Public and Commercial Services Union

The key focus of our work with solidarity organisations is to develop programmes of action that will help the union not only take forward its work, but also help develop its internal capacity by working with branches, regions and other relevant parts of the union.

Palestine and the Middle East

Palestine is a major focus of our international solidarity work. We have contributed towards the development and production of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s CD Rom training resource pack for trade union members, which will be made available to branches.

2007 marked the 40th anniversary of Israel’s military occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank. PCS participated in the Enough! national rally in June 2007 and mobilised support for the lobby of Parliament in November 2007.

In January 2008, deputy general secretary Hugh Lanning led the Palestine Solidarity Campaign trade union delegation to Palestine.

2008 marks 60 years since the Naka and the establishment of the state of Israel. PCS will continue to work with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign in calling for the end of the occupation.

Colombia

PCS participated in two delegations organised by Justice for Colombia in 2005. Deputy general secretary  Hugh Lanning participated in a further delegation to Colombia in August 2007.

As a result, we are developing closer working with Justice for Colombia to support the campaign against the imprisonment of women trade unionist/political prisoners, and working towards linking up our air traffic controllers group with their counterpart in Colombia. Contact has also been established with the main public sector union.

Zimbabwe and Southern Africa

PCS continues to support ACTSA’s campaign on HIV and Aids in Southern Africa.

We have also supported the campaign against the persecution of trade unionists in Zimbabwe, are playing an active role in ACTSA’s Dignity Period! campaign, and have given ACTSA office space in the building in Victoria.

PCS is also working with other unions to give support to the TUC campaign calling for the retention of EU sanctions against Zimbabwe in solidarity with the ZTUC.

As part of this commitment, we invited Lovemore Matombo, President of Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions and Gugu Malindzisa from the Swaziland Federation of Labour to speak at the National Women’s Forum on 6 November 2007. Both were on an ACTSA delegation from Southern Africa.

Cuba

PCS is affiliated to the Cuba Solidarity Campaign.

The Cuba Solidarity Campaign is the British campaign for the defence of Cuba and its peoples' right to self-determination and national sovereignty.

We believe that the people of Cuba, like any other nation, must be free to decide their own internal affairs without outside interference.

We defend, therefore, Cuba's right to national sovereignty, independence and self-determination.

We call for an end to the US trade blockade against Cuba and for the British Government to continue to oppose it.

We call for the normalisation of all diplomatic, economic, cultural and scientific relations with Cuba by the US Government.

For 38 years Cuba, a small nation of 11 million people, has been subjected to sustained interference in its internal affairs by the United States.

Amnesty International

PCS has agreed a joint programme with Amnesty International (UK) including working with Proud on LGBT issues.

The intention is to develop regions, branch and individual participation in Amnesty International as PCS is the union with the second largest number of affiliations.

They are also keen for us to refresh our representation with the organisation.

Venezuela

PCS is affiliated to the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign and is also co-operating with the Venezuela Information Centre.

A joint fringe meeting was held at annual delegate conference 2007 on Latin America in which the Hands Off Venezuela , Venezuela Information Centre , Cuba Solidarity and Justice for Colombia participated.

Chagos Islands

In May 2006, the courts ruled that the Chagos Islanders had the right to return home after 40 years in exile.

This follows a similar ruling in 2002. The UK Government appealed against the recent decision on the ground that the case involved constitutional importance and an appeal hearing took place in February 2007.

In May 2007, the court of appeal rejected the UK government’s bid to stop the Islanders from returning home.

In July, we met with representatives from the Chagos Islands Community Association (CICA), the main campaigning group in the UK, to explore how best we could give help and support to their campaign.

The Law Lords have since ruled in favour of the Government which means that the legal battle continues.

PCS View publicised the campaign and encouraged members to get involved September 2007.

The CICA chair spoke at the War on War social at TUC Congress.

Oaxaca - Mexico

PCS supports the struggle of workers and peoples of Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, which began with a teachers’ strike in mid May 2006.

In solidarity with the teachers’ unions, PCS hosted a public meeting in November 2007 which was addressed by speakers from the education workers union CODEP and the Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca (APPO).

The film “Oaxaca: Mega March for Justice” was screened, which was produced by the Global Women’s Strike and Payday men’s network in conjunction with CODEP and APPO.