The DHSC's NHS pay submission, recommending a 2.5% cap, confirms a hard line driven by the Spending Review (SR25). Ministers are telling the NHS (despite pay pressure from BMA/RCN) that awards must be funded within existing budgets. No access to the reserve.

The Government seemingly has set its 2026 pay policy. DHSC evidence to the NHS Pay Review Body shows they plan for a 2.5% uplift, warning anything higher would force "trade-offs" against health commitments. The Cabinet Office is asking for the same 2.5% cap for Senior Civil Service pay.

How Left Unity Distorted a Key Organizing Concept to Cancel a Ballot: pcsindependentleft.com/2025/11/10/h...

We argue that PCS must immediately restart preparations for an industrial action campaign. Given the time LU has wasted, we need a proper run-up before a statutory ballot can succeed.

PCS President says that PCS is “working to secure an agreement with the employer on pay restoration...” and at the same time he acknowledges that “jobs, pay and the services you provide are all under threat of further cuts as the budget approaches in November.”

It is extraordinary that as we wait for the so-called national pay talks to begin the union is not planning any accompanying campaign to put pressure on UK civil service senior managers. Those talks, such as they are will therefore be held in a vacuum.

Read our latest posting. The President’s Confident Claim vs. Reality pcsindependentleft.com/2025/11/04/t...

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Civil Service World also says that 2.5% will be recommended for senior civil service. Will 2.5% be the public sector norm? If so, that sinks any hope (faint as it was) that the national talks that PCS is joining will lead to any real improvements.

PCS i.e. Left Unity have posted 'Following delegated pay talks, and a series of consultations with groups and members, the NEC agreed that there is not a strong enough case to move to an industrial action ballot under the national campaign at this time, though this will be kept under review'.

PCS, that is LU, is entering civil service pay talks "unarmed" as it choose not to ballot members for industrial action. This lack of a strike threat strips the union of all leverage. They're relying on strong arguments (13% real-terms pay fall, recruitment crisis, pay compression) but power counts.

From day one of the full scale invasion the IL has supported the right of the Ukrainian people to self determination, as we do for the Palestinian people.

Shortly branches will be told that there will be no ballot and that the union is entering national talks on pay, job security etc. The Independent Left (IL) believes this approach is wrong. This moment demands activity as opposed to going into sleep mode.

DWP plans include closing the Lincoln Service Centre and Service & Support Centres in Dover, Warrington, and St Helens, plus run a VER scheme in Caxton House, London. The PCS DWP Group Executive Committee (GEC) states it will "fight every office closure with every tool at its disposal."

The average pay award was 3.5%, but inflation (CPI) is stuck at 3.8% for the third month running. So 2025 pay round has delivered a real-terms pay cut for most members. We're worse off than last year. The basic duty of a union is to protect living standards—and Left Unity has failed - again.

There is a debate within PCS over our strategy for pay/jobs and terms and conditions. One view (LU) sees talking to Labour as the primary means to achieve National Pay & job security. The alternative (IL) argues dialogue must be underpinned by putting in place the machinery for a national ballot.

We believe LU plans to argue at Thursday's NEC that members have no interest in a ballot, but they generated zero enthusiasm! They ran no campaign & kept members in the dark. We predict the LU majority will rubber-stamp the GS's recommendation to send the union into "sleep mode." We say: Wake Up!

PCS special NEC this Thursday. We think the GS will recommend “no ballot”. LU majority will support the GS. Independent Left says start now to build for a 2026 vote on pay, jobs & job security. Not a call for an immediate strike — get the machinery ready and start an actual campaign.

Following on from yesterday. Labour’s fiscal rules are their own creation — a political choice, not an economic necessity. They say there’s “no money,” but there is. Notwithstanding that, the government believe they are in a bind. They are not going to increase our pay willingly.

Obviously we agree with Andy but in the absence of Union pressure, why would Labour give us this?

PCS’s national approach to delegated bargaining in the civil service is broken - part 2. Ahead of the next pay round, the union must do better: provide bargaining lines to take, supported by arguments, share data, and provide training for negotiators. This isn't rocket science—it’s basic union work.

PCS gives little practical support to Groups & Nat Branches on delegated pay bargaining. This should be an organising opportunity — pay affects everyone, so comms must reach the whole workforce, boosting our union’s profile.

The UAW in the US are thinking big—aligning contracts to expire on 1 May 2028 and calling on the whole labour movement to join them. That’s bold leadership. In PCS, we can’t even coordinate pay bargaining across the UK civil service let alone between the Scottish and Welsh civil services!

There is no sub committee on the NEC to discuss pensions, nor is it regularly discussed by the NEC itself. Therefore despite how important this issue is, there is no systematic discussion, analysis or campaigning around pensions – occupational or state – by PCS.

There isn’t just a gender pension gap or a class gap — there’s a race and geographical pension gaps too. Inequalities in life expectancy mean many workers don't reach retirement or if they do, they will only enjoy retirement for a few years. These gaps reflect deep injustices in society.

