Biography

My experience includes:

• 20 years representing members with most of our major employers in the public and private sectors.
• 14 years co-ordinating the GCHQ campaign from the day of the ban to leading the negotiations restoring union rights.
• 7 years as Assistant General Secretary of NUCPS, PTC and PCS.

I am asking for your vote because I want to make a real difference to what PCS delivers for members. I will not be able to transform PCS overnight. I make a strong commitment to work hard over my term of office to deliver major improvements. As an independent, democratic General Secretary, I will work with elected representatives openly and inclusively. I will always put members at the centre of our agenda.

My Four Priorities Are:

• To deliver more for members and representatives.
• To make PCS a union of greater influence with Government and employers.
• To make PCS a union that communicates effectively.
• To create a modern union which is representative and fair.

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Delivering More For Members

My top priority is defending and improving members jobs, pay, conditions of service and quality of life. I will work to focus the resources of the merged union to deliver results for members.

• Pay

I believe we must expose and challenge the inequalities of present pay systems and settlements across all employers, public and private sector, in negotiations and with a co-ordinated campaign to change Government policy.

I will work to deliver:

• Fair and open pay systems.
• Proper pay progression.
• The rate for the job.
• A decent minimum wage.

• Jobs and Job Security

I believe it is time to re-establish a central role for quality public services. We must protect and deliver jobs and careers for all our members. The Government’s modernisation and change programmes must not be achieved at members’ expense - quality services need quality jobs.

• Equal Opportunities and Diversity

I feel strongly that progress is far too slow. We need real action to end institutionalised racism, and discrimination against women, disabled people, lesbians and gay men. All members deserve respect and support at work. Only a workforce truly representative of the diversity of the whole community is good enough.

• Quality of Life

I believe we need to create a proper balance between work and home. I will work to achieve support for all those with caring and domestic responsibilities.

We must have:

• Proper staffing levels.
• More investment in family friendly initiatives.
• Positive action to combat stress and bullying.

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Greater Influence With Government

I believe we need a high profile and co-ordinated approach to influencing Government policy. I will ensure that PCS uses the knowledge, and expertise of our members, elected representatives and professional staff to put our policies across in the public arena much more effectively.

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Greater Influence With Employers

I understand the pressures members experience delivering unprecedented change, often with poor computer systems, inadequate resources and ever increasing demands. I will work to create a union that will influence the key decisions made by employers. I will encourage genuine partnership relationships with employers at all levels.

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A Voice In Every Workplace

I know every member wants a local Representative - every workplace should have one. I want every representative to have quality training, support and information from PCS, and respect from the employer.

My priorities are:

• Encouraging more local representatives.
• Providing local training.
• Providing easy access for representatives to PCS services.
• Providing more resources to support recruitment and organisation locally.

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A Representative Union

I believe we need new ways of working together to involve members. In-fighting wastes members’ time and money.

I will work to make PCS:

• Open and democratic.
• Member focused and member led.

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A Union That Communicates

I believe PCS must communicate more effectively with members and representatives. Our communications must be high quality and professional. We must get the right information to the right people at the right time.

My priorities will be:

• Review and re-launch the PCS magazine.
• More group and specialist journals.
• Better quality circulars.
• Major development of electronic communications.

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A Fair Union

I feel deeply that equality must be at the heart of everything we do. I will work to create:

• PCS structures that reflect the diversity of our membership.
• PCS policies that promote equality.
• PCS services that provide equal access.
• PCS as a truly equality based employer.

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A Modern Union

I believe the merger gives us the opportunity to make massive improvements in our services to members. PCS needs the best technology and the best-trained employees to deliver these services. I want to invest the merger dividend to achieve this.

My first priorities will be:

• On-line access to all branches and available directly to members.
• Expansion and development of Headquarters and Regional Offices to be more responsive to members’ needs.
• Modern training and development for all our employees.

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Conclusion

I want PCS to become a modern union for the 21st Century - a union that values our members and representatives - a union that delivers more for members and representatives. We need to look forward. We need to build on the strengths of all the former unions and leave behind the old divisions. We need a NEW democratic General Secretary. A vote for me will take the first step forward.