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COURT CIRCULAR 31/05/2002

1) INTERIM DECISION FROM THE HIGH COURT 31/05
2) MARK'S LETTER TO THE GUARDIAN 31/05
3) ALL MEMBERS CIRCULAR ISSUED BY MARK & JANICE 30/05
4) BARRY CLARIFIES THINGS
5) SMOKE FILLED ROOMS - by Amphibalus

1) INTERIM DECISION FROM THE HIGH COURT 31/05
The Court has ordered that the situation as it was before last Thursdays meeting will pertain pending a full hearing on 15th July. There will be a hearing to determine costs in June.The effect of this is that Barry remains as GS and Mark as GS elect.

However, whether this can be made to work during the hiatus is a moot point, but the first fortnight will be taken up by Ramsbladder's holiday in Malibu - far from the madding reps.

Disunited we stand
Guardian

Friday May 31, 2002

I would like to respond to the many evasions and smears in Barry Reamsbottom's letter (May 30). The facts are as follows. I was elected as PCS general secretary in December 2000, in a democratic, independently supervised election. Mr Reamsbottom chose not to stand, mainly because he could not attract the minimum nominations required to be a candidate.

The election followed an overwhelming decision by the union's delegate conference to bring forward the termination of Mr Reamsbottom's term of office as general secretary. This decision was supported by a 97% majority in a membership ballot. Even Mr Reamsbottom appeared to get the message. He signed a legally binding document, agreeing to leave the union, in return for a generous package and to cooperate with me as general secretary-elect. Since early last year I have been doing most of Mr Reamsbottom's work. At no stage during this time did Mr Reamsbottom challenge the validity of my election.

But now we know just how hard it is for him to say goodbye. The recent national executive elections produced a narrow majority for his grotesquely misnamed "Moderate" faction. His supporters then secretly organised an executive meeting, with a secret agenda, which even the union's president only heard about 48 hours in advance. The president correctly declared the meeting unconstitutional, but at it, Mr Reamsbottom and his supporters orchestrated a "decision" that my election was invalid.

It is hardly surprising people at the meeting showed their intense anger at Mr Reamsbottom's cynical and reckless behaviour. Mr Reamsbottom waived a piece of legal advice at the "meeting" to justify his actions. This advice is extremely flimsy and self-serving, and that is being charitable about it. One of its extraordinary features is that it does not even attempt to argue that Mr Reamsbottom has any legal right to remain as general secretary after today. I am the lawful general secretary of the union as from tomorrow. I have now begun a high court action which will prove it.

It saddens me beyond words to have to report events inside my union in this way. And it angers me beyond words to see the outgoing general secretary using his letter to attack the recent PCS campaign to protect the safety of staff in local jobcentres and benefit offices. The sooner he goes, and the sooner the union can get back to its job of defending members' interests at work, the better for everyone concerned.

Mark Serwotka
PCS general secretary-elect
mark@pcs.org.uk

3) ALL MEMBERS CIRCULAR ISSUED BY MARK & JANICE 30/05

30 May 2002

Dear Colleagues

UNITE TO DEFEND PCS DEMOCRACY

We alerted you on 23 May to a serious attack by Barry Reamsbottom, outgoing General Secretary, on the democracy of your union.

Mr Reamsbottom is seeking to overturn the fair and democratic election of Mark Serwotka as PCS General Secretary in 2000, and to unlawfully remain as General Secretary himself until 2004. Decisions purporting to endorse this course of action were taken at a secretly organised, and unconstitutional. meeting of NEC members.

This is all despite the fact that Mr Reamsbottom did not even stand in the election two years ago, that he signed a legal agreement promising to leave the PCS on 31 May 2002, and that since the election Mark has carried out most of Mr Reamsbottom’s duties as General Secretary.

As a result of Mr Reamsbottom’s cynical actions, the union now finds itself in crisis. We are enormously grateful for the hundreds of messages of support which have been pouring in from Branches and individual members. Please keep sending them – they are vital to maintaining the morale of PCS officers and staff at what is a very difficult and distressing time.

The main purpose of this Briefing is to counter the campaign of misinformation now being waged by Mr Reamsbottom in the media and elsewhere. The facts of the current situation are as follows:

Legal action against Reamsbottom

We are starting legal action against Mr Reamsbottom tomorrow, on behalf of the union. We are seeking an order that his attempt to overturn the 2000 election result is unlawful, and an injunction preventing further steps by Mr Reamsbottom to prevent Mark becoming General Secretary. A full High Court hearing of our claim is likely within 2 weeks.

