersgiventheincreasedwork pressures our members are facing at this present time.

Furthermore conference is concerned that the paper usedfortheseprintersarealsonotfitforpurposeandthatthis printer paper is leading to continuous and unnecessary paper jams – which also adds to members stress levels.

Conference believes that this is a completely and totally

unacceptable state of affairs and therefore feels that this issue needs to be addressed immediately by the Cabinet Office.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to raise these concernswiththeCabinetOfficewithoutdelayandfurtherinstructstheNECtoasktheCabinetOfficetocomeupwith solutions to rectify these issues as soon as practically possible.

Conference also instructs the NEC to report back to branches on progress in implementing this motion.

D283MOJ RCJ/PRFD (052054)

Conference notes that Transparency International and other sourceshaveidentifiedthatthereisanincreasingamountof fraud in both the public and private sector, something perhaps inevitable in a period of both widespread pay cuts and incredible greed manifested in the City of London and elsewhere.

Conference also notes that, given this background, our members are likely to be at greater risk of accusations of fraud. In the experience of this branch and others within the Ministry of Justice, members have, on advice given by Shared Services to local management, faced this allegation onveryflimsyground.Anyactofallegedminordishonestyisthereforedeemedtobe‘fraudulent’.Legaldefinitionsof fraud are for more precise, but all revolve around the concept that there has to be a potential gain in money orproperty,howeverbroadlydefinedtheseconceptsare.A case of fraud, if proven, will often be treated as gross misconduct and may lead to the dismissal of the member.

Conference therefore instructs the National Executive CommitteetoattempttoagreeadefinitionoffraudwiththeCabinetOffice,inlinewiththatusedinthecriminallaw of this country, and to ensure that all government departmentsandagenciesadoptthisdefinition,sothatour members are properly protected against spurious allegations of fraud when the conduct of the member does not in fact amount to it.

D284R&C HQ London (200145)

This ADC notes the contents of the consultation dated 13 January 2014 by the Civil Service Commission for the updating of the Recruitment Principles published in April 2012. Conference also notes the contents of the Civil Service Reform – One Year On Report published by the CabinetOffice.

The two issues of concern stemming from these documentsarethefutureabilityofMinisterstoinfluencethe appointment of Permanent Secretaries and the establishmentofExtendedMinisterialOffices(EMOs)consisting of a large number of politically appointed advisers. These extend to separate EMOs for junior ministers in a coalition government. The funding of all these extra posts is to be met from existing departmental budgets.

Whilst Conference acknowledges the safeguards that the Civil Service Commission has been desperately attempting to introduce into the various appointment processes, it is clear that the main political parties are well down the line towards the politicisation of the Civil Service into a US-style

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system of political appointees who will have a shelf-life offiveyearsandablinkeredshort-termapproachtothewelfare of this nation. The inevitable impact will be the creation of a Civil Service potentially made up of yes-men and women too afraid to speak out. The policies stemming from this marriage will result in the further demonisation of Civil Servants as demonstrated by the negative media briefingsofthelastfewyears.

This ADC instructs the NEC to voice PCS concerns at all appropriate levels and in all appropriate fora to highlight this emerging practice and to ensure that we remain vigilant in protecting the principles of honesty, integrity, objectivity and impartiality from being compromised by politicians.

D285MOJ Greater Manchester (052010)

Conference knows that the majority of PCS members and the majority of civil servants, are female. Further, that most compressed hour or part time workers will also be mainly women.

Conference notes that an employee working a full-time week but over 4 days will lose more than a typical days pay compared to full timers working a 5 day week if they participate in strike action. This means they lose proportionally more pay than other full-time colleagues not working compressed hours. As well as women taking time out to have children are usually earning less than their male counterparts – all other things being equal it also means those women losing more in strike pay than their male counterparts if working compressed hours and perhaps other working patterns.

Conference instructs the NEC to investigate this matter to see whether current industrial action stoppages of pay are discriminatory and to see whether, legally employers have to ensure their pay deductions due to industrial action are fair and proportionate, or that PCS should compensate such members for their extra losses or devise a policy of how many hours individuals – according to their working patterns, should take as industrial action to ensure everyone takes their fair share of industrial action and also only loses their fair share of pay.ConferenceinstructstheNECtoprovidetheirfindingsto

Branches with recommendations so branches can discuss what stance should be taken or other options debated in time for 2015 PCS National Conference.

E286 Covered by A60BIS South & Wales (041042)

Conference agrees that the current Civil Service Performance Management Policy must be abolished and replaced by a framework of standards negotiated with the PCS National Executive Committee (NEC).

These Performance Management Standards must include: 1 Fair, reasonable and transparent assessment against

objectives and competencies, which are set following acceptable procedural requirements and guidance negotiated with the NEC.

2 An end of year performance rating must be decided through discussion between employee and line manager

on the basis of a fair assessment of the achievement of the employee’s objectives and competencies against known standards for performance.

3 Guided Distribution Ranges must be subject to the principle that employees will be awarded the performance rating which they have achieved. Distribution ranges must not be used as quotas to predetermine outcomes.

4 Ratings must not be changed or forced simply to meet the distribution ranges.

5 The right to raise a formal grievance and appeal under the normal Grievance and Appeal Procedures must be recognised.

6 Performance improvement procedures must address the needforrealnotfictitiousperformanceimprovement.

A“MustImprove”ratingmustonlybegivenwherejustifiedon the basis of the evidence of the employee’s performance and not simply to meet a distribution quota. The employee must be advised of the steps to be taken that should lead to an improvement in their rating. A 10% “guided distribution” (or higher) for a “Must Improve” rating must be abolished as there are no grounds to support such guidance.

Conference recognises that there have been differences in the pace of implementation and the detail of the implementation of civil service performance management policy across the civil service. In these circumstances it may be appropriate for the campaign of opposition to vary so that, for example, industrial action or a boycott in one area may not be appropriate in another. Legal Action may be viable in some cases and pressure from repeated negative feedback from members using a grievance or appeal procedure, or a staff survey, may have an effective impact in the particular circumstances that need to be addressed to achieve gains.

Conference instructs the NEC to take all necessary action to achieve abolition of the current Civil Service Performance Management Policy, supporting and co-ordinating a relentlessbutflexibleprogrammeofaction,inconsultationwith Group Executive Committees, which may include different tactics being used in different parts of the civil service to achieve shared objectives.

The following motions are covered by A60 and identical to E286:E287 DWP Bradford (047002)E288 BIS North & Scotland (041067)


This conference condemns the use of Performance Management Systems (PMS) under the guise of Civil Service Reform. It is one of a stream of attacks upon members’ conditions as part of the Tory/Liberal austerity plans.

The intent is clear from the proposals and statements of Ministers and the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood that 10% must improve or face the sack. It is based on prejudice against the work of PCS members who are under pressure, under resourced and under attack. PMS runs counter to any sense of fairness in appraisal by using so called moderating to mark down members as ‘must improve’ against assessment based on evidence.

ADC motion A18 2013 and the campaign run in DWP, HMRC and across PCS demonstrate the growing opposition to PMS and the danger it represents.

Conference recognises that this attack upon individual


members requires an effective and collective response if we are to safeguard members and challenge the oppressive management methods of which PMS is a part.

We welcome the work of the NEC and Groups engaged in campaigns and instruct the NEC;1 To use the current mandate for action in line with the key

national demands and to co-ordinate group action and wherever possible highlight the threat of PMS and the union strategies to challenge it.

2 Establish an effective policy of non-co-operation that will need to be based on a collective response of enforcing membership support for union guidance that minimises the risk of individual members facing disciplinary action or suspension. To pursue a vigorous campaign at all levels of the union to win members support for this strategy.

3 To demand safeguards from the employer including abolition of relative assessment, no forced distribution of markings, reform of competency framework including an end to ‘ineffective indicators’, fair performance assessment based on agreement between individual and line manager and strictly limited role of countersignatory officer,nolinkbetweenpayandperformance,righttoraise formal grievance against interim and end of year ratings with appeal to Independent Appeals Process.

4 To produce clear union guidance on how to assert your rights under PMS. The guidance to be given maximum publicity through members and reps meetings, group and nationalbriefingsandcontacts/helplinesformembers.

5 To consult members at national and group level, to promote endorsement of this approach and for groups and/orindividualbranchestoseekofficialsupportforindustrial action in defence of any members targeted through PMS.

6 To work through the Parliamentary Group and external campaign groups/academics to expose the threat posed and the discriminatory impact of PMS.

The following motions are covered by A60 and identical to E289:E290 R&C Sussex (200152)E291 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)E292 DSg Veterans Agency (014300)

E293Covered by A60R&C Leicestershire (200059)

That this PCS National Conference notes the roll out of the PMRsystemacrosstheCivilServiceunderCabinetOfficediktat and the discriminatory nature of its implementation particularlyidentifiedinthehalfyearmarkingsprovided by HMRC.

Therefore the NEC is instructed to explore legal avenues and obtain advice on the basis that if we know it’s a discriminatorysystem,theevidenceconfirmsitisandtherefore anybody participating in the system is acting in an unlawfuldiscriminatorymanner.Thefinalaimtorenderthesystem completely defunct and relegated to the dustbin of history.

E294Covered by A60DSg Portsmouth Area (014121)

Conference is aware that since the policy of our employer is to implement as part of civil service reform changes that are having the effect of increasingly placing individuals on different off-scale pay rates, pension schemes and terms and conditions entitlements, it is time to demand the employer issue every employee across the civil service with a formal contract of employment setting out what they are due, and this to be revised in light of events such as advancement/promotion when entitlements can be reduced. In the absence of any move by the employer to set out the future arrangements for civil service (and wider public sector) pay scales and for performance progression there is the prospect of individuals relegated to the set percentage of lowest performers not even receiving the 1% pay cap revalorization of scale points and therefore moving ontopersonalratesofpaynotidentifiableagainstcurrentscales. If as a result of the PMS personal rates of pay are going to become the norm for an increasing number of employees then the case for having personal contracts for everyone becomes much stronger. Since we are required to emulate the commercial business world in so many other ways then a formal contract of employment would be the norm in any business and NHS workers already get one. If misunderstandings about entitlements start to happen then the existence of a formal contract could remove the doubt and assist the line manager as well as HR to monitor and control what is happening amongst groups of employees with varying entitlements. Conference instructs the NEC to negotiate with management a way forward towards clear contracts for all.

