PCS Union - 5 pledges

The PCS Union in Wales have asked all Welsh election candidates to respond to five pledges as part of their 'Make Your Vote Count' campaign. This is my response.

1. I pledge to oppose all job cuts and proposals to close offices - such as Newport Passport Office and the Driving Standards Agency in Cardiff - and to support the PCS ‘There is an Alternative’ campaign, which prioritises closing the annual £120 billion tax gap, along with investment in jobs & public services.

As chair of the all-party PCS group in the last Assembly, I have actively supported the PCS union in its' campaigns against job losses and office closures. Many of the office closures to date have been from non-devolved departments, carried out by a government in Westminster which places little value in strong public services with a well-treated workforce. Plaid seeks further devolution so that the people of Wales, who value public services highly, have a greater say about public services in Wales. So far in Wales, any job losses at Welsh Assembly Government level have been with the agreement of the relevant unions. I will continue to support this way of doing things and I will continue to condemn those public bodies acting without trades union support, like, for example, the situation in Rhondda Cynon Taf. I fully support the PCS 'There is an Alternative' campaign to close the tax gap. I also support the work of UKUncut.

2. I pledge to support the principle of universal entitlement to welfare services paid for through general taxation and to oppose the UK government’s cuts in welfare and housing, which target the sick and disabled, families with children, those on low incomes, and pensioners.

It is wrong that those who can least afford it, will end up paying for the the problems caused by financiers. The Westminster government works to protect the financial interests of their friends, while pushing through ideological cuts to public expenditure in the name of balancing the books. The political right are setting about reducing the welfare state, Shock Doctrine style. I support comprehensive, universal public services and I believe they should be paid for by progressive taxation.


3. I pledge to address the disproportionate impact of spending cuts on:
• groups who already suffer from entrenched inequalities – such as those covered by the Equality Act 2010;
• economically deprived areas such as Wales, especially its rural and valleys communities, and on the Welsh language.
I will support efforts to overcome the long-term underfunding of Welsh public services - £300 million annually - identified by the Holtham Commission.

I support this statement. Plaid Cymru has called for the full implementation of the Holtham Commission proposals to overcome the funding disparity brought about by the Barnett Formula. We are already seeing the cuts fall disproportionately in Wales's economically deprived areas with faster job losses, fast depreciation of wages and cuts to the benefits on which a greater percentage of the population rely. I have recently published a consultation document which proposes a green jobs creation plan for the valleys. A PDF version can be found here

4. I pledge to support the PCS campaign to protect public sector pensions as affordable and sustainable, including calling on the UK government not to increase pension contributions or make cuts in the value of pension payments.

Agree.

5. I pledge to protect public services and work alongside PCS, other trade unions and community organisations in fighting to ensure that no further services are outsourced or privatised.

If re-elected to the Senedd, I will continue to support Plaid Cymru policy and trade union campaigns against privatisation and outsourcing. I have argued on many occasions that the introduction of a profit margin into public services that previously had no shareholders to pacify, makes no sense economically. Quality or workers' terms or more ususally, both have to be reduced to plug the gap and over time and the lack of investment results in a failed service. I have opposed PFI for similar reasons. I will continue to makes these points whenever I get the opportunity.

Cuts in RCT - Demo today

At 11.30 today, Ynysangharad Park in Pontypridd will be host to a demonstration against the cuts.

"The Demonstration has been called by RCT UNISON Branch & is supported by PCS, UNITE, GMB, Pontypridd Trades Council, Right To Work South Wales and many more.

Contrary to what some Labour councillors have told local people, Plaid Cymru has not supported any of the moves to downgrade workers' terms and condidtions. We opposed the original motion which handed decision-making to council officers and we have opposed their heavy-handed tactics since.

In response to feedback that we have received from people who have been told that Plaid supported these decisions we have issued the following statement and we will be aupporting the demonstration today.

Sera Evans-Fear, Treorci councillor and Plaid Assembly candidate in the Rhondda said:

“Ed Milliband and Carwyn Jones will be at the Welsh Labour annual conference while workers in RCT are demonstrating against decisions taken by their party members. They must be asked whether they agree with the downgrading of workers' terms and conditions in RCT? Are they really happy with a Labour council initiating lockouts of unions; forcing workers to take a pay cut in an area which is blighted by low pay? What would they have to say if this was being done by a Tory council? My guess is that they would be outraged.

I know from speaking to council workers that they are very angry about this issue. They feel badly let down by their Labour councillors and have had nothing but a wall of silence from their Labour AM and Labour MP.

The Labour conference is taking place as far away from this rally as possible. Whatever the geographical distance, as party leaders, Ed Milliband and Carwyn Jones have to be held accountable for the actions of this Labour council in bullying their hard-working staff.”

Leanne Wood AM said:

“Workers and their trades unions are sending a very clear statement today. The cuts should not be paid for by those on the lowest incomes who had no hand in the cause of this financial crisis. The cuts that are being imposed by this Labour-run council are unacceptable. Other councils in Wales have managed to balance their books without bulldozing through slashed pay and conditions. Elsewhere in Wales, councils have managed to keep council tax rises low, at 0% in some cases, while Labour in RCT have increased council tax by 3%. How are council workers who are forced to take a £3,000 year pay cut meant to afford a council tax increase like this as well as the general rise in prices brought about by inflation and the rise in VAT? I have spoken to many workers who are not prepared to take this attack lying down and I fully support them."