31.07.2002

Serwotka victory

Left advance in unions

Socialist Alliance supporter Mark Serwotka has been confirmed as Public and Commercial Services Union general secretary not only by the membership that elected him, but by a high court ruling. In a hearing on July 31, the court declared that the May 23 decision of the PCSU executive committee that outgoing general secretary Barry Reamsbottom should remain in post was invalid on the technical grounds that the EC meeting had not been properly convened. The judge did, however, come to the same conclusion as the overwhelming majority of the union's members - that comrade Serwotka was "validly elected" as from June 1. Rightwinger Reamsbottom, with the behind-the-scenes backing of Millbank, had claimed that not only the election, but democratic conference decisions before and after were invalid because of a previous agreement struck between that he should remain as joint general secretary of the newly merged union until 2004, despite never having been elected by the membership. Stubborn to the last, he told reporters he was considering an appeal. Comrade Serwotka said: "I was elected general secretary on a programme of defending PCS members' jobs, re-establishing national civil service pay and conditions and opposing privatisation. PCS will now continue working for high-quality public services and improving the service that the union provides to members and representatives at the workplace." The result is a setback for New Labour and a victory for union democracy. The campaign against the Reamsbottom coup saw a resurgence in rank and file activity, as members mobilised in defence of their right to elect accountable union leaders. Peter Manson