Intimidation of staff

Pending that hearing, the situation at PCS head office is increasingly intolerable for staff employed by the union. Individual members of staff have been the target of intimidatory memos from Mr Reamsbottom. Many staff have been in tears, and have taken sick leave or annual leave to avoid the appalling working atmosphere which Mr Reamsbottom has created.

Mr Reamsbottom has empowered two junior union officials, Martin Boyle and Michael McCann, to wield the full powers of General Secretary in his absence. This completely subverts the position of other senior full-time officers and senior managers.

The GMB union, which represents HQ staff, has been alerted, and has pledged to support any staff subjected to victimisation.

Disruption of our work

Mr Reamsbottom has instructed staff to cease all work for us as President and General Secretary elect. This is clearly aimed at obstructing preparations for the legal case against him.

Mr Reamsbottom has instructed PCS print and distribution staff not to handle any circulars prepared by us. This is designed to prevent us communicating our position to the outside world, or even to PCS staff. Notices we have issued to the staff have been removed from the PCS internal website. Meanwhile the official press office and website have been used to issue statements claiming to justify Mr Reamsbottom’s actions.

Mr Reamsbottom has written to the solicitor who has been advising Mark in relation to the conduct of the recent NEC elections, instructing him to cease all work. This is clearly designed to frustrate an independent inquiry into serious allegations of electoral practice made against the so-called ‘Moderate’ faction of NEC candidates, led by Mr Reamsbottom.

Personal threats against us

Mr Reamsbottom claimed, in effect, to have dismissed Mark. He offered financial compensation to Mark, and described this as ‘fair treatment’.

Mr Reamsbottom has threatened both of us with personal liability for the costs of any material circulated to Branches and members through HQ channels. This is, of course, in addition to the threat of personal liability for legal costs arising from our attempt to enforce the rules of the union.

Incredibly, Mr Reamsbottom has also now threatened the President with disciplinary proceedings arising out of her decision to declare the ‘meeting’ of NEC members on 23 May unconstitutional.

Please support PCS democracy

It fills us with sadness to have to write to you in these terms. Mr Reamsbottom’s actions threaten untold damage to the credibility and reputation of the union.

We are aware of the widespread outrage felt throughout the union. However we all have a responsibility to act calmly, and to channel our anger into organising widespread, effective resistance to Mr Reamsbottom and his supporters.

Please lend us your support at this critical time for the union.

In particular, please do all you can to:

· Make members aware of the true facts of the situation.
· Reassure them of our determination to defend the democracy of the union.
· Pledge on our behalf to restore the union to normal activity as soon as humanly possible.

JANICE GODRICH
President

MARK SERWOTKA
General Secretary elect

In a dramatic new move following today's High Court hearing, Mr Reamsbottom
announced that he would be calling a further Emergency meeting of the
National Executive Committee for 11.45pm this evening. In order to avoid the
confusion that had surrounded the calling of the previous meeting, he
outlined the timetable of events:

April 1 2002 - Notice of NEC Meeting on 31 May issued to all Moderate
candidates in the NEC elections.

May 23 2002 - following controversial "meeting" of NEC, Ted Euers rewarded
for his loyalty to the BR cause, by being informed of meeting to be held on
31 May.

May 31 2002
23.42 - Notice of NEC meeting issued to all non-Moderate NEC members
23.45 - NEC meeting to start - Ted Euers and all Moderate NEC members in
attendance
23.46 - announcement of result of vote 24 - 0 in favour of the paper
23.48 - vote on paper proposing BR as President for life to be taken (see
also 23.58)
23.49 (until June 4 2002) - victory speech from Mr Reamsbottom.
23.58 - paper proposing BR as President for life distributed to NEC members
23.59 - meeting between BR and President to consult with her on the
arrangements for the meeting on 31 May - if she has received the notice
slipped under her office door at 23.42.

June 1 2002 - midnight - film showing "The Great Dictator". (victory speech
continues).

A spokesperson for Mr Reamsbottom, Mr Michael McCann, later told the press
that the revolutionary move by Mr Barry to table his paper after the vote on
it was taken should not be seen as controversial. "Moderate NEC members do
not need to see the paper as they will vote exactly as they are told to do;
and non-Moderate NEC members have no right to see the paper because the
members clearly don't like them and they are a bunch of hard left trouble
makers."