E295 Covered by A60Home Office Greater London (026105)

This conference believes that the issue of moderation and relative assessment in end of year appraisals is one that cuts across the Civil Service. As such we should be providing a coordinated and united response to it, irrespective of Department. This Conference also notes the industrial action taken by the FDA union in HMRC against the process.

This Conference instructs the NEC to take a more active role in coordinating the union’s response to this pernicious exercise. To that the NEC should;

•Collate Civil Service wide statistics and consider a complaint to the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, and a potential legal challenge on the basis of discrimination.

•Disseminate stock grievance templates to Departmental representatives for use.

•Consider an industrial response, including boycotts and non-compliance, and any potential coordinated cross union action

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E296Covered by A60DWP North East & Mid Wales (047128)

Conference notes:1 CONDEM Government rhetoric has recently asserted that

10% of under-performing civil servants will be sacked. The leading minister in this attack on civil servants has been Francis Maude. The result of this is the “must improve” box marking, which it is intended 10% of Civil Servants will fall into yearly.

2 Historically, several of those who were put in the various versions of the lowest box marking were those who had failed to meet the already draconian targets the civil service tends to set.

Conference believes:1 Due to performance related pay, more members

receiving “must improve” markings results in less membersreceivingabonus,thereforeareducedstaffingbill and a pat on the back by Government ministers. An even bigger pat on the back is received for sacking staff, as the amount of money saved per member is greater. Whilst being found in the “must improve” category does not mean an automatic dismissal, it means that a member will be recognised as under performing in some manner, thereby making it easier for their department’s performance policy to begin.

2 Many members whom are found to be in the “must improve” category are still those who do not meet a departmental target. These targets are often draconian and never take into account other factors, such as how accurate the member’s work is, how accurately their completed work is recorded and whether they have received appropriate training. The fact that more than 90% of PCS members hit departmental targets does however mean that the obligatory 10% cannot be found solely by evaluating performance in this manner.

3 Managersarethereforebeingpressurisedtofindtheir“10% percent” by hook or by crook. Virtually nothing is off limits. Those who hit their targets do not engage. Those who engage do not hit their targets. Those who both hit their targets and engage do not behave correctly etc.

4 Managersarecynicallyfindinganyreasontheypossiblycan to put members in the “must improve” category. Some managers are showing absolutely no consideration to the fact that this will invariably lead to members not receiving their end of year bonus. Managers are therefore literally taking the food out of our members’ mouths.

5 On occasion, if a member hits targets, engages, has no “behavioural issues” etc., managers will raise the individual’s target beyond that set nationally to an unachievable level so that the target will be missed. Performance policies will begin, and a “must improve” marking will be received.

6 There are several exceptions – many managers feel rightly uncomfortable about putting members in the “must improve” category who have performed well all year. These managers will in all likelihood receive such a marking themselves for refusing to comply.

Conference mandates the NEC to:1 Mount a strong campaign to raise awareness of this issue,

which presents a dangerous threat to PCS members.2 Seek acknowledgment from the Government that the

best way to encourage a productive work force is to pay well, offer good terms and conditions, a good pension scheme and fair treatment, not threaten the work force with losing their jobs. Therefore the best way to ensure a productive work force is for the government to meet the demands of the national campaign.

3 Demand the repeal of the current performance management system and an end to performance related pay. Back this up with the threat of industrial action if necessary.

4 Support all group executive committees in bargaining for a comprehensive ULR agreement and in each department, highlighting the role ULRs can play in increasing the availability of training for members.


Conference notes the strike action taken by the ARC section of the FDA in HMRC on 14th February 2014 against the HMRC performance management system. Conference notes that this strike followed a short period of non cooperation with the performance system by PCS in HMRC. Conference is concerned that PCS members were expected to cross management picket lines even though the same trade dispute existed for our members.

Conference agrees the following 1 That the NEC should launch a national campaign against

all performance systems which include behavioural indicators and/or quotas for box markings.

2 That this campaign should include non-cooperation and strike action as appropriate.

3 That the NEC should enter talks with the FDA to ensure a joint approach if possible.

E298 Covered by A60PSg Treasury Solicitors (141024)

Conference notes the latest poor performance policy and guidance emanating from the centre and the underlying aims of the exercise; namely to transform existing procedures from an enabling tool for staff perceived to be underperforming to a jackboot charter with timescales clearly geared to dismissal rather than monitoring and addressing underlying causes of underperformance, or dips in performance.

Aside from the existing discriminatory nature of current performance management where race, ethnic origin, gender and grade are concerned, the latest measures will have a disproportionate effect on disabled staff because thetimescalesbeingintroducedwillallowinsufficienttimeforreasonableadjustmentstobeidentified,implementedand performance monitored once they are in place.

Anyone in any doubt about the employer’s intentions on terms and conditions should take the trouble to read this poisonous pile of pus masquerading as performance managementandefficiencypolicy.

Allied to increasingly arbitrary targets and the lottery known as devolved management, we have a recipe for chaos and despair.

Not unnoticed either is the disciplinary whip hand offered to managers who fail to enforce poor performance procedures, worded vaguely enough to fuel the cocktail of fear and ambition that makes working life such a joy for so many.

Conference notes with ecstasy the introduction of Roman military discipline measures ie decimation, to sort the wheat


from the chaff, regardless of the performance levels of the individualsidentifies(onthebasisofatenpercentquota)as‘requiring improvement).

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to negotiate the obliteration of relative assessment and the use of quota; to re-negotiateinefficiencyprocedureswiththeemphasisonsupporting and enabling staff as opposed to kicking them in the genitals.

E299 Covered by A62PSg Treasury Solicitors (141024)

Conference notes the continued subjugation of all performancemanagementsystemstothequickfixbonusculture and the onset of the despised and divisive relative assessment system; it notes also the heightened disregard to both the damning equality statistics on performance pay across the civil service, the evidence of grade based discrimination and more widely, of short termist decision making at the expense of proper strategic thinking, fuelled by bonus culture, which has blighted public and private sectors alike.

Conference instructs the NEC to renew with vigour the campaign to scrap not only performance pay but underlying performance management systems and re-establish the old farts’ dream of an appraisal system based on balanced assessment of performance against grade requirements and development potential, rather than the current box ticking fetish.

E300 Covered by A62PSg DCLG HQ (141802)

This Conference notes that the reporting system in the civil service continues to be marked by seriously disturbing and adverse correlations in box markings and equality categories and at least including ethnicity, age, disability, and grade.

This Conference believes it is now time for a fundamental overhaul of civil service management of staff with a view to ending decades old dogmas that some “box” or “ranking” system can fairly and accurately capture performance and be combined with a serious and mature approach to training, coaching, skill and knowledge enhancement and development.

This Conference instructs the NEC to consult with Groups and branches and PCS equality networks and to work with progressive experts and equality campaigners with a view to developing a less judgemental, biased, and backward looking system that truly places the emphasis on the development and motivation of staff and equality of outcomes and that breaks the link between so-called performance assessment and pay.

E301Covered by A63MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

Conference notes the campaigning work around call centre workers rights for PCS members and particularly those in HMRC and DWP which have resulted in improvements in conditions. Conference recognises call centre workers are at the sharp end of attacks on conditions given the nature of this service delivery model and recommits itself to winning the demands set out in the Call Centre Charter for all these members.

While PCS has in the past period concentrated on the immediate task of defending members through campaigns in groups, including the use of industrial action, it is union policy to work for a national agreement on call centre conditions.

Conference agrees that the PCS NEC should focus on securing a national call centre agreement and in order to prepare to present this demand to management should consult group executive committees on the issue and set out the appropriate set of demands, based on the Call Centre Charter and the experience of recent group campaign demands – including privatisation – and settlements,totheCabinetOfficeassoonaspossible.

E302 Covered by A67DWP London HQ (047039)

This Conference believes that the concept of Smarter Workingisseriouslyflawed.Departmentshaveseizeduponso-called Smarter Working as a way of saving money at a time when budgets are being attacked by the Government, and are seeking to sell it to staff as an alternative to even moredrasticstaffingcuts.

This Conference calls upon the National Executive Committee to launch an investigation into the real costs of this pernicious practice, in conjunction with other Unions, the TUC or other interested parties if necessary. The investigation should look at the hidden costs associated with the practice, especially the cost of the de-humanisation of the workplace.

Issues that should be addressed include:

•Loss of personal space

•Timewastedfindingadeskandsettingitupatthestartof each day

•Time wasted at the end of the day returning things to a locker

•Lossofcoherentteams–thecosttoworkingefficiencyand social interaction

•Discrimination against those unable to get in early enough to get the “best” desks

•Diminished opportunities for support and leadership

•Increased noise levels affecting, in particular, considerative work

•Hygiene/health issues arising from multiple users of keyboards/phones etc

•Inadequacy of current IT to support multiple users

Conference instructs the NEC to report back on this investigation by the end of the year and issue campaigning material as appropriate.

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The following motion is covered by and identical to A68:

E303 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

23. AFFILIATIONS


D304R&C Dundee (200029)

ThatthisADCnotesthatPCSpaysTUCaffiliationfeesbased on the total UK membership of the union. However, Conference also recognises that members in Scotland are servedbytheSTUC,andthatPCSpaysaseparateaffiliationfee to the STUC for that purpose.

Conference agrees that PCS members in Scotland derive nobenefitfromtheTUCaffiliationfeesbeingpaidontheirbehalf, and that it is therefore a waste of PCS funds to affiliatePCSmembersinScotlandtotheTUC.Conferencerecognises that the SUC provides a wealth of services fromwhichPCSmembersinScotlandbenefit,includingeducation courses, equality networks, campaigning activities, and that it is desirable for these services to continue.

