[Update 24/10/14: Mark Serwotka’s response to this letter is now available online.]
Mark Serwotka
General Secretary
Public & Commercial Services Union
160 Falcon Road
LONDON
SW11 2LN
Dear Mark,
REDRESS FOR JOHN PEARSON AND SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS
We are writing this letter to you following the verdict of an Employment Tribunal that former HP North West Branch secretary John Pearson was unfairly dismissed from his job as a result of his trade union activities.
You should already be aware of John’s case, as you wrote to him confirming that his membership of PCS had ceased since the union was not seeking redress for him. Since then, John funded his own ET in order to secure the verdict in his favour, which as he was victimised for his activity on behalf of PCS he should never have been forced to do.
John’s case has also thrown into sharp focus what we feel is a distinct lack of support from the union more generally regarding ETs. Many reps have voiced their frustration at the willingness of PCS Legal to write off cases as unwinnable and withhold support, particularly in those instances where the rep has then gone on to win those cases.
As you know, we are currently facing a concerted attack on employment rights from the current government, including the imposition of fees to take up an ET. This has resulted in a drop of 70% in ETs being heard overall. We feel that the appropriate response to this includes fighting to ensure that ET cases for our members are heard, not becoming even more cautious in what cases we take up, as appears to be the case.
We are writing to you because we feel that this situation needs redress, and urgently. In particular, we demand the following:
- Full support for John from PCS as he pursues reinstatement following his ET verdict, and full recompense for the legal costs he has paid at his own expense;
- A written guarantee that reps and activists victimised by their employer will receive full and unwavering support when fighting that victimisation, by all available means including ET, as a point of principle;
- Steps to rectify the drop in the number of ET cases being pursued, including putting experienced lay rep advocates in control of whether a case is taken forward, ring-fencing funding for cases and encouraging the training of more rep advocates.
Please be aware that a copy of this letter will be published online, where we will be inviting more PCS reps and members to sign their names to it. We will also publish your response once we receive it.
Yours sincerely,
(All named individuals have signed in a personal capacity)
John Pearson, former PCS HP North West Branch
Sofia Azam, PCS Ofqual Branch
Jon Bigger, former PCS IPS London & South Branch
PCS DWP Sheffield Branch
PCS R&C London South Thames Branch
PCS DWP Cheshire Branch
PCS HO West Croydon Branch
PCS R&C Edinburgh Branch
Phil Dickens, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Charlie Wilson, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Helen Sheridan, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Sarah Malone, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Margi Henderson, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Tony Hand, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Shaun Fielding, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Ian Mercer, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Ray O’Connor, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