He added that "to ensure that the new proposals are allowed to take full
effect, measures would be immediately taken to prolong Barry's life
indefinitely by placing him in stasis, and that appropriate selections from
his private collection of the speeches of Barry Reamsbottom would be made by
an animated puppet on each and every occasion that an uttering from the
great man was required".

"You won't be able to tell the difference", McCann confidently predicted -
a sentiment that brought the first sign of agreement from all sides in this
dispute - a spokesperson for the elected President and elected General
Secretary conceding that there could be no argument with that statement.

Mr McCann concluded his statement by revealing that "Mr Reamsbottom has been
prepared to take these extraordinary measures as the result of a recent
personal meeting with President Blair at a secret location" He quoted Mr
Reamsbottom as saying "I have agreed with Mr Blair that I will continue as
General Secretary of PCS indefinitely to ensure that his wonderful reforms
are given as much encouragement and support as possible. Only hard left
Trotskyite trouble makers could possibly find fault with my actions which
will be of great benefit to the shareholders - and staff - who will run
Government services in years to come."

On being questioned as to whether these moves were legal, Mr McCann assured
reporters that "a full and extensive opinion had been obtained from a
acquaintance of Mr Reamsbottom's who works for a firm of solicitors - and
the NEC majority had found no reason to doubt that this opinion was
completely authoritative."

What larks eh. Shame the "WILLIAMSON lies on table in bid to halt NEC proceedings" story is a total RAMSBLADDER fabrication for the press, isn't it. Though by all accounts he did do the other stuff, including foaming at the mouth and shouting abuse at female NEC members from the REVENUE for voting with the majority.

Lengthy diatribe from Serwotka in today's Grauniad. One searches it in vain for reference either to the letter of the law, Barry's contract or the instrument of amalgamation, or indeed for any comparison with the reliance, in avoiding election in the run up to retirement, on the exact same legal provisions by the sainted Arthur Scargill, whose reputation is discussed elsewhere on the same pages by others including Ken Loach.

In the midst of all this fun the Moderati's own internal putsch has so far gone unreported - to the fury of the deposed Bunter, the nice black lady whose name we can never remember declared herself Leader of the Moderate Group at their pre-meeting last week....

Whilst loudly crying foul at the MODERATI'S use of email during the elections, LUNITY of course have not been above exploiting the medium to their own ends; SUE BOND, in her capacity as Chair of the Small Areas Group (aptly known as SAG) emailed the Godrich circular to SAG branch secs, demanding they issue it to their members... some of them have already told the TROT harpy where to shove it.

Meanwhile, ANDY WILLIAMS has now started work at the British Dental Association, and was keen to introduce his partner, NEC member BEV BAMBROUGH, to his new colleagues but had to direct her to a backstreets pub in Marylebone first. Sadly neither is a world expert on the geography and public houses of London's west end so the conversation apparently went along the lines of:
Bev: "Where are you?"
Andy" In the pub"
Bev "Which pub?"
Andy "The Duke Of York"
Bev "Which bloody Duke of York??"
Andy "The one near the hotel"
Bev (Screaming by now) WHERE IS THE HOTEL?!?"
and deteriorated from there... they're still together but BEV loses no opportunity to advise the company exactly how useless ANDY is.

Jill Evans, IR lead Negotiator on Pay, has been receiving a visitor at her London home. John Wright Tax Credit Office GEC member (unopposed) - the floppy headed one. Most people aren't too sure which way each swings and the fact that they've got together has confused everyone further as we ain't too sure which is male and which female.

However, anyone acquainted with Jill knows how her obsession with promoting women is second to none. Unfortunately Mr Wright has caused some controversy in the IR Group we hear, as allegations abound of his supposed bullying of two young female delegates in his own Branch.

Now this stems from the factions' interest in TCO virgin soil of over 2,000 votes when the Branch was created a couple of years ago. It looks like John Wright is a lackey of Ted Euers (IR ME1ster), who tells him what to say but doesn't explain why (typical Ted) - leaving poor old John frustrated as he ain't a very bright cookie.

Needless to say that the two victims (both LU members) looked for some help while at Conference and have spent the whole week in the company of Manchester Taxes Branch - the home of PROGRESS, the non faction faction (Prop and cheeseplant expert D.CARR, brains by J. DROSS), who misguidedly expect to pick up the girls' 2,000 votes next time.

The floppy headed one also ordered 1,500 leaflets from Roger Westlake to cover his Branch of some 2,800 members for the IR Group President election. Unfortunately