In a crushing rejection of the failed strategy of the right wing over the last year, conference delegates returned 15 left candidates to the 25 person Civil Service Executive. These votes for the left reflect deep concern at the lack of progress on issues such as equal pay and privatisation and, as stated repeatedly by conference delegates, the lack of information between the old secretive Civil Service Executive and members on the ground.
NIPSA’s new left leadership has inherited problems that will be challenging. Issues like equal pay have been the subject of secret negotiation for over a year and the role of the right wing in those negotiations has made things more difficult.
The left will have to work with the members to overcome this “legacy” and the resistance to struggle from the unelected NIPSA officials. Significant steps can be taken by the Left to redevelop the fighting capacity of the union. Everyone in NIPSA will be watching.
Padraig Mulholland, NIPSA General Council member (personal capacity) 23 June 09
Politics in Britain is dominated by the imminent general election, which must occur by June 3rd at the latest but is widely expected to be on May 5th. The election will occur against a background of a war in Afghanistan, the deepest recession since the 1930’s, and savage attacks on the living standards of working class people. 