Conference therefore instruct the NEC to cease paying an affiliationfeetotheTUCforScottishbasedmembers,andtoincreaseouraffiliationfeetotheSTUCtothesamerateper member as is currently paid to the TUC.

E305Covered by A78R&C Greater Manchester (200135)

In 2005 PCS adopted a right to choose policy, which amongst other things called for PCS to campaign to change the laws on abortion. Financial contributions have been madetoabortionrightsfollowingtheUnion’saffiliationin2007.

This Conference recognises abortion is a highly emotive issue which PCS members have differing views on.

To ensure the opinions and beliefs of all members is respected conference agrees to:1 Enditsaffiliationtoabortionrightswithimmediate

effect.2 Have no policy on abortion with immediate effect.

The following motions are covered by and identical to A79:E306 DWP Leeds (047006)E307 DWP Birmingham South (047053)E308 R&C VOA Greater London Valuation (200148)

X309 Fails Standing Order A5

Land Registry Durham (030009)

Conference notes that for over 100 years the subscriptions of Durham Miners have paid for the hugely popular and colourful Durham Miners Gala. The Gala is held on the second Saturday in July in the city of Durham and is not only a celebration of coal mining heritage but of trade unionism and working class communities. It is the largest annual gathering of trade unionists in the country which sees thousands of people and hundreds of banners march through the streets of Durham every year. Many PCS branches and members take part in this spectacular event and PCS have been privileged in recent years, to have been invited to speak, alongside the usual, impressive platform of speakers.TheDurhamcoalfieldhaslongbeendestroyedbya vengeful Tory Government and the Gala needs the help of many friends. Friends of the Durham Miners’ Gala Society has been established to raise funds for the Gala. They are trying to encourage as many people as possible to subscribe a regular amount by standing order to raise the funds that will ensure the Gala continues. Conference believes that the work of the Friends of the Durham Miners’ Gala must be supported, therefore Conference instructs the NEC to affiliatePCStothisorganisationonanationalbasisatacost of £500 per annum, to publicise the Gala as widely as possible and to encourage Braches and individual members toaffiliate.

24. SOCIAL & ECONOMIC


B310See A26 ADC 2012Home Office West Croydon (026102)

This conference instructs the NEC to campaign for the repeal of section 273 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Consolidated Act 1992 and the reintroduction of employment rights set out in sections 188 to 198 of TULR(C)A 1992 for Home civil servants that are equal to those who are employed by employers other than the Crown.

This conference note that the dis-application of these rights in 1993 led to a state of affairs where successive governments comprised of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats have presided over a system where their own employees have been denied the right of redress when the government of the day fails to treat its workforce fairly. That same government, however, has legislation allowing other employees in the same situation to seek remedy through the employment tribunal system.


B311See A27 ADC 2012R&C East Midlands (200033)

This conference believes that all workers are equal and as such deserve equal rights and treatment at work.

This conference recognises the difference between a worker who may be exploited at work and a worker who is forced into an exploited job.

The NEC is instructed to immediately adopt a policy of supporting the protection, unionisation and organising of sex workers.

The NEC is further instructed to actively support other unions such as the GMB who already organise in this area.

The following motion is identical to B311:B312 R&C Bristol West (200033) (see A27 ADC 2012)

B313See A97 and A98 ADC 2012 & B407 ADC 2013MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

This conference notes the passing of A97 at ADC 2012. However the austerity programmes dictated by the IMF, the European Commission and the European Central Bank, and supported by almost every governing party in Europe, have continued unabated. These policies have deepened the crisis, with the workers of Europe being made to pay for a crisis they didn’t cause.

Every new plan drawn up by the EU leaders has failed to reverse the situation and on the contrary have made the situation worse for workers. The EU, IMF and ECB are now the standard bearers of neo-liberalism across Europe, supporting massive job cuts, attacks on living standards and welfare payments, driving down terms and conditions, and extensive privatisation of public services.

But the resistance of the organised working class across Europe also continues unabated with strikes, protests and mass movements taking place in Spain and Portugal and further general strike movements in Greece. Where electors have had the opportunity to vote on austerity measures they have recorded an overwhelming rejection ofthem,signifiedintheelectionofHollandeinFranceandthe growth in support for left-wing forces such as Syriza in Greece. This reinforces the need for working class political representationalongsideoffightingtradeunions.Thecontinuation of this process is also vital to cut across growth in support for racist far-right parties such as Golden Dawn in Greece.

The trade union movement must reject the idea that national governments have ‘no option’ but to implement pro-market, anti-worker EU directives, rulings and austerity demands. On the contrary, we should campaign for measures that protect workers’ interests, such as expanded public services, full trade union rights, public ownership etc regardless of whether they comply with ‘EU law’. Ultimately the EU is an agreement between the different national capitalist classes of Europe and workers’ internationalism does not mean supporting ‘our own’ ruling class in whatever agreement they make with the ruling elites of other countries. This approach should also guide our attitude to the possibility of an EU referendum in Britain.

The Tories could propose a referendum even before a general election in 2015 in an attempt to prevent a

splitintheirparty,shoreuptheirflaggingsupport,andblame the economic situation in Britain on Europe. Such a development could precipitate the early fall of the Con-Dem coalition. In light of this PCS should develop an independent policy position, which is clear and distinct from mainstream pro-or anti-EU advocates. This would mean standing against the EU bosses’ club in favour of a genuine collaboration of the peoples of Europe, which could only be possible on the basis of the policies agreed in A97, for massive investment in public services, and democratically accountable public ownership of the main pillars of the economy.

PCS and the trade union movement must ensure that a trade union voice is heard during any referendum and therefore instructs the NEC to campaign for:

•No to the EU austerity dictats

•Cancel the debts

•Economic growth measures not austerity

•No to privatisation

•Improved workers rights

•Solidarity with European workers and their trade unions

•Renationalisation/public ownership

B314 See A510 and E168 ADC 2013MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

This conference notes the government’s austerity programme devastating impact on our members and working people. Austerity is a disaster that is destroying our public services, the NHS and the welfare state and has caused a double-dip recession. The attacks on welfare have been particularly iniquitous with 30bn taken from the most vulnerable to provide 30bn in tax breaks for big business and the rich.Conferenceapplaudsthecontinuedfightingand

campaigning role played by PCS which the TUC and right unionleadershadtriedtostiflethroughattemptingto“sell” the government’s Heads of Agreement.

Conference also acknowledges the role played by PCS Groups who have delivered Actions that have won important concessions from their employers. Inordertocontinuetobuildthefightagainstausterity

conference agrees and instructs the NEC to campaign for the following within the TUC and the wider community if appropriate: -a) To oppose the government’s cuts and privatisation

programme and to continue campaigning for an alternative based on tax justice, job creation and investment, defence of the welfare state and to raise the need for a socialist alternative to the chaos of the market andtheprofitsystem.

b) To continue to build and support the anti-cuts movement in our communities and the inequality it causes by continuing the work to build the widest possible alliances with anti-cuts groups including UK Uncut, DPAC, National Pensioners Convention.

c) Oppose the pay freeze, job cuts, privatisation and attacks on services and terms and conditions, including trade union facilities, by all means, including negotiation, legal, awareness and industrial action in the branches, groups and nationally and continue to work for the maximum unity across the public and private sectors with the aim of building coordinated mass joint industrial action, including supporting the call for a general strike.

d) To continue to encourage and support effective Actions by PCS Groups that supplement the National Campaign and to co-ordinate these where possible to maximise the impact upon the employer.

66

B315See A104 ADC 2012 and B382 ADC 2013MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

This conference notes that two years after the fall of Ben Ali in Tunisia and Mubarak in Egypt, millions of people across theMiddleEastandNortharestillfightingtorealisetherevolutions’ demands of bread, freedom and social justice. During that time we have seen unprecedented levels of strike action and waves of mass political protest sweep the region from Morocco to Yemen.

This conference further notes that Western governments, including the UK government, have – despite rhetorical support for the ‘Arab Spring’ – continued to send arms and lethal ‘crowd control’ equipment to regimes across the region. They have also intervened militarily, both directly and indirectly, in the revolutions in Libya and Syria to advance their own interests rather than those of ordinary people in those countries. Thisconferencere-affirmsitscontinuingoppositionto

any form of Western military intervention in the region and calls on the UK government to stop all arms and repressive equipment sales to regimes there.

This conference resolves:

•To send a message of support to colleagues in our sister unions in the region, via the MENA Solidarity Network ([email protected]) in solidarity with their ongoing struggles for trade union rights and against austerity and privatisation;

•To publicise the work of the MENA Solidarity Network widely to our members.


It is clear that much of the Palestinian population on the West Bank and East Jerusalem is disappearing by the minute. The reason is owing to systematic evictions, construction of illegal settlements and massive roadways that favour the Zionist settlers. In addition, Israeli troops are continuing to attack much of the local Palestinian population in the West Bank and obliterating their existence in East Jerusalem as well as the catastrophic blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian Authority is, always, wining the intellectual debate in denouncing the Israeli authorities that threaten the existence of Palestine. But the result is meaningless as Israel under the current government, knows that it can escape trouble and international opposition with its current policy. In fact, Israel has the complete support of the United Sates, not only through the Zionist lobby, but through the Far Christian Right in the Congress. The Far Christian Right holds the dogmatic view that God has provided the lands on the West Bank and East Jerusalem to the settlers and seems to equate the Palestinians as hostile natives like the Red Indians against the White settlers of the previous centuries in America.

If we are serious in relation to saving the existence of Palestine, including our Trade Union comrades, we need to lobby for direct economic sanctions against Israel in the same fashion that we did against apartheid in South Africa.

This conference therefore agrees that the NEC should ask the TUC to implement the following measures:1 Constantly lobby Parliament, MEPs and the government

for direct economic sanctions against the current Israeli

government.2 Encourage Trade Unions abroad to lobby their

governments on the same basis as well.3 To pressurise Israel into withdrawing the Israeli troops and

implementing self – rule in the whole of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem with joint sovereignty over the Grove.

