I will keep putting members first
In Martin's first column as PCS president he explains how he always puts members first and the work he has been doing so far in his role as president.
I would like to start my first column as national president by thanking all those who voted for me.
As someone who has been active within PCS for more than 30 years, and deputy president since 2019, it means a great deal for me to be elected to the top lay position in the union.
I’ve always put members first, from my first role as a local DWP rep in Liverpool in 1990, listening to their concerns in the workplace, seeking to best represent ordinary PCS members and addressing the issues that matter to them.
I intend to do the same in my new role, starting with visits to branches, regions and groups, listening to members and stressing the need for unity, of providing a strong voice to employers, and making clear that PCS will stop at nothing to fight for our members, to demand investment, and more, better-paid jobs across the civil service and wider.
I’ve already started the process, addressing eight group conferences in Brighton in May, delivering the message of what we’ve achieved in our national campaign.
I also highlighted our support for the Palestinian cause and why it is so important, and with the Tories admitting no flights to Rwanda will take off before the general election and Labour saying they’ll scrap the scheme, explained how we have helped stop that inhumane plan before it started.
I was proud to visit picket lines at the National Museum of Liverpool – congratulations to our members there for holding out for an improved pay deal – and at Heathrow Airport.
As president, one of my roles is to represent PCS in the wider trade union movement, so I was proud to bring solidarity greetings to RMT members in Liverpool who were taking strike action against Avanti West Coast over rosters and unjust working conditions.
Finally, I urge all of you to vote in July’s general election – it’s your democratic right to participate and your chance to contribute to the demise of a Tory government that’s systematically attacked civil servants.
With Labour predicted to win a landslide, PCS will be holding the party to its pre-election pledges on workers’ rights and demanding they treat their own workforce with decency and respect… not to mention better pay and working conditions.