PCS Union looks at members working in the Sex Industry
Motion A27 - R&C East Midlands (200033)
Conference notes that following motion A27 at conference 2012 PCS has been instructed to develop a policy regarding the sex industry. This conference feels that, while not condoning the industry, as a union we need to have a policy regarding the treatment of members who work in the sex industry.
Many of our members are suffering ?nancial hardship due to the pay freezes, increase in pension’s contributions,cuts to services and the continuing rise of everyday living. This means that many people are looking for second jobs. Most departments have policies regarding second jobs and require members to register them.
However, in these times of ?nancial hardship more and more people are turning to the sex industry in order to raise funds. This is hardly surprising when it is getting harder and harder to ?nd part time work in shops, pubs and restaurants; the more common areas for second jobs.
PCS and Unite Union (A30 National Executive Committee)
Conference further welcomes the joint working with Unite in campaigning over welfare. Working with Unite’s community membership, we are highlighting the impacts of welfare cuts on claimants as well as PCS members both Administering and claiming bene?ts themselves.
Conference also endorses the decision to be a founder member of the Class think-tank, alongside Unite and other Unions, to create and popularise alternative policies to the tired Westminster consensus.
Conference believes that the agreement with Unite has produced excellent results so far. Joint working has undoubtedly strengthened our ability to campaign to defend members’ pay, pensions and conditions.
PCS Union to Merge with Unite (A31)
Conference agrees that a PCS/UNITE merger has the potential to increase our bargaining power in the civil service, public bodies and the commercial sector and will assist in building co-ordinated action between PCS and UNITE and across public sector unions.
A32
PCS should make a formal approach to UNITE to pave the way for merger talks.
A90
Conference condemns the continued attacks and cuts to the welfare system, in particular the recent sanctions changes for Jobseekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance claimants, the proposed bene?t caps and the vote in Parliament to cap future rises at just 1 per cent for Tax Credits, Child Bene?t, and Jobseekers Allowance and other working age bene?ts, no matter how much prices go up, which will only exacerbate poverty in this country and lead to potential con?ict in our of?ces.
This conference is appalled by the government’s attempts to scapegoat and demonise poor, sick and unemployed people through the press. More and more people are being driven deeper into poverty through welfare cuts. This has resulted in verbal and physical assaults on PCS members.
The introduction of the work programme, popularly known as workfare, has failed to help long term unemployed workers back into work. It has, however, lined the pockets of some already very rich companies and organisations.
The signi?cant increase in sanctions introduced by this government is effectively a war on the poor. The minimum sanction of 4 weeks leaves families destitute, and the maximum sanction of 3 years effectively drives people out of the bene?ts system. This has raised the tension in jobcentres signi?cantly.
We believe that a fully funded, publicly run welfare state is essential for a civilised society and perfectly affordable.
PCS has a strong history of working with Unemployed and Disabled Groups in raising and campaigning on these issues.
This conference therefore welcomes the joint statement by PCS, Disabled People Against the Cuts and Black Triangle, which clearly recognises that we have a common interest in opposing and campaigning against the draconian changes to the Welfare System.
This conference welcomes the initiative by Unite in introducing Unite Community Organisers to help organise unemployed and communities with Trade Union backing and education. This conference further recognises the threat of privatisation that stems from the Welfare Reform Act and our union’s long standing opposition to pro?t from welfare.
This conference therefore instructs the National Executive Committee to:
Continue to highlight the inequality of the Welfare Reform Act via members meetings and PCS publications;
Publicise each and every welfare cut and their effects to the public and our members and to continue to argue against them at every opportunity;
Publicise members rights so they understand where they stand when pressurised to implement sanctions;
Encourage branches to order the Right to Work pamphlet on Workfare;
Organise Welfare Events in all regions to update our reps with the latest position;
Encourage Regions and Branches to make contact with Unite Community Organisers and ensure we are positively engaging with local and community groups;
Continue the excellent work via the Commercial Sector (CS) Liaison Group but also widen that to ensure regions and branches are engaging with Commercial Sector reps and members were appropriate;
Continue to raise the threat of privatisation and work with the CS to look at recruitment in DWP Contracts;
Continue to work closely with the Parliamentary Group in Westminster, Wales and Scotland to raise issues of concern; and
Make contact with NIPSA to create a dialogue and share best practice on the attacks on Welfare.
A97
This conference applauds the decision of the ruling of a three–judge panel at the Royal Courts of Justice.
They found that the Work and Pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, had not given unemployed people enough information on their rights to appeal against being made to work up to 780 hours unpaid and the penalties they faced should they opt not to do so.
This conference recognises that prior to 12th February 2013 all back to work schemes asides the mandatory work activity were unlawful and that every single claimant that was sanctioned should receive back the bene?t unlawfully stopped.
PCS cannot stand idly by why the unemployed are forced into unpaid work. We call upon this conference to immediately activate a campaign of opposition and if required a repeal of these draconian rules and legislation.
This conference recognises that prior to 12th February 2013 all back to work schemes asides the mandatory work activity were unlawful and that every single claimant that was sanctioned should receive back the bene?t unlawfully stopped.
PCS cannot stand idly by why the unemployed are forced into unpaid work. We call upon this conference to immediately activate a campaign of opposition and if required a repeal of these draconian rules and legislation.
We call on the NEC to:
• engage with as many of the affected bodies and supporters as we can which should include discussions with, although not exclusively, ‘Boycott workfare’;
• mount a campaign of opposition to all mandatory workfare schemes involving organizations such as Boycott workfare, supportive MPs and the TUC;
• publicize its opposition to the membership and engage as many of the members as possible in opposition to the forthcoming regulatory reforms.
Download Report: PCS Union Motion Report 2013 (PDF)
