In May, members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) elected a campaigning National Executive Committee (NEC) – a coalition for change. But this new NEC majority has so far been blocked by the general secretary and president, both of whom are in the misnamed Left Unity group.

At an emergency NEC on 27 August, the NEC majority submitted the motion below, rejecting the government’s 5% pay remit and preparing a strategy to campaign.

At the meeting, yet again, the national president, Martin Cavanagh, ruled out the motions and amendments from the NEC majority coalition. This is an outrageous abuse of presidential powers, which has again prevented full open and democratic discussion at the leading elected lay body of the union.

This is why there are growing calls for a Special Delegate Conference to allow reps and members to debate the way forward on vital issues such as pay, jobs, pensions and cuts, and to reassert democratic lay control over the union leadership.