PCS: Mark Serwotka re-elected general secretary of PCS

Thursday, 17 December 2009 12:00 AM

It was announced today that members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have overwhelmingly re-elected Mark Serwotka for a third term as general secretary of Britain's largest civil service union.

First elected in 2000, Mark Serwotka was returned for another five year term with 63.4% of the vote. His challenger received 36.6% of the votes cast.

With PCS members facing job cuts, privatisation, pay freezes and cuts to their redundancy terms in the New Year, the re-election of Mark Serwotka is an endorsement of the union's active campaigning and organising strategy.

Mark's re-election means that PCS remains united in its response to unilateral changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, which could lead to PCS members having their jobs cut on the cheap.

The union is currently pursuing legal action with other civil service unions against the government over the changes and has decided to hold a strike ballot amongst its members working for the civil service and its related bodies. PCS will ballot its members should ministers press ahead with the plans and fail to ensure officials honour previous ministerial promises to find a negotiated agreement.

Commenting, Janice Godrich, president of PCS, said: "I would like to publicly extend my congratulations to Mark and say how pleased I am at the result. Since becoming general secretary, Mark has worked with the National Executive Committee to bring stability and unity to the union. He has played a leading role in ensuring the union focuses on members' issues and workplace union organisation. The result has seen PCS grow, becoming more effective and listened to by ministers, employers, the media and TUC. He has helped extend our influence on members' issues of jobs, pay, pensions, conditions, public services and face the immense problems by our members in the private sector."

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "PCS members had a clear choice about whether they wanted a union which would stand up for them and fight back against attacks on their jobs, pay and terms and conditions, or a union that would hold its hands up and say nothing could be done. Through this overwhelming show of support, members have shown that they want a union that will campaign and organise against the damaging consensus amongst the main political parties, which champions public sector cuts, pay freezes and privatisation.

"There are massive challenges facing PCS and its members in the year ahead PCS will remain united in rising to them and PCS members can be confident that their union continue to stand up for them and the public services they care passionately about."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For further information, interviews and comment please contact Alex Flynn PCS national press officer on 020 7801 2820 or 07833 978216.

PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK's sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich.

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