4 To call for a return of all the illegal settlements on the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

5 To demand the demolition of the entire security wall between Israel and Palestine that is, already, encroaching on Palestinian territory.

6 To call for compensation or the return of the millions of Palestinians in diaspora since 1948.

7 To call for a ban on any discrimination against the Arab population in Israel.

8 To demand full recognition of workers’ and Trade Union rights for the Palestinian people, as they are enduring economic hardships on the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.


This conference notes the current predicament for those who unfortunately need residential care due to ill health, and that some elderly people face giving up their life savings, including their property, to pay for their care.

Conference further notes that many of the two million workers who are employed in the care work sector receive just the national minimum wage; recent research by academics at King’s College London estimate that between 150,000 and 200,000 care workers receive less than the statutory minimum.

Conference deplores the exploitation of workers, the elderlyandthesickinordertomakeprivateprofit.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to campaign, with the support of the TUC, for the creation of a National Care Service which would take care homes into public ownership. Such a service would aspire to:

•Provide a high quality of care, with all care homes meeting professional standards

•Provide high quality employment for its work force, who would be professionally trained and adequately paid

•Provide care to all in need, free at the point of delivery, funded through general taxation, and publicly owned without any involvement from the private, voluntary or charity sectors.

D318R&C Telford (200114)

Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) acknowledges that the Government Digital Agenda has the potential to impact detrimentally on the more vulnerable citizens of our society who will not have access to IT or the skill to use it.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to ensure that the Government is forced to carry out a review of the Digital Agenda as part of their Public Sector Duty obligations.


D319MOJ Greater Manchester (052010)

The current situation cannot be ignored. The economy is slowly improving, and though we know that it is mainly the richthatarebenefitingfromthis,thegovernmentmightbeable to persuade the electorate that their policy of austerity is working & that they should be given a further term of 5 years to continue the work they have started. If they succeed in being re-elected there will be a further sustained onslaught of the public sector and by 2020 parts of the public sector will be unrecognisable.TheunionsaffiliatedtotheLabourpartymuststop

prevaricating. At the moment they will not mount joint action against the attacks by this government because theyareconcentratingtheireffortsmoreinfinanciallysupporting, and delivering votes for, Labour’s General Election Campaign in the hope that Labour will win the general election in 2015 – rather than mount united action as agreed at two recent TUC Conferences. Not only does this mean that we have to suffer another year of pain at the hands of this government, but there is no guarantee that the Labour party will win the 2015 election, or that if it does, that they will make life any better for ordinary working people, in both the private & public sector, because they have stated that they agree with austerity measures & therefore they are unlikely to reverse the cuts.

Also, despite the money being handed over to the Labour PartybyaffiliatedtradeunionstheLabourpartyleadershipistakingstepstoloosentheparty’sfinanciallinkswithtradeunions. Clearly they no longer represent the trade union movement that created the party and these unions need to wake up and realise that their policy of waiting for a change of government is too risky. They must unite & take action now.

This Conference instructs the NEC to raise these concerns at the TUC by raising it in speeches by the PCS delegation during any debates relating to “Action Against Cuts”, pointing out that the relationship between the public sector LabouraffiliatedunionsandtheLabourpartyishamperinganddamagingourcollectivefightagainstthecuts&thatthese unions should question what they are getting from theLabourpartyinreturnfortheirdonations&affiliation.The delegation is also to request urgent talks with a view to taking joint action within the next year.

D320Telford Aspire (163002)

TheflagrantprofiteeringofthebigITcompanieshasfailedthe taxpayer. This ADC does not believe that handing the contracts to a wider range of suppliers will lower costs or improve service. Conference notes with regret the experience of privatisation is that the winning bid is rarely a reflectionoftheendcosttothetaxpayer.

This ADC believes that breaking up the contracts will lead to a greater extension of the management ‘man-marking’ bureaucracy of privatisation and less resource being put into the developing, testing and supporting the Live Code. It will make contracts become even more opaque and less publicly accountable and most likely lead to off-shoring of quality skilled UK jobs, and large scale redundancies amongst the existing staff in public and private sector. The loss of these jobs will mean the loss of our members who

have the knowledge of the systems would be an enormous national risk to IT delivery, but recent changes to TUPE offer them no protection.

Conference acknowledges our members in the private sector don’t set the exorbitant prices the IT companies charge, and despite our hostility to their employers, our members deserve support and protection.

This ADC believes that long-term savings to the taxpayer wouldbemadebyproperlycappingpricesandprofits,keeping work on-shore, and seriously planning to return outsourced workers to employment in the national interest and re-skill the civil service. It calls on PCS to campaign to publicise the errors, self-interest and waste in the Government’s simplistic IT Strategy, and defend our members, the Civil Service and the public they serve, but nottheprofiteeringITcompanies.

D321DWP South East London (047035)

Conference recognises the work done by the union to oppose the attacks on the Welfare State and to promote a progressive system as detailed in the Welfare: an alternative vision pamphlet.

Conference agrees that PCS should endeavour to work with all organisations and parties who also wish to defend and improve the Welfare State.

To this end Conference instructs the NEC to arrange and host an annual Welfare Forum at PCS HQ or a suitable venue.

D322DfE London & Southern (501008)

Annual delegate conference welcomes the decision by the NUT and by Unison at their 2013 ADCs to call for a National Campaign for Education (NCE) to be developed.

We welcome this move to bring together the various campaigns against the fragmentation and privatisation of education and in favour of the right of every child to attend a good local, non-selective state school, part of the family of schools supported by democratically accountable LAs.

One such campaign is the Anti Academies Alliance. PCS is alreadyaffiliatedtothatcampaign.Amotionforthe2014NUT ADC calls on the NUT to support local NCE networks and to hold a NCE conference before the end of 2014.

We instruct the NEC to support and encourage branches to get involved in local networks where we have branches and to encourage groups to send delegates to a national NCE conference should one occur.

68

D323MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

ConferenceisawareoftherecenthorrificattacksontheIrish marches in Liverpool by Far Right organisations that include the British National Party (BNP), British Freedom Party,BritishPeople’sParty,InfidelsofBritain,NationalFront (NF), Combined Ex – Forces (CXF), United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), football hooligans, and some individual members of right wing loyalist groups that have no connection with mainstream unionism. These Irish marches have proceeded peacefully in Liverpool as family friendly and trouble free since 1994. But last year was a complete catastrophe as the Far Right spread false and malicious propaganda through organised networks that these marches were promoting violent republican sectarianismofwhichisfarfromthetruth!Duringthefirstmarch in February 2012, Fascist thugs were allowed by the police to walk beside the marchers and hurl constant anti – Irish racist abuse. During the annual event of July that remembers the life and work of the Liverpool born Irish Trade Unionist, Jim Larkin, the marchers were met with a sustained volley of racist and sectarian abuse by FarRightgroups.Again,ahatefilledmobwasallowedtofollow along the side of the march throughout its course, continually harassing, making verbal threats and throwing objects. A similar situation occurred against another Irish March in October of which commemorated the Popular Front’s brave stand against Franco’s National Front in the Spanish Civil War. In addition, these Far Right groups are continuing to attack Trade Unionists and anti – Fascist campaigners on a regular basis in Liverpool!

It is important to note that 2013 is 100 years since the “Dublin Lockout” that was led by the Transport and General Workers’ Union under Jim Larkin against the employers in Ireland as well as 50 years since Martin Luther King’s speech that he “had a dream,” in order to campaign against racial and religious hatred in the world!

Therefore, we ask PCS to make representation to the TUC in order to request the organisation of counter demonstrations against these Far Right groups that are attacking Irish marches, other ethnic communities, Trade Unionists and anti – Fascist campaign groups in Liverpool!

D324Home Office IPS North West (026118)

Social movements are always stronger with a musical component. Our campaigns for better lives for the most vulnerable in the workplace and in society are no exception to this. Given the current domination in the media of main-stream and over produced acts, and that these same acts are created with the sole intention of creating a disposable artist in order to sell records (with an in-built redundancy of around one year), we need to consider supporting an alternative to this exploitation of musically talented people.

Throughout history whenever there is a push against oppression, there is nearly always a musical component. From the slave songs of America, to Bob Dylan who was synonymous with the 60’s hippy movement, to the punk band The Clash during the oppressive times of Thatcher’s government. These famous political songs and artists have done a lot to focus the hearts and minds of individuals, and to galvanise them all in the spirit of the time. We need to encourage the same thing in our time.

Strummerville is a charity that was set up after the sad death of Joe Strummer, who was the lead singer in the band The Clash. It supports artists by subsidising cheap practice rooms all over the world for artists to rehears in, especially soinareasthataresufferingfinancially.Italsohostsquarterly concerts to give these artists some exposure. Many of these musical acts are political.


•Publish the work of Strummerville on the PCS website.

•To regularly encourage the active support (including financialsupport)ofStrummervillebythemembers.

•To donate £50 to Strummerville.

E325 Covered by A81DH London (022010)

Conference recognises the excellent work done within PCS so far to campaign on welfare. We note the UN report on the Bedroom Tax. The bedroom tax is typical of this government’s social security policies, it won’t solve the problems that the government say it will, but it will bring further poverty and misery to the poorest in society. This conference recognises that the real problem is the 1.8 million families on housing waiting lists, most with no prospect of adequate housing, and agrees that we must campaign for a mass council house building programme.

Social security is a trade union issue. It is an issue for PCS as we have over 70,000 members working to deliver benefitsandtaxcredits,butitisalsoawiderissuebecausemanyworkersalsoreceivebenefitsandtaxcredits.Infact,some disabled workers can only get to work because of Disability Living Allowance, now being phased out and replaced by Personal Independence Payments but with a 20% cut and over half a million people no longer eligible.

