Attempts by the government to make the poorest and most vulnerable pay
for a crisis not of their making were condemned at PCS DWP group
conference.
Campaigning against attacks on welfare
The group's first motion this morning (19 May), proposed by Mandy Priest
of DWP Dorset branch and seconded by Glasgow benefit centre branch,
opposed the "implementation of a system based on punishment".
The motion also said the "widest possible campaign across the trade
union movement" was needed to defeat the government's attacks on benefit
claimants.
National crisis
Gerry McMahon from Glasgow benefit centre branch said: "The welfare
state has been under attack in Britain for many years. Huge cuts have
been made that make life on benefits much harder."
Gerry highlighted the fact that a group of religious leaders have said
that hunger is now a national crisis and said our union needs to take up
its welfare campaign "like never before".
Nick Parker, from our Lincolnshire and Rutland branch, called for a
united campaign involving "as many people as possible to defeat attacks
on welfare".
Tony Church, speaking on behalf of the group executive, said: "In the
90s John Major, the Tory prime minister, said we were living in a
classless society. It was a lie then it's a lie now. The current
coalition government is probably the most divided ever."
He said that welfare reform was just another name for screw the poor.
Concerted campaign
The motion instructed conference to campaign for:
• Fair, decent levels of benefit
• The repeal of the Bedroom Tax and benefit cap
• A mass council house building scheme
• The abolition of the work capability assessment
• The abolition of workfare and removal of the sanctions regime
• A publicly-run, fair and decent social security system as part of a welfare state based on people's needs.
The motion was passed unanimously.
PCS Union