John Byrne, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Dave Gibbons, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Nikki Burns, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Phil Millar, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Iain Yell, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Nicola Stuart, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Natasha Fegan, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Sharon O’Neill, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Chris Wood, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Phil Murphy, PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Paul Jamieson, former PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Steph Summers, former PCS Bootle Taxes Branch
Gerry Noble, PCS Bootle St John’s House Branch
Victoria Cuckson, PCS Bootle St John’s House Branch
Rebecca Girven, PCS Bootle St John’s House Branch
Colette Brough, PCS Bootle St John’s House Branch
Denise Blundell, PCS Bootle St John’s House Branch
Ian Hough, PCS R&C West Mercia Branch
Jim Molloy, PCS R&C West Mercia Branch
Helen Balder, PCS R&C West Mercia Branch
Steve Ryan, PCS R&C North West & North Wales Branch
Gary Stein, PCS R&C Edinburgh Branch
Dougie Mirren, PCS R&C Edinburgh Branch
Dee Leary, former PCS R&C Bristol West Country Branch
Dave Plummer, former PCS R&C Euston Tower Branch
Kelsey Yarr, PCS R&C Northern Ireland Revenue Branch
Brian Keenan, PCS R&C Northern Ireland Revenue Branch
Jayne Pinder, PCS ARMS
Gavin Wood, PCS ARMS
Dianne Booth, PCS ARMS
Karen Merritt, PCS ARMS
Bill Taylor, PCS ARMS
Kerry Fairless, PCS R&C South East Essex Branch
Darrell Binding, PCS R&C South East Essex Branch
Les Hesarson, PCS R&C South East Essex Branch
Ron Johnson, PCS R&C South East Essex Branch
Ian Pope, former PCS R&C South East Essex Branch
Hamish Drummond, PCS R&C Dundee Branch
Tracy Walker, PCS DWP Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Branch
Ciaran Battle, PCS R&C Northumberland and Durham Branch
Chris Marks, PCS DWP Cheshire Branch
Annette Wright, PCS DWP Manchester & Salford Branch
Mark Chapman, PCS R&C Aberdeen & Inverness Branch
Helen Hartley, PCS R&C Liverpool & Netherton Branch
Martyn Mellis, PCS R&C Anglia Branch
Bev Laidlaw, PCS DWP Sheffield Branch
Lee Rock, PCS DWP Sheffield Branch
Alex Leach, PCS CPS Yorks and Humber Branch
Ian Edmunson, PCS DWP Bolton & Bury Branch
Lance Keeley, PCS DWP Bolton & Bury Branch
Karen Alderson, PCS HMPO Northern Branch
David Griffiths, PCS IPS North West Branch
James Leader, PCS IPS North West Branch
Brian Benjamin, PCS IPS North West Branch
Emily Rainey, PCS R&C Central Valuation Branch
Craig Ward, PCS R&C Central Valuation Branch
Gary Humphrey, PCS R&C Solway Branch
Philip Harvey, PCS DSG Lecofield Branch
Ady Pymer, PCS DSG Lecofield Branch
Nick Diamantis, PCS DWP South London Branch
Russell Carr, PCS Tate Galleries Branch
Debbie Murfitt, PCS London North Branch
Patricia Doran, PCS DWP Brent Harrow and Hillingdon Branch
Victoria Ronson, PCS HP North West Branch
Patrick Donovan, PCS HP North West Branch
Shaun Ankers, PCS HP North West Branch
Helen Hoban, PCS HP North West Branch
Keith Hartley, PCS HP North West Branch
Andrew Benson, PCS HP North West Branch
Andria Scott, PCS HP North West Branch
Nigel Kelleher, Former PCS HP North West Branch
Paul Higgins, Former PCS HP North West Branch
Glyn Hinchcliffe, Former PCS HP North West Branch
Gerard Vaughn, PCS Home Office Midlands Branch
Clive Taylor, PCS DWP South East Wales Branch
Sie Houghton, PCS R&C Waterview Park Branch
Mike Bosman, PCS Home Office West London Branch
Lisa Marie, PCS DCLG National Branch
Paulette Romain, PCS DCLG National Branch
Karen Johnson, PCS DCLG National Branch
Abbie Harrison, PCS DCLG National Branch
Stuart Gosden, PCS DCLG National Branch
Shaun Cohen, PCS DCLG National Branch
Sandra Chapman, PCS DCLG National Branch
