Civil Servants’ chance to vote for change: Kick out the Moderates!

Submitted by Anon on 2 July, 2003 - 9:04

By a PCS member

The Executive election in the civil service union PCS is now entering its final stages. The votes have to be in by noon on the 3 July. Given that the return envelope is second class, the effective last day to vote is 1 July.

Therefore the push is on to maximise the vote. That means active canvassing of branch members; asking them if they have voted; if not, reminding them to vote, telling them what the branch recommendation is; and returning to them in a day or so to see whether they have voted.

It is only by this activity that can we increase the size of the vote. Turnouts in NEC elections are typically 14% and therefore every vote really does count.

This is a crucial election with a real possibility that the ruling right-wing group, called the Moderates, can be defeated.

Although not as well organised as in past elections, the Moderates have leafleted, put adverts in the some of the regional press and fired off mass emails to staff in certain parts of the Civil Service. They have one message: the red scare.

We cannot assume that they are finished. They are fighting for their political lives and we should not underestimate the power of the red scare. We have to fight for every vote.

If this was done then the union might concentrate on the key industrial issues, such as changes in pension age, fighting for a return to national pay bargaining, and opposing privatisation, rather than endless internal fighting as the Moderates try to overturn elections and national conference decisions.

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