ACT NOW! Defend Mexican Trade Unionists - A Labourstart Campaign

PKC, a Finnish auto-parts supplier, sacked more than 100 union supporters including the entire union committee in December 2012 for campaigning for the election of an independent trade union at their plants in Ciudad Acuña, Mexico. 

Eleven sacked union leaders are fighting for reinstatement and representation by a democratically elected union. The workers want to be represented by independent union Los Mineros, so as to win higher wages (most make $55 US per week), improved health and safety, and an end to arbitrary treatment and sexual harassment.

PKC, operating by totally different standards in Finland, has refused to negotiate with Los Mineros, instead signing a contract with a company controlled union. Despite threats and intimidation, Los Mineros came close to winning an election in October and is now organizing for a new election. 

Los Mineros and IndustriALL Global Union call on trade unionists from around the world to send a message of protest to Matti Hyytiäinen, PKC President and CEO in Finland.

Support the campaign: www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1724

Exercise you democratise right and VOTE in the national ballot

The PCS National Ballot runs from the 8th February until the 4th March 2013.

The ballot papers for the latest strike proposals by the PCS leadership will start arriving on your doormat over the next few days. 

4themembers believes in a membership led union, where members endorse our unions industrial strategy. It is after all, our union's members that will be taking industrial action and losing pay.

Industrial action must always be apart of any unions arsenal, but should only be used as a last resort when all else fails and in defence or promotion of our members interests.

The question we would ask is whether this ballot is being run for our members or in support of a politically driven agenda.

The leadership of PCS is dominated by the Socialist Party which has been pushing for a General Strike for months.

The ballot asks you to take industrial action over three issues; Pensions, Pay and Conditions of Service.

These are all critically important issues that effect us all in our working lives; however, 4themembers believes the dispute is flawed both industrially and politically from the start.

Pensions: PCS won the argument and even the court cases before the government changed the primary legislation, effectively removing our members legal argument. There is little chance of overturning the imposed and detrimental changes and the argument now is around the contribution rate. 

Pay: The demand for 5% or £1,200 pay increase in support of financially hard pressed members is right but unrealistic; with people losing their jobs left, right and centre the Government are not going to move on pay whether we like it or not and industrial action will simply lose members money they cannot afford.

Conditions of Service: The proposed changes are a disgrace and our union should be fighting against the introduction of a two tier workforce; however, they will not in the main affect any current members of staff. The leadership of PCS cannot in all seriousness believe that current members will strike about something that will not effect them. 

The demands made by the union will not be agreed by this despicable government, especially when they include demands framed to ensure a settlement cannot be achieved and instead, drive our union towards industrial action.

We are not advocating rolling over, PCS must protect and promote its members interests. The issue that our members have to consider is whether this action is driven by that need or by a separate political agenda. If members believe this call to action is in their interests there will be an overwhelming majority voting for it. If members believe that the action is politically driven as we do, it risks failure.

What we are advocating is that members need to vote, ensuring a majority vote not a minority one decides the industrial strategy of PCS.

Exercise your democratic right and VOTE in the ballot.

http://4themembersblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/pcs-calls-for-co-ordinated-strike-action.html

Nominate and support 4themembers candidates in 2013 PCS elections

4themembers - Fighting to return PCS to its members

·       4TM is a network of independent minded trade unionists (from across the political mainstream and none) committed to returning PCS to being what it was set up to be; a Trade Union.

·       4TM opposes the misuse of PCS by outside political organisations for their own agendas through the so-called Left Unity/Democratic Alliance organisation.

·       4TM believes PCS should be a politically neutral Civil Service Trade Union, run by individuals who put their members interests before any outside allegiance.

·       4TM stand for Democracy, Free Speech and openness within the PCS Union. 4TM opposes political extremism whether it comes from the Far Left, the Far Right or Religious Fundamentalism.

·       4TM stands for the rights of the individual and believes these rights in the workplace can be enhanced through the collective approach of the trade union movement.

 4themembers Candidates for the PCS National Executive Committee

President: Di Breen (DWP)

Vice-Presidents: Rachel Barrowclough (DWP), Lynda Frankland Barber (HMRC), David Hunter (Scottish Government), Rod West (BIS)

NEC: Rachel Barrowclough (DWP), Di Breen (DWP, Rob Bryson (DWP),  Joe Cox (CSA),  Owen Dodd (UKBA), Lynda Frankland Barber (HMRC), Christine Galligan (DWP),  Martin Gault (HMRC ),  Hubert Gieschen (MMO), Ravi Kurup (HMRC), Howard Fuller (DWP), Gurmit Kang (DWP), David Hunter (Scottish Government), Andy Magee (HMRC), Winston Murray (FCO), Robert Mottershead (HMRC), James Reynolds (BIS), Willie Samuel (MyCSP), Rod West (BIS),Angie Withers (CSA)

Plus Independent: Jake Wilde (HMRC).

Please nominate these at your Branch Annual General Meeting, and Vote for them in this years PCS Elections.

To Conference or Not to Conference

National Delegate Conference the sovereign body of PCS and Group Delegate Conference’s appear to be under threat as groups are told to hold off booking group hotels.

Though there is nothing on the PCS website, the lack of electoral time scales leading up to conference 2013 is adding weight to the rumours floating around many social networks that this years conference is under threat.

One possible reason for any alteration to conference 2013 is being sited as the coalitions attack on our facilities agreements and special paid leave.

While using our own time to attend conference will prevent many representatives from attending, we all know that conference is the annual gathering of activists from across the union to catch up, network and plan for the future.

While the numbers attending might go down, we believe that the majority would still attend.

If the majority of activists would attend in their own time (we are a dedicate, die hard bunch), the question needs to asked, is there some other reason for amending or altering conference 2013?

Is the financial situation PCS faces more sever than we have been led to believe?

Have we gone from a strong, solvent union to one that cannot afford to hold conference, the policy making, sovereign body of our union?

If we have then every single member should be questioning the current leaderships ability to run our union and represent our members interest; plus, every branch should be considering what any alteration to our democratic structures and processes means?