Public and Commercial Services Union

Motion A44 was carried, NEC Attitude: support with statement

Conference recognises that there are significant opportunities presented to PCS members by the effective management of the PCS
property estate, particularly in respect of:-

• Offers to purchase PCS HQ and, ensure a ‘fit for purpose’ London based HQ
• The opportunity to review the property estate managed on behalf of members across the UK and Northern Ireland
• The opportunity to more properly reflect and support members where they are based geographically and support the need to be more effective as a key community partner and effective political influence

The National Executive Committee are instructed to conduct a full evaluation of the opportunities available whilst ensuring PCS
maintains the standards of employment practice we seek with employers. To this end Conference recognises and instructs the NEC to ensure:-
1) All PCS staff will be guaranteed that there will be no enforced compulsory transfer and no compulsory redundancy as a result of
any change in the location and management of the PCS property estate.
2) The location and management of the PCS property estate will ensure:-

The location of PCS staff reflects our membership base and campaign / bargaining objectives. The location and numbers of PCS staff will ensure the most cost effective investment of PCS members subscription income.

3) There is full and transparent consultation with Groups, Regional and Branch Committees. In addition the NEC should ensure this
transparent process is clearly understood and communicated to members in order that they can contribute to this discussion and
Branch and Conference debate.

The National Executive Committee is instructed to produce a full and detailed report on all of these matters with recommendations
for the future actions that best ensure the most effective use of PCS members subscription income in the promotion and delivery of
PCS objectives.

The NEC is instructed to ensure that a detailed report is available to members on the following timetable and linked to the following consultation / decision making process.
a) NEC issue report and recommendation to members
b) Members consider and discuss report through Branch AGMs and Mandate delegates
c) Conference 2008 makes a decision.

Motion A45 was lost, NEC Attitude: oppose

Conference is concerned to note that the Labour Government has made more attacks on our public services in 10 years than the Tories managed in 18.

It is a Labour Government who are driving through 104,000 civil service job cuts, compulsory redundancies, and capping pay rises
despite inflation being at a 15 year high.
PCS must be one of the few unions who had to promise not to affiliate to a political party (many activists and members took this to
mean the Labour Party in particular) in order to get its Political Fund!
Conference agrees that some of the monies therein ought to be able to be used to fund candidates whose aims are broadly similar to
those of PCS – the question is how we do this.

Conference instructs the NEC to convene a working party to look into this question and to make a report back to branches in time for
2008 AGMs to that branches can discuss the issues involved and submit motions to National PCS Conference 2008.

The remit of the working party must at least include the following considerations: -

What percentage of monies in the PCS Political Fund could be set aside to support candidates chosen?

• What forum can best make the decision as to which candidates, if any, will be supported (i.e. would using PCS Regional Committees be best way forward via all member regional meetings or local branch all member meetings)?
• What method of membership accountability would be the most practical and inclusive?
• To look at how other unions make financial contributions to candidates involving unions affiliated and not affiliated to the Labour Party.
• To draft a suggested platform that candidates need to meet as a minimum basis for consideration of financial support from the PCS Political Fund (such as Conference policies and affiliations, defence and expansion of our public services, anti privatisation, anti war, and in accordance with PCS aims values and rules).
• To suggest which PCS rules may need to be changed to allow donations to candidates.

Motion A140 was carried, NEC Attitude: support

Conference welcomes the establishment of the Political Fund on 1 April 2007.

Conference notes that the commitments, given to members during the campaign to set up the Fund, not to affiliate to or Fund any
political party or to increase subscriptions as a result of setting up the Fund, had been fully adhered to.

Conference believes that maximising the number of members contributing to the Political Fund is vital in order to continue with
effective, political campaigning, and welcomes the campaign to ensure maximum opt-in amongst members in Northern Ireland.

Conference urges all members to contribute and instructs the NEC to continue to work to ensure the highest possible level of contribution to the fund.

Conference instructs the NEC to carry out further interventions to promote the union’s policy around the mayoral, Greater London
Authority, English local council and Welsh unitary local authority elections in May 2008 and around our anti-fascist/racist campaigning.

It further calls on Regional Committees to develop plans for campaigning work during those elections. Conference also instructs the NEC to draw up plans for the use and administration of the fund in future years.

Taking into account the role of the Regional committees, and report on them to ADC 2008.

Guillotined: A48, A49, A50, A51, A52 and A53