This government and the right wing press seek to demonise disabled people, suffering cuts, harassment and the institutionalised bullying of the Work Capability Assessment which has resulted in a rise of disability hate crime and PCS members being seen as the enemy for implementing government policies as part of their low paid jobs.

The Con Dem’s hated programme of conditionality and sanctions is a massive attack on the poorest in society and this conference pledges to continue to oppose this harsher regimeandfightoffpressureputonstafftosanctionclaimants through a target culture.

The chancellor’s recent announcement at Tory party conference that the long-term unemployed will be forced to attend a jobcentre every day, after cutting 20,000 staff, is typical of their ill thought out ideas of workfare. With 6.8 million unemployed and only 500,000 job vacancies, it is both cruel and illogical to punish the unemployed in this way and clearly demonstrates the validity of the PCS claim for more staff not less.

This conference recognises that the eventual introduction of Universal Credit will have a devastating effect on the lives of millions and that we need to argue for the sort of universalbenefitsystemthatwewanttosee.

Our welfare state was not established to provide a free laboursubsidyforprofitableprivatecompanies,drivingdown pay and replacing paid work.

Social security is about ensuring dignity for all. Conference therefore agrees to:

•Take every opportunity to challenge the myths in the media and from politicians.

•Defendfair,decentbenefitlevels•Campaigntorepealthebenefitcapandthebedroomtax•Campaign for a mass council house building scheme.


•Campaign to get rid of the Work Capability Assessment

•Campaign to abolish workfare and remove the sanctions regime

•Campaign for a publicly-run, fair and decent social security system

•Commit ourselves to campaign for a fair, supportive and equitablebenefitsystemaspartofawelfarestatebasedon people’s needs and genuine social security for all.

The following motions are covered by A81 and identical to E325:E326 DWP Glasgow (047066)E327 DWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)E328 DWP Tyne View Park (047123)E329 R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)E330 EFRA Natural England (001064)E331 MOJ West Midlands & Warwickshire (052011)E332 DWP Cumbria (047021)E333 DWP Northumbria (047120)E334 DWP Lincolnshire & Rutland (047045)E335 R&C Portsdown Vectis (200091)E336 Atos IT Services Glasgow (160004)E337 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

E338 Covered by A81DWP Birmingham South (047053)

Conference notes the publication by the DWP of the data onbenefitsanctionsinNovember2013,showingalargerise in sanctions. We believe that much of this increase has taken place since the government increased the minimum sanction from 1 week to 4 weeks in October 2012.Thefiguresshowedthat,inthelasttwoandahalfyears,

the number of unemployed people sanctioned has averaged 64,307 a month, compared with 27,108 a month between 2000 and 2010 , a 137% increase. They also exposed an increase of 156% in the number of ESA sanctions issued to disabled people in the last year. We further note that the government’s privatised employment schemes – the Work Programme and Youth Contract – are both failing against their own targets.

Conference believes that the report shows the true natureofthebenefitsanctionsregimenowbeingoperatedby the DWP, one of increasingly penalising job seekers, leading directly to an increase of people being forced to use food banks and loan sharks.

Vulnerable people tend to be targeted for sanctioning as they are the least able to understand the requirements they are set, or be able to defend themselves.

The Conservative Party intends to further increase the pressure on unemployed people, having announced at its 2013 conference additional conditionality including daily attendance at job centres and unpaid full-time community work placements.


•Continue to campaign for an end to sanctions. Destitution is not an appropriate penalty for anything; Consideration of targeting the sanctions regime for disruption as part of the national campaign. This campaign should be run as part of the overall campaign against the welfare cuts, in conjunction with the PCS nationalunion,pressoffice,ParliamentaryGroupandother campaigning groups.


Conference agrees that the PCS Union is opposed to the benefitsanctionsregimeintroducedon22ndOctober2012. Conference instructs the NEC to immediately state this position clearly on the home page of the PCS website, to issue an all members circular stating this and to notify the PCS parliamentary group and encourage it to campaign for an end to the regime.

E340 Covered by A81DWP East London (047030)

Thisconferencenotestheescalatingattacksonbenefitclaimants,specificallythoseclaimingout-of-workanddisabilitybenefitscomingunderthegovernment’sbannerofWelfare Reform. Unfair and often impossible conditionality demandsonclaimants,adrasticcutinthelevelofbenefitsand Dickensian Work Capability Assessments have left many of our most vulnerable citizens’ homeless, starving and in some cases, dead. Conference notes that despite being innocent victims of the global economy, those on benefitsfaceanon-stopbarrageofdemonisationbyboththe government and the media as a homogenous group of work-shy scroungers. Conference recognises groups and organisations outside of PCS such as Boycott Workfare who are active in combating this narrative and campaigning as advocates for claimants.

This conference instructs the NEC to call and help organise a joint National Demonstration in 2014 with DPAC, Black Triangle, Boycott Workfare and other Unemployed workers’ groups against these Welfare reforms with the following slogans:

•“Boycott Workfare”

•“End Conditionality”

•“Abolish Work Capability Assessment’s”

Alongside these slogans this conference believes in the positive demand of a minimum monthly income in-line with the Living Wage.

Conference believes that historically one of the best ways of affecting change in all industries and services in society has been for workers in those areas using their agency to refuse to do work that harms working-class communities.

However, we note that in the current climate calling for PCS members to refuse to pass on sanctions is irresponsible despite being in the long-term, desirable. Conference believes that slogans attacking PCS members as complicit with government policy and therefore responsible for the deaths of claimants are false, unhelpful and offensive.

Conference further notes the work done by PCS in promoting an alternative to the current and previous government’spoliciesonbenefits.

Conference instructs the NEC to write to all DWP branches urging membership meetings on the welfare reform agenda, inviting local welfare and claimant’s rights groups to speak. The NEC should send out literature encouraging branches to forge activist partnerships with welfare rights groups including Boycott Workfare in their localities.

70

E341 Covered by A81DWP Sheffield (047008)

This conference notes the escalating attacks on welfare claimants,specificallythoseclaimingout-of-workanddisabilitybenefitscomingunderthegovernment’sbannerofWelfare reform. Unfair and often impossible conditionality demandsonclaimants,adrasticcutinthelevelofbenefitsand Dickensian Work Capability Assessments have left many of our most vulnerable citizens’ homeless, starving and in some cases, dead. Conference notes that despite being innocent victims of the global economy’s undulations, those on welfare face a non-stop barrage of demonisation by both the government and the media as a homogenous group of work-shy scroungers. Conference recognises groups and organisations outside of PCS such as Boycott Workfare who are active in combating this narrative and campaigning as advocates for claimants.





Alongside these slogans this conference believes in the positive demand of a minimum monthly income in-line with the Living Wage. Conference believes that historically one of the best ways of affecting change in all industries and services in society has been for workers in those areas using their agency to refuse to do work that harms working-class communities.

However, we note that in the current climate calling for PCS members to refuse to pass on sanctions is irresponsible despite being in the long-term, desirable. Conference believes that slogans attacking PCS members as complicit with government policy and therefore responsible for the deaths of claimants are false, unhelpful and offensive. Conference instructs the NEC to write to all DWP branches urging membership meetings on the welfare reform agenda, inviting local welfare and claimant’s rights groups to speak. The NEC should send out literature encouraging branches to forge activist partnerships with welfare rights groups including Boycott Workfare in their localities.

E342 Covered by A81DWP Cheshire (047014)

This conference notes the escalating attacks on welfare claimants,specificallythoseclaimingout-of-workanddisabilitybenefitscomingunderthegovernment’sbannerofWelfare reform. Unfair and often impossible conditionality demandsonclaimants,adrasticcutinthelevelofbenefitsand Dickensian Work Capability Assessments have left many of our most vulnerable citizens’ homeless, starving and in some cases, dead. Conference notes that despite being innocent victims of the global economy’s undulations, those on welfare face a non-stop barrage of demonisation by both the government and the media as a homogenous group of work-shy scroungers. Conference recognises groups and organisations outside of PCS such as Boycott Workfare who

are active in combating this narrative and campaigning as advocates for claimants.





Alongside these slogans this conference believes in the positive demand of a minimum monthly income in-line with the Living Wage.

Conference believes that historically one of the best ways of affecting change in all industries and services in society has been for workers in those areas using their agency to refuse to do work that harms working-class communities.

However, we note that in the current climate calling for PCS members to refuse to pass on sanctions is irresponsible despite being in the long-term, desirable. Conference believes that slogans attacking PCS members as complicit with government policy and therefore responsible for the deaths of claimants are false, unhelpful and offensive. Conference instructs the NEC to write to all DWP branches urging membership meetings on the welfare reform agenda, inviting local welfare and claimant’s rights groups to speak. The NEC should send out literature encouraging branches to forge activist partnerships with welfare rights groups including Boycott Workfare in their localities.

E343 Covered by A81R&C Cumbernauld (200027)

This NDC condemns the Bedroom Tax as a vicious, outrageous attack on the poorest – including disabled people which only worsens housing shortages and should be scrapped immediately.Thisbenefitsthefthaswreakedhavoconthelivesof

tenants and housing sector workers. It has caused poverty, stress, upheaval, evictions and suicides amongst tenants, including people not even legally liable to pay under the Coalition’s botched legislation.

It has led to £5,000 pay cuts, redundancies and downgrading of jobs and services within housing associations hit by loss of rental income from tenants simply unable to pay. Conference supports joint tenant-worker campaigns such as No2 Bedroom Tax and the umbrella Bin the Bedroom Tax, aimed at mitigating the impact of this brutalmeasurewhilstfightingforitsimmediateabolition.

Conference is well aware of the social impact of cuts to the public and its impact on our members trying to assist those forced onto the margins of society. To challenge the prevailing mood of the governments attempts to make workers and claimants pay for there economic mismanagement this Conference calls on those in power at various levels to combat this Westminster attack by:

•all Councils and housing associations declaring an unequivocal policy of no evictions, and reclassifying rooms to remove them from bedroom tax liability

•Scottish government urgently amending housing law to outlaw all evictions arising from bedroom tax arrears

•Scottish government funding social landlords the estimated £53 million annual shortfall, removing any excuse for eviction threats, job losses, pay cuts or service downgrading.

