Members of the PCS civil service union have voted 31,322 to 18,926 in favour of annual (rather than two-yearly) elections for their union's National Executive, and 28,190 to 22,053 for annual (rather than two-yearly) union conferences. The ballot results were announced on 28 February.
These changes had been voted through by large majorities at the union's conference, but union rules required a membership ballot on them as well. The union's right-wing Executive, which has devoted most of its energies to court cases trying to oust, or at least to shackle, left-wing General Secretary Mark Serwotka, campaigned against the changes.
The ballot results open the way for new Executive elections in which, with sufficient effort, PCS members can break the long-standing right-wing grip on their union and elect a left Executive capable of working with Mark Serwotka to represent their interests effectively.