David Jones, PCS DCLG National Branch
Alexandra Allport, PCS R&C Stockton & North Yorks Branch
Helen Wylie, PCS R&C Stockton & North Yorks Branch
Graham Allport, PCS R&C Stockton & North Yorks Branch
Adele Berry, PCS R&C North West and Central Lancashire Branch
Simon Chilton, Former PCS Salford Revenue Branch
Sarah Baskerville, PCS DfT Branch
Andrew Gilfillan, PCS DfT Branch
Eddie Childs, former PCS MOJ West Yorks Branch
Chris Roberts, PCS Heathrow Branch
Steve Finch, PCS DWP Wigan Area Branch
Jane Jones, PCS DWP Wigan Area Branch
Iain Wright, PCS DWP Manchester and Salford Branch
Gaz Lawton, PCS DWP Manchester and Salford Branch
Kevin Hunt, PCS DWP Manchester and Salford Branch
Jamie Raine, PCS DWP Manchester & Salford Branch
Mayuri Patel, PCS DfE Central London Branch
Jenny Richardson, PCS DWP Bucks and Ox Branch
James Hogan, PCS DWP Liverpool Branch
Ann Tuft, PCS DWP North Merseyside Branch
Robert Storey, PCS DWP North Merseyside Branch
Ray Nelson, PCS MoJ Manchester and Salford Branch
George Matthews, PCS Bush House London
Julie Newton, PCS Met Police Group South East London Branch
Betty Old, PCS R&C North West England Branch
Hugh Thompson, PCS R&C North West England Branch
Patrick Thompson, former PCS DWP Glasgow South Branch
Mark Walsh, PCS North West
Gary Singleton, PCS North West
Michael Brownwood, PCS North West
Chris Holmes, PCS North West
Jim Green, PCS North West
Mark Winter, PCS North West
Andrew Bennett, PCS North West
Sam Kelly, PCS MMO Branch
Sean Hanson, PCS R&C Benton Park View
Michael Dellow, PCS R&C Northumberland & Durham Branch
Wendy Turner, PCS R&C West Midlands Branch
George Thompson, PCS DWP North East London Branch
Tony Horsfield, PCS Distinguished Life Member DfE Group
Patricia Doran, PCS DWP Brent Harrow and Hillingdon Branch
Wullie Clark, PCS SG West and Central Scotland Branch
Anne Bentley, PCS Birkenhead
Gareth Jennings, PCS DWP
Paul Dolan, PCS Lytham
Michelle Caddick, PCS Lytham
David Stead, PCS DWP Tyneview Park Branch
Spencer Davies, PCS DWP Tyneview Park Branch
Dave Putson, PCS MoJ London Courts Branch
Elsa Annushka Nigro, PCS HCA London & National Branch
Jawid Iqbal, PCS DfT West Midlands Branch
Nina Laithwaite, PCS Wigan Area
Paul Jones, PCS HMPO North West Branch
Matt Wells, PCS Branch 001026
Steven Mulholland, PCS National Museums Liverpool
Lynne Hows, PCS DWP Wirral Branch
Jim McDonald, PCS Cornwall, Devon & Somerset Branch
Geraint Ashley, PCS R&C South East Wales Branch
Tom Mc Geown, PCS Belfast
Maria Dougan, UNISON Liverpool City Branch
Steven Revins, UNISON Birmingham LG Branch
Roger Thompson, UNISON Tameside LG Branch
Steve Cooke, UNISON Redcar & Cleveland Branch
Iain Montgomery, UNISON retired member
Clive Norris, UNISON Nottingham City Branch
Dean Fowler, UNISON Devon County Council Branch
Ruth Wilson, UNISON NHS Oldham Branch
Peter Davies, UNISON Cardiff County Branch
Holly Smith, GMB Brighton Branch
Tracy Campbell (no union/branch listed)
Phil Walden (no union/branch listed)
Laurence Rimington (no union/branch listed)
Felicity Dowling, NUT Cheshire West Branch
Pete McLaren, NUT Coventry Branch
Roger Silverman, NUT Redbridge Branch
James Griffiths, UNITE Community Derby Branch
Danny Thomas, UNITE Community London & Eastern Branch
David Landau, UNITE Community London & Eastern Branch
David Connor, UNITE Community North East YH Branch
Glen Hurst, UNITE South East Branch
Sharza Dethick, UNITE Stockport Branch
Stuart Crosthwaite, UNITE Community Sheffield Branch
Alison Treacher, UNITE Stockport Branch
Saira Weiner, UCU NEC member
Patrick Stack, UNIA (Switzerland)
Steve Wilson, Class War – Newcastle Upon Tyne
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