•Councils, housing associations, trade unions, MSP s̀,MP s̀, Scottish government and political parties across the UK


uniting in a massive campaign of tenants and workers to demand back the £billions stolen by Westminster, including the cost of underwriting losses to social landlords through the Bedroom Tax

•demanding Labour MP`S initiate parliamentary Motions to immediately scrap the Bedroom Tax now, not after the 2015 Westminster elections – with a 3 – line whip on Labour MPs to attend and vote for abolition of a measure thatiseconomicallyunjustified,sociallydestructiveandthe cause of untold misery.

The following motions are covered by and identical to A82:E344 MOJ West Midlands & Warwickshire (052011)E345 DH London (022010)E346 DWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)E347 R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)E348 DWP Cardiff & District (047115)E349 R&C South East Essex (200144)E350 DWP HQ Leeds (047011)E351 BIS North & Scotland (041067)E352 EFRA Natural England (001064)E353 R&C East Midlands (200033)E354 DWP Cumbria (047021)E355 DWP Northumbria (047120)E356 DWP Lincolnshire & Rutland (047045)E357 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)E358 DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)E359 DSg Veterans Agency (014300)

E360 Covered by A83R&C East Midlands (200033)

Conference notes:1 Thepressbriefingissuedbytheshadowimmigration

minister, Chris Bryant, ahead of a speech on Monday 12 August, in which he criticised Tesco for recruiting immigrants from Eastern Europe on wages lower than British-born employees.

2 That Bryant’s speech followed attempts by the Government to pander to racism by sending advertising vans round areas of London telling immigrants to “Go home”orfacearrestandanumberofhighprofileraidsbyUKBorderAgencyofficersontransporthubsinLondon.


4 That far right and fascist groups such as the BNP and EDL havealsosoughttobenefitfromtheracistargumentsofmainstream political parties.

5 The Xmas & New Year media frenzy directed at whipping up hostility to migrant workers from Eastern Europe, echoed by all but an honourable minority of politicians.

Conference believes

•The problem is not Eastern European workers undercutting the wages of British workers but that bosses have used the economic crisis to drive down the wages of all workers and to attack conditions.

•That pandering to anti-immigrant arguments does not undermine racism but instead normalises it, helping further fuel the growth of right wing political forces.

Conference resolves

•To resist slogans such as ‘British jobs for British workers”

which are divisive and undermine attempts to encourage andorganiseworkersforafightbackofallworkerstodefend their wages and conditions.

•To produce material for members exposing right wing myths about immigration.

•To support broad-based organisations campaigning against racism and the scapegoating of immigrants.

•To lobby politicians to defend immigrants and reject racism.

•To continue to support mobilisations by Unite Against Fascism against the EDL’s racist marches.

The following motions are covered by A83 and identical to E360:E361 DWP Avon (047093)E362 DWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)E363 R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)E364 MOJ West Midlands & Warwickshire (052011)E365 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

E366 Covered by A83R&C South Wales (200102)

This conference notes:1 ThepressbriefingissuedbyLabour’sshadowimmigration

minister, Chris Bryant, ahead of a speech on Monday 12 August, in which he criticized Tesco for recruiting immigrants from Eastern Europe on wages lower than British-born employees.

2 That Bryant’s speech followed attempts by the Tories to pander to racism by sending advertising vans round areas of London telling immigrants to “Go home” or face arrest andanumberofhighprofileraidsbyUKBorderAgencyofficersontransporthubsinLondon.


4 That far right and fascist groups such as the British National Party and English Defense League have alsosoughttobenefitfromtheracistargumentsofmainstream political parties.

5 The Xmas & New Year media frenzy directed at whipping up hostility to migrant workers from Eastern Europe, echoed by all but a honorable minority of politicians

This conference believes:1 The problem is not Eastern European workers

undercutting the wages of British workers but that bosses have used the economic crisis to drive down the wages of all workers and to attack conditions.

2 That pandering to anti-immigrant arguments by the Labour Party does not undermine racism, but instead normalizes it, helping further fuel the growth of right wing political forces.

This conference resolves:1 To resist slogans such as “British jobs for British workers”

which are divisive and undermine attempts to encourage andorganizeworkersforafightbackofallworkerstodefend their wages and conditions.

2 To produce material for members exposing right-wing myths about immigration.

3 To support broad-based organizations campaigning against racism and the scapegoating of immigrants.

4 To lobby Labour politicians locally to defend immigrants and reject racism.

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To continue to support mobilizations by Unite Against Fascism against the English Defense League’s racist marches.

E367 Covered by A83DWP Birmingham South (047053)

This Conference notes:1 Attempts by the Tories to pander to racism by sending

advertising vans round areas of London telling illegal immigrants to “Go home” or face arrest and a number ofhighprofileraidsbyUKBorderAgencyofficersontransport hubs in London

2 That the recent period has seen the rise of UKIP, which took 25 per cent of the vote in county council elections, on the back of a campaign largely based on anti-immigrant scapegoating.

3 That far right and fascist groups such as the British National Party and English Defence League have alsosoughttobenefitfromtheracistargumentsofmainstream political parties.

4 The Xmas and New Year media frenzy directed at whipping up hostility to migrant workers from Eastern Europe, echoed by all but an honourable minority of politicians

This Conference believes:1 The problem is not Eastern European workers

undercutting the wages of British workers but that bosses have used the economic crisis to drive down the wages of all workers and to attack conditions

2 That pandering to anti-immigrant arguments by the Labour Party leadership does not undermine racism, but instead normalises it, helping further fuel the growth of right wing political forces

3 The best way to deter racism is providing jobs, housing and public services that we all need

This Conference resolves:1 To resist slogans such as “British jobs for British workers”



3 To support broad-based organisations campaigning against racism and the scapegoating of immigrants.

4 To lobby politicians locally to defend immigrants and reject racism.

5 To continue to support mobilisations by Unite Against Fascism against the English Defence League’s racist marches.

6 To campaign for a living wage for all workers including migrant workers so undermining racism which the employers use in dividing workers

E368 Covered by A83R&C Euston Tower (200040)

This conference notes:1 ThepressbriefingissuedbyLabour’sshadowimmigration

minister, Chris Bryant, ahead of a speech on Monday

12 August, in which he criticised Tesco for recruiting immigrants from Eastern Europe on wages lower than British-born employees.

2 That Bryant’s speech followed attempts by the Tories to pander to racism by sending advertising vans round areas of London telling immigrants to “Go home” or face arrest andanumberofhighprofileraidsbyUKBorderAgencyofficersontransporthubsinLondon.


4 That far right and fascist groups such as the British National Party and English Defence League have alsosoughttobenefitfromtheracistargumentsofmainstream political parties.

5 The Xmas & New Year media frenzy directed at whipping up hostility to migrant workers from Eastern Europe, echoed by all but a honourable minority of politicians

This conference believes:1 The problem is not Eastern European workers

undercutting the wages of British workers but that bosses have used the economic crisis to drive down the wages of all workers and to attack conditions.

2 That pandering to anti-immigrant arguments by the Labour Party does not undermine racism, but instead normalises it, helping further fuel the growth of right wing political forces.

This conference resolves:1 To resist slogans such as “British jobs for British workers”



3 To support broad-based organisations campaigning against racism and the scapegoating of immigrants.

4 To lobby politicians locally to defend immigrants and reject racism.

5 To continue to support mobilisations by Unite Against Fascism against the English Defence League’s racist marches.

E369 Covered by A83DWP Lincolnshire & Rutland (047045)

Conference notes:

•The increase in racist and anti-immigrant sentiment in society, driven by the right-wing anti-union media, and groups such as UKIP and the EDL, but also echoed by leaders of the main parties with their support for attacks, forexample,ontherightsofmigrantstoclaimbenefits;

•Austerity policies implemented at a national and local level, which fuel unemployment, low pay, poverty and deprivation, and exacerbate divisions between different sections of our communities.

•The hate mail and death threats received by a PCS branch secretary in September 2013 and January 2014, the latter coinciding with a counter-demo against the far-right East Anglian Patriots in Lincoln.Conference resolves to:

•Publicly condemn all threats made by far-right groups against trade unionists and anti-racist campaigners when they take place;

•Support the tactic of organising anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigning led by the trade union movement, including


public meetings and counter-demonstrations where possible, to oppose the far-right when they organise;

•Produce campaigning material (like that produced by the South West TUC) exposing myths about migrant workers, defending the place of migrant workers in our movement, and explaining why racist ideas and far-right activity work against the collective interests of all workers inthefightagainstausterityintheworkplaceandthecommunity;

•Provide guidance to activists on how to effectively organise and steward public meetings and demonstrations;

•Continue to support sister unions in their attempts to organise migrant workers to stop the “race to the bottom” in jobs, pay rates and terms and conditions, and encourage the use of facilities such as interpreting assistance and material in other languages where possible, to allow all workers to participate in trade union activity.

E370 Covered by A84DSg Catterick (014177)

Conference notes that the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill 2013-14 (the Lobbying Bill):

•introduces a statutory register of consultant lobbyists and establishes a Registrar to enforce the registration requirements;

•regulates more closely election campaign spending by those not standing for election or registered as political parties;

•strengthens the legal requirements placed on trade unions in relation to their obligation to keep their list of members up to date.

Conference notes that the bill has drawn criticism from the UN rapporteur on rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, as well as from a wider audience in the United Kingdom.

The provisions of the bill will do nothing to prevent big business lobbying of parliament, merely introducing aregisteroflobbyistswiththemostinfluentialgroup,in-house lobbyists, exempt even from this register. The restrictions on election campaign spending, however, are burdensome and unworkable, and are set to silence critics ofthepoliticalestablishment,thusstiflingdemocraticdebate. This can only lead to even greater loss of engagement with the political process by ordinary people, and increases the risk of civil disturbance.

