Darren Williams (South-East Wales Area convenor, PCS Left Unity - personal capacity) On October 24 Left Unity in the new civil service union, PCS, will hold its first conference since the union's creation after the merger of CPSA and PTC.
The merger, and the unification of four of the five socialist factions in Left Unity, should, in principle, put militants in a stronger position than ever.
In practice, however, the civil service left faces perhaps its greatest ever crisis.
Eighteen years of Tory rule saw a Government offensive which cut tens of thousands of jobs, introduced privatisation, New Management Techniques, and forced down pay. The response of the unions, under generally right-wing leaderships, was completely inadequate. National industrial action was renounced in favour of lobbying and hanging on for a Labour government.
Apathy
Members' responded not by a turn to the organised left (which often proved little better than the right during its own spells of power), but increasing apathy. The National Moderate Group leadership of CPSA ignored conference decisions and concentrated power at the top. This culminated in the stitch-up of the new PCS constitution, to preclude rank-and-file influence.
July's elections (now only biennial) to the new PCS National Get your copy!
the scenes by the dominant forces: - the Socialist Party and the exStalinist/left-Labourite 'BL84'. This tendency is greater within departmental Groups. In the Employment Service (ES), a majority of the Left Unity-led GEC agreed to accept and work with the 'New Deal', in defiance of national LU policy. Candidates The minority Socialist Caucus group's decision to oppose this sell-out by standing its own candidates against the 'official' slate has led to calls for Caucus members to be expelled from Left Unity. But the mass of LU members in the ES had no say either in the policy followed on the GEC, or in the composition of The the slate. Moderate, and Socialist Caucus Membership First has submitted a motion to LU defending its presidencies and 43 own position and of the 46 NEC pointing out that seats its members in the ES are the ones following LU policy. This motion should be supported by all those who believe that the left should pursue socialist policies. Other motions submitted will no
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