Co-ordinated strike action on an unprecedented scale planned for next month moved a step closer today when PCS delegates voted to begin a national ballot of all the union's members. The overwhelming vote at the Civil Service union's annual conference set the stage for simultaneous industrial action by PCS as well as education unions UCU, NUT and ATL over government attacks on public-sector pensions.
The union's general secretary Mark Serwotka took to the rostrum and pledged to "fight tooth and nail" to protect workers from savage spending cuts, setting forth a strategy of industrial militancy.
Mr Serwotka said: "If we rise to the challenge then this will be an unforgettable time for our movement.
"We should defend every job, every service, every community and every benefit and oppose all cuts."
The "strike for the alternative" on June 30 could "turn the tide" against the Tory-led coalition government, he said, while other unions could join co-ordinated action in the autumn.
"Seven hundred and fifty thousand workers could walk out in June and four million in autumn.
"We are not going away."
Speaking in support of the emergency motion for the ballot, Department for Work and Pensions group organiser Fran Heathcoate said: "It wasn't long ago that it was being argued that PCS was fundamentalist because we were calling for no cuts and no job losses.
"Now we have been proved right. We have shaped the debate away from despair with a determination to beat the cuts."
Ms Heathcoate also praised the union's role in drawing in other anti-cuts forces such as direct-action group UK Uncut.
"Our attitude to the anti-cuts alliances has not only been to support them but to actively build them," she said.
"It's vital as all our work has been, and I believe we need it to build for co-ordinated action."
Communities and local government assistant group secretary Chris Hickey said the union needed "every weapon at its disposal" in order to hit the government hard.
Vicky Whittle, who works at Birmingham prison, said her fellow PCS members at the jail wanted to be balloted for industrial action over the government's determination to hand administration of the prison to G4S, a private security firm.
"We need to take this action as it allows members to come on strike and not be persecuted by a private company," she said.
Cardiff delegate Dave Bartlett invited the TUC to be the "conductor" for further action, but added: "If not we will have to take up the ballot ourselves."
Taken from The Morning Star, Wednesday 18th May