The additional administrative requirements placed on trade unions are designed to ensure we squander our precious resources maintaining records beyond any reasonable, functional requirement, rather than in defending our members’ interests, and increase the threat of legal challenge by unscrupulous employers seeking to undermineourmembers’finalweaponofindustrialaction.With the Police Scotland investigation into alleged political malpracticebyUnitefindingnoevidence,thepretextforthis section of the bill has been entirely demolished.

Conference instructs the National Executive Committee to campaign against this bill, in association with our Parliamentary Group, and the widest cross-section of campaigning groups possible, including seeking repeal of the legislation by the next government, should it pass the Houses of Parliament in this session.

The following motion is covered by and identical to A84:E371 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

E372 Covered by A85DWP Leeds (047006)

Conference notes with shock that the 1000th foodbank has now opened in Britain which is still the 7th richest country in the world. The 3 main reasons for needing to turn to foodbanksisdelayedbenefitpayment,benefitsanctionsand debt from payday loans.

Conference believes that foodbanks should not be necessary in a rich civilised country. We should be campaigningforadignifiedbenefitssystemandregulatedloans which would render foodbanks obsolete.

Conference agrees to

•Campaign for the restoration of the safety net in our benefitsystem.Benefitsmustcoverbasicneedsincludingthe full cost of rent, heating, food and clothing.

•Campaign to restore a national system of Social fund loans and grants and expand them so that those on anybenefitsincludingworkingbenefitshaveaccesstostate loans at cheap rates and grants for furniture and emergency expenditure to break the need to resort to loan sharks and high street loan sharks.

•Campaigntostaffupbenefitofficestoensurethatbenefitsarepaidontime.

•Campaigntoendbenefitsanctions•Use PCS resources to campaign against the need for

foodbanks.

E373 Covered by A86MOJ London Tribunals (052049)

Conference Gillian Guy Chief Executive of Citizens Advice has said about Zero Hours Contracts

“A zero-hours contract does not mean zero responsibility for employers. We see too many people who are denied work because they become pregnant or suffer an illness. Unscrupulous employers can also use zero-hours contracts to deny holiday or redundancy pay. This is not fair.“Zero-hourscontractscanalsomeanfluctuatingincomes

thatcausehavocwithpeople’sbenefitclaims,denyingthem much-needed income when the hours dry up. Universal Credit will make an important difference to help stabilise the income of people in this sort of precarious work.“We’dliketoseeflexiblecontractscomewithminimum

hours or minimum pay agreements. Clarity around redundancyandholidaypaywouldbeafirststeptowardsstopping this out-dated exploitation that has no place in the Twenty First Century.”

Evidence from the Citizens Advice service shows:

•workers can be “dismissed” with little or no due process.

•Employers rarely dismiss a zero hours worker – they are simply told there is no work for the time being. This leaves workers unsure of their position, and whether they shouldorcanclaimbenefits.Althoughitispossibletheymay be able to claim unfair dismissal or redundancy pay,

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the fact that they believe they may get further work can mean they do not seek advice for several weeks at which point it may be too late to try to make a claim.

•Workers are susceptible to abuse of their basic rights e.g.. no holiday pay.

•Confusion about holiday rights for casual workers is not surprising given that there are no clear rules for determining entitlement for casual workers.

•Some employers offer zero hours contract as the only optiontoexistingstaffwhorequestmoreflexibilityinhours because of care commitments or who want to continue working beyond a retirement date

•Pregnant workers may have their hours reduced

•Workers are liable to having their hours reduced to zero if they take time off sick

•Fluctuations in income can wreak havoc with claiming crucialbenefitpayments

ZerohourworkersaresubjecttosuddenfluctuationsinincomemakingitdifficulttobudgetHavedifficultyclaiming“inwork”benefitssuchas

working tax credit because there is no guarantee of minimum hours. For JSA a claimant must not be in ‘remunerative work’ meaning at least 16 hrs per week (or 24 for a couple) and for Working Tax Credits they must be in remunerative work of at least 16 or 30 hrs per week dependingontheircircumstances.Wherehoursfluctuate,they can be averaged over whatever period gives the best reflectionofnormalworkinghours.Howeversignificantvariation in hours can mean individuals alternate between benefits.Theycangenerateoverpaymentsandwiththat,the recently introduced civil penalties.Experiencesignificantfluctuationsinincomeas

individuals have to repeatedly send evidence of changing incomefortheirbenefitclaims.Inweeksof“noincome”theycanfindthatitisseveralweeksbeforetheyreceiveabenefitpaymentforthatweek,eveniftheyarepermittedto claim. Finditdifficulttorentintheprivatesectorbecause

landlords and agencies regard them as at risk of rent default if they have no guaranteed income


•To raise the issue in the TUC and lobby to have zero contracts made illegal.

The following motion is covered by A86 and identical to E373:E374 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)

The following motion is covered by and identical to A88:E375 MOJ London Tribunals (052049)

The following motions are covered by and identical to A89:E376 PSg DCLG HQ (141802)E377 DWP East London (047030)

E378Covered by A92R&C East Midlands (200033)

Conference notes the continuing disparity between the abortion laws of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Due to this disparity many women put themselves at risk by seeking

back street abortions in less than sanitary conditions, buying unsafe abortion pills over the internet, travelling to England and pay up to £2000 for a private abortion or have to continue with a pregnancy that they cannot cope with. The UK department of health states an average of 20 women a weektraveltotheUKforanabortion,thisfigureisprobablyunderestimated as it is based on addresses provided.PCSinitsaffiliationtoAbortionRightshasshownits

support for women’s right to choose and to do so with appropriate support and counselling. This right and counselling is currently denied to women in Northern Ireland. The current situation in Northern Ireland means that women are putting both their physical and mental health at risk. By extending the current British abortion laws to Northern Ireland women will be able to not only access safe and hygienic abortions but counselling prior to any treatment they may choose to take.

Calls have recently been made to reconsider the guidelines on abortion in Northern Ireland. This conference calls on the NEC to use the parliamentary committee to help bring pressure on the government to ensure that women in Northern Ireland have the same rights as women in the rest of the United Kingdom.

E379Covered by A93DWP Cheshire (047014)

Conference notes the “Tres Cosas” campaign being run by cleaners at th University of London through their Trade Union, the IWGB. The cleaners, who work for a contractor, are campaigning for equal rights with directly employed workers at ULU. The “three causes” that they are campaigning for being equal rights to sick pay, pensions and holiday pay with directly employed workers.

Conference recognises the material support provided to the IWGB by PCS and congratulates the Union for this. Conferencefurthernotesthattheirfirstofficialstrike

action in November last year won major concessions on sick pay and holidays, and that further strikes took place on 27-29 January as the concessions, whilst welcomed by the workers, are not enough o settle the dispute.

Conference resolves:1 To support and promote the 3 Cosas campaign by publicisingitthroughofficialUnionliterature,magazinesetc.

2 To issue a branch circular to all London branches encouraging whatever support branches can provide to the campaign.

3 To donate £100 to their strike fund and encourage branch collections.

4 To encourage delegations to visit picket lines in the light of further action.

5 Toseektoorganise,throughtheofficesoftheLondonand South East region of PCS, a speaker tour of PCS branches in the region.

The following motions are covered by and identical to A93:E380 DWP Sheffield (047008)E381 PSg DCLG HQ (141802)

The following motion is covered by A93 and identical to E379:E382 DWP South East London (047035)


E383Covered by A93DfT HQ & The Regions (019008)

This conference notes that the 3Cosas campaign is being fought to win parity in three areas (‘tres cosas’) between out sourced workers working in the University of College London (UCL) and workers who work directly for UCL. These three areas are: sick pay, annual leave and pensions.

To win parity, the out sourced workers (porters, cleaners, security staff and maintenance workers) have taken strike action. In addition to this there have been direct actions, protests and events. In all of this, the 3Cosas campaign has been energetically supported by the UCL students union. Also the PCS union has been supplying logistical and other help to the campaign.

This conference agrees that the 3Cosas campaign is important in itself but also important in that is symbolic of a wider problem (multiple tier work forces) and the conference hopes could be the shape to come of other disputes. Certainly more, and bigger 3Cosas campaigns are needed across the economy.

Given all this, the conference agrees on the following actions, that:

•the union widely publicises the 3Cosas campaign, encourages union members and activists to attend 3Cosas events and seeks to raise funds for the campaign;

•PCS writes to UCL and calls on it to reach a settlement with the 3Cosas campaign;

•PCS contacts the PCS Parliamentary Group suggesting that MPs may wish to write to UCL calling on it to reach a settlement with the 3Cosas campaign;

•The union facilitates 3Cosas speakers to address BECs and other union meetings as appropriate;

•PCS explores with the 3Cosas campaign and the UCL students union whether a public meeting, with the PCS union paying for the venue, could be arranged to publicise the campaign.

The following motions are covered by and identical to A94:E384 ATOS IT Services Glasgow (160004)E385 R&C Benton Park View (200126)E386 DWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)E387 R&C Stockton & North Yorkshire (200108)E388 R&C Sussex (200152)E389 EFRA Natural England (001064)E390 MOJ West Midlands & Warwickshire (052011)E391 DWP Durham House (047125)E392 R&C Criminal Justice (200039)E393 DWP Lincolnshire & Rutland (047045)E394 R&C West Mercia (200149)E395 MOJ Associated Offices (052046)E396 DWP Swansea Pensions Centre (047114)E397 DSg Veterans Agency (014300)

E398Covered by A95R&C Leeds & District (200056)

The jury at the inquest into the killing of Mark Duggan concluded that he had not been holding a gun when he was shot dead by armed police. Despite this the killing was found ‘lawful’.

MarkDuggan’scriminalrecordwasminor,with2fineson his record, the media continually referred to Mark as a violent gangster and ‘one of the 48 most dangerous criminals in Europe’.

The police and the IPCC actively collaborated with the media to spread lies and disinformation in the days after Mark’s killing – e.g. that there was a ‘shoot-out’ in which an officerhadbeen‘saved’whenabulletlodgedinhisradio(the bullet was actually from a police gun).

We note that 50 people have died in police shoot outs since 1990 and over 1,500 people have died in police custody. Mark Duggan is the latest in a series of men and women including Cynthia Jarrett 1985, Joy Gardner, John Charles Menezes, Smiley Culture, Ian Tomlinson and now Markforwhosedeathsnopoliceofficerhasfacedcriminalcharges.

Conference believes:

•Thattheverdictwasinfluencedbytheracistwayinwhich Mark’s character was tarnished by the police and media.

•Thatthedecisiontofinditlawfulforthepolicetoshootan unarmed person has put all young black people at risk.

•That everyone, irrespective of race, age and background, should be entitled to walk the streets without fear.


•send our condolences and solidarity to the family of Mark Duggan

•supportthefamilyintheircontinuingfightforjusticeforMark

E399Covered by A96R&C East Midlands (200033)

Conference notes the removal of civil liability from law and the effect this will have on claims for compensation for work related accidents.

There has been a distinct lack of training and awareness raising on this matter.

This conference instructs the NEC to work urgently with LEEPs to create a training program regarding these changes.

This conference also instructs the NEC to bring this change to the attention of the parliamentary committee with a view to raising early day motions to try and reverse this change.

The following motion is covered by and identical to A97:E400 MOJ Associated offices (052046)

The following motion is covered by and identical to A100:E401 R&C Fenland (200107)

E402Covered by A101DEFRA York (001048)

Conference notes with interest the expansion of Community Owned Energy in countries such as Germany.

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Conference instructs the NEC to work with the TUC to;-1 Educate communities about community owned energy,2 Actively identify and support communities in setting up

such projects,3 Establish a fund to assist such projects with the TUC, the

Co-Operative movement and other interested bodies.

E403Covered by A102R&C North Wales & North West (200078)

That this NDC believes that vital public services such as Transport and Energy should be owned and controlled by the general public for the good of all, not by private businessforprofit.

Conference therefore instructs the NEC to actively campaign, co-coordinating with all interested parties from Trade Unions to users groups and Communities, for the return of these services to the public sector.

Conference does also recognise that previous models of public ownership were bureaucratic and unaccountable and therefore further instructs to NEC to commission work to identify a new model of public ownership based on genuine democratic control of such facilities by workers and communities.

The following motion is covered by and identical to A105:E404 R&C Dundee (200029)

X405 Cannot be implementedDWP Barnsley & Rotherham (047009)

Conference agrees to changes the election rules for TUC Young Members Forum to “anyone aged 27 and under at the time of TUC Young Members Forum”, to bring in line with PCS Young Members Age Limit.

The following motion is identical to X405: X406 R&C HQ London (200145)


APPENDIX 1

Glossary of conference terms

Agenda

Motions tabled for debate listed in priority order together with the timetable in the Booklet of Motions. Issued to members and delegates not later than four weeks before conference.

Briefings

Anumberofbriefingmeetingsareheldatlunchtimeorafter conference.

Card vote

Called either by the conference chairperson or demanded by at least 50 delegates. A card vote allows each branch to cast a number of votes equivalent to the number of members in their branch (as opposed to a ‘show of hands’ vote whereby each branch can only cast one vote per branch delegate).

Credentials badge

Issued two weeks before conference and to be worn at all times in order to gain access to the conference hall.

Conference chairperson

The person chairing the conference. Usually the union president or, in his/ her absence, one of the vice-presidents.

Election ballots

Delegates to the various TUC conferences, members of National Standing Orders Committee, Editorial Board, Distinguished Life Members (in accordance with Rules 6.23 and 6.24) are elected by delegates completing their branch ballot papers and inserting them in ballot boxes on theconferencefloorattimesindicatedintheconferencetimetable.

Emergency motions

Motions concerning issues that arise after the closing date for receipt of ordinary motions, which must be submitted totheStandingOrdersCommitteeatleastfivedaysbeforeconference (in accordance with rule A6 (a)). Further details contained in Standing Orders Report No.1.

Guillotine

Light displayed usually with an illuminated letter ‘G’ to indicate that time has run out (according to the timetable adopted as part of conference Standing Orders) for debating a particular section of the agenda.

A ‘guillotine section’ is inserted into the timetable at the end of the last conference section to debate some of the motions ‘guillotined’ earlier in the conference. Branches can suggest which motions should be in this section on the appropriate form (SOC B) available from the Standing Orders Committeelocatedatthefrontoftheconferencefloor.

Lights

Systemof‘trafficlights’locatedonthetoptableandeachspeaker’s rostrum to indicate how much time a speaker has left.

•a green light comes on as the speaker commences

•an amber light comes on when they have only one minute left

•a red light comes on when they have used up all their time(iefiveminutesallowedforspeakerswhoaremovers of motions and three minutes for all other speakers).

Mandate

Instruction to branch delegate(s) on which way to vote on motions decided by branch members at a mandating meeting held prior to conference when the Booklet of Motions and timetable has been received and distributed: forexample:

•‘for’

•‘against’

•‘abstain’ or

•‘listen to the debate and decide for yourself which way you think the branch members would want you to vote.’

Motions

Subjects for debate submitted by branches and the national executive committee. Motions are ‘marked’ in the Booklet of Motions as follows:

A - motions requiring debate to establish union policy on an issue B -motionswhichconfirmexistingpolicy(andsodonotrequire debate) C - motions seeking to reverse existing policy as determined within the last two years (and so which cannot be debated). D - motions which can be dealt with by correspondence with the general secretary (and are thus not debated - the motion is treated as the initial correspondence with the general secretary to which s/he is subsequently obliged to reply). E- motions covered by composite motions in category A above (delegates from branches where these motions originated are normally called in the debate on the covering ‘A’ motion if they indicate they wish to speak). X - motions which are ruled out of order (a brief reason is indicated against the motion number in the Booklet of Motions). In addition, some motions submitted by branches are not

printed if the Standing Orders Committee has decided, after taking legal advice, that the wording of the motion could lead to legal proceedings against the union (Rule 6.22(g)).

Mover

Thefirstpersontospeakafteramotioniscalledfordebateby the conference chairperson. S/he will be a delegate from the branch listed at the bottom of the motion set out in the Booklet of Motions.

Opposition

Speakers voicing opinions against the ideas and instructions contained in a motion.

Points and motions of order

As well as speaking on motions, delegates can also come to the rostrum at any time – even while another delegate is speaking during a debate on a motion – to raise a point of order, but only in order to prove either that:

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a current speaker is using sexist, racist or abusive language or one of the union’s rules is being broken.

A ‘motion of order’ can be made in a similar way but only at the conference chairperson’s discretion and to achieve one of the following aims:

•that the debate be adjourned

•that the vote in a debate be now taken

•that conference proceed to the next item of business on the agenda

•that conference do now adjourn.

Once moved by a speaker, these motions of order are voted on by conference without any further discussion.

Quorum

The minimum number of delegates that need to be present in the conference hall in order for conference legitimately to be able to vote on a motion and thus establish a union policy. (Rule 6.8 states “The quorum shall be a majority of delegates entitled to attend.”)

Reference back

Procedure by which branches can seek to change the marking of motions or the order in which they are debated at conference. See Rules A14 to A16 and Standing Orders Report No.1 for more details of this procedure.

Remission

Instead of going to the vote on a particular motion, the national executive committee (NEC) may seek to remit it. If both the moving branch and conference agree to a remit a motion its terms and instructions are discussed by the NEC buttheyarenotboundtocarryoutthosespecifictermsand instructions.

Rostrum

This is where delegates make their conference speeches. A raised platform (one at either side at the front of the conference hall) equipped with microphone, illuminated document-rest and lights indicating how much time delegates have left to speak.

Rules

The unions’ Rules and Constitution govern everything we do. An essential document for all delegates, especially for understanding motions that seek to change the Rules.

Seconder/ withdrawing as seconder

Thefirstspeakerinadebateonamotionafterthemover.Theconferenceagendaidentifiessecondingbranchesforsomemotions.Wherethereisnosuchidentificationdelegates may ‘request to second’ by completing a simple form {SOC A} available from the Standing Orders Committee which can also be used to withdraw as seconder to a motion.

Right of reply

Where there have been speakers calling for opposition to a motion, the mover has the right to reply to that opposition in a further three minute speech just before the vote is taken.

Standing orders

The term used to cover the agenda and timetable (and any alterations made to it in standing orders reports issued to delegates between the publication of the motions and timetable booklet and the start of conference sessions). Produced by the Standing Orders Committee.

Standing orders committee

The committee elected under Rule 6.20 who publish the motions and timetable booklet and subsequent standing orders reports.

Standing orders reports

Publications produced by the Standing Orders Committee to notify branches of the agenda of motions and the conference timetable and to notify delegates of any subsequent alterations.

Suspension of standing orders

Once standing orders have been ‘adopted’ (agreed) by conference they can be changed by the agreement of conference if either a delegate requests in writing to the conference chairperson (who shall decide if the suspension is admissible under the union’s rules) that standing orders be ‘suspended’ (Rule A19) or if suspension is proposed by the conference chairperson (Rule A20).

In both instances this has to be supported by “not less than two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by delegates present” Rule A17.

Timetable

The order in which motions are debated as decided by the Standing Orders Committee and published in the Booklet of Motions. NB The order in which sections of the agenda are debated at conference (as appears in the timetable) is rarely the order in which the motions are printed in the Booklet of Motions.

Voting

Usually by ‘show of hands’ whereby each branch only casts the same number of votes as they have delegates present ontheconferenceflooratthetimethevoteistaken(butsee also card votes above).

Withdrawal

Branches may withdraw any of their motions from the agenda at any time but only by writing to the Standing Orders Committee who will put to conference on your behalf that the motion should be withdrawn. A motion can only be withdrawn with the consent of conference. Delegates can obtain form SOC A from the Standing Orders Committee for this purpose.


NOTES

Public and Commercial Services Union | pcs.org.uk

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