The pension motion A21 at last year’s ADC called for breaking the artificial link between State Pension Age and normal pension age in civil service pension schemes—something LU has yet to even ask the government about. You have to at least ask to make progress!

Lower grades in the UK civil service have higher mortality rates, meaning working-class staff tend to die younger and so will 'enjoy' their pension for fewer years. This creates a "mortality gap" where they effectively subsidise pensions for higher grades who live longer.

Pensions are just deferred pay — so all the pay inequalities get reproduced later in life too. That’s why we still have a gender pensions gap, with women receiving far less on average. Motion A21 (2024) told PCS to fix this. Guess what? Nothing’s been done.

Special leave matters. Yet, in many departments, managers have discretion over how much leave to grant for events like the death of a close relative. Grief shouldn't be measured by a manager—there should be a mandatory fair amount for everyone.

Then there is the four day week. First off, Left Unity on the NEC voted against the adoption of the 4 day week as a national demand. Don’t forget that. Yet all the evidence we have shows such a working week increases productivity, boosts staff well-being, reduces sick leave and increases morale.

Then there is the working week. Most members work a 36, 37 net week or a 41 gross working week. Yet the union has made no progress on reducing the working week nor actually campaigning around reducing hours with no loss of pay. On the face of it, LU show no interest.

The union leadership has ignored maternity, paternity, parental & adoption leave for years—believing them “sectional” issues and a distraction from pay - whilst failing on pay in any case. This inaction is wrong. Paid maternity leave hasn’t improved for decades, and unfair service rules remain.

Back in the last years of New Labour, PCS accepted a two-tier pensions deal: existing staff could retire at 60, but new starters faced 65. Mark Serwotka sold it as a deal that would last “42-year deal”. Within a few years the Tories tore it up. So much for 42 years.

Civil servants are stuck in a two-tier system on annual leave: staff recruited before Francis Maude’s changes get 31.5+ days, while newer staff get 30 or less. Left Unity has never addressed this inequality— in fact they signed up to two-tier pensions and backed a two tier deal in DWP.

Along with no real progress on pay and pay structures, LU has made no progress on leave provision, child related leaves, special leave or the working week. Over the next few days we will explore this failure in some detail.

The Independent Left wants to change how the union is run, not just the people at the top. This has been reflected in our slogan “For a fighting, rank-and-file controlled union”. If PCS is to survive and thrive it must be genuinely democratic, drawing on members and reps’ knowledge.

PCS is meant to be a collective, member-led union. Any of the successes of recent years have come from decisions taken together, by ADC, from activists who give their time and energy, and from members prepared to stand up and fight. They are not the property of any individual leader.

PCS’ Social Media and Persona Non Grata: pcsindependentleft.com/2025/09/24/p...

The Government's 2025/26 Civil Service Pay Remit caps awards at 3.25% (+0.5% flexibility) – well below inflation. After 15+ years of cuts, this means real pay standing still or falling for most PCS members. Yet LU leadership acts like it’s business as usual.

It's worrying that PCS union's website still shows no updates on pay meetings or a national pay campaign. Inflation means that our pay has fallen in real terms but the union has nothing to say on this.

The Financial Times reports that that the Chancellor has told the Cabinet that they must resist public sector pay demands. Again this reinforces our point that if we are going to actually win on pay then we have to fight for it.

UK government borrowing is £11bn higher than forecast so far this year. Given the Chancellor's rules - self imposed and stupid as they maybe - Labour will be more resistant than ever against PCS demands for better pay. Labour thinks they don't have the money.

Predictably LU is now starting to blame activists for not producing material around pay etc - that is when activists ask why there is no national material, the response, by some, is well dear activist why don't you produce this- don't wait for the national Union.

Back to pay meetings. As far as we can see, LU NEC members conducting the pay meetings are not taking votes as to whether members are willing to take strike action. So when they report back they will just give their 'impressions'. We forecast those will be that members are not up for action.

UK inflation holds steady at 3.8%. This means the vast bulk of members have seen their standard of living fall yet again. With 10,000s of people going to get a pay increase when the minimum wage increases next year, this year's pay round has been as poor as previous years.

Looking in vain to see any recent articles on the union's website about the pay meetings or indeed about pay in general. The plain truth is that LU has no interest in pushing the meetings and certainly not in going to a national ballot.

It would appear that many branches still have not had pay meetings. That's not surprising given the lack of drive from PCS. We are hearing though that the union is trying to have only LU NEC members address meetings.

Work is changing — with home working, meeting on line splitting teams over a number of sites are breaking down the shared experiences that once built solidarity. Unions must confront not just wages & safety, but how tech reshapes human connection on the job.

Regional Committees need freedom. In London & the South East, 12,000 job cuts, office closures & relocations are looming — but national leadership blocks a local campaign, insisting it be folded into a "national" campaign - which of course doesn’t exist.

We also need to radically reform the Regional Committees. Currently they are designated as subcommittees of the NEC and as such are policed by the National President who interferes if they stray too far from his conception of how they should operate.