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CSCS slashed, HMRC closures...
crucial battle opens
against vicious cuts
E
very PCS member should
actively back the union’s
call for strikes against the
government’s assault on the
compensation scheme.
The attack is the opening shot in a
war against jobs. And if the cuts go
through they will pave the way for
much wider privatisation.
The vast majority of civil service
workers will be worse off under
these proposals. And everyone will
be at greater risk of redundancy and
outsourcing.
The changes would make job
cuts and privatisation easier for the
employer.
They make everyone more vulnerable
to redundancy in the future as
detrimental voluntary redundancy terms
means less people are likely to opt for
them and compulsory redundancies are
more likely.
✸Campaign for yes
The bigger the vote for strikes, the
stronger the union’s voice, and the
more confident everyone will be to take
action.
That’s why every activist needs to
throw themselves into the campaign, to
flood the offices with material about the
attacks, and to hold meetings in every
section.
It needs to be a political campaign
that can appeal to every working person
who wants to see services protected.
Right to Work
Conference
●Fight for every job ●Stop
the cuts ●Defend services and
pensions
Speakers include Mark Serwotka,
Tony Kearns, and Jerry Hicks.
Saturday 30 January, Central
Hall, Oldham St, Manchester.
Sign up today at
www.righttowork.org.uk
The theme should be “Why are public
services and those who work in them HMRC closures
getting the chop while the bankers have
been handed billions?”
The compensation scheme issue is
Only fat cat tax
not just about terms and conditions:
it is about the vital services that PCS
cheats will cheer
members deliver. HMRC’s slash and burn closure
policy is a disaster for the
This needs to be forced on to the workers affected­­—and everyone
agenda of the general election. else. The 130 offices given the
And the planning needs to start now death sentence include ones in
for hard-hitting strike action. every part of Britain—particularly
A two-day national civil service strike Scotland, Wales and the East and
will be a good start to the campaign. South West of England;
But it must not be the end to national The closures hit around 3,200
action. staff, and only 1,700 will be
The government (and the Tories) are offered voluntary redundancy on
determined to ram through massive cuts compulsory terms.
across the public sector. The rest will either have
They won’t be moved by regional to move or face compulsory
action. redundancy.
Instead of cutting posts and
offices, the government should
✸Broader unity employ more people to tackle
A victory against this attack would life the £130 billion of tax going
everyone fighting back against the cuts. uncollected, avoided or evaded.
And it would be a powerful marker for PCS has policy of industrial
what is to come after the election. action if there are compulsory
Every group of workers who fights redundancies.
back at the moment gets broad public In the run-up to the general
support. election PCS should highlight the
The PCS should seek to unite with scale of tax evasion by the rich,
other unions against the cuts, and to and how the money could be used
to boost public services.
make an appeal to the whole working And the issue of the closures
class to get behind the fight. should also be raised as part of
Let’s get a huge yes vote for action, the reason for the forthcoming
and then push to make ministers regret national strike ballot.
they ever tried to attack us!
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