Winning beyond the workplace

In a speech last year, TUC general secretary Pula Novak said, “The right to strike, to withdraw your labour, is a cornerstone of our democracy - of any democracy... Going on strike is a protection working people have relied on for generations."

PCS has shown that it can win in the workplace and it can take the fight straight to government. Our judicial review against the government’s Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act, is the most recent example. It’s defending the human right to go on strike against the government’s authoritarian crackdown. This comes after PCS supported key legal challenges to the UK government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Climate change is a trade union issue and PCS is active in exposing how the energy, climate and cost of living crises connect to issues of low pay. Planning for a ‘Just Transition’ is essential so that, in moving to a zero-carbon economy, workers' jobs, pay, pensions and other terms and conditions are protected.

PCS has a strong presence at Westminster, with about 100 cross-party members in both the House of Commons and Lords. These allies put union concerns straight to government through debates and written questions. The union’s organising and quality of research and briefings are highly regarded, as our evidence provided at a recent hearing by the Public Accounts Committee illustrates. And the work of PCS staff and parliamentarians carries even more weight when backed up by campaigning by members in constituencies.

PCS membership starts in the workplace for a bigger change and a fairer society. Not yet a member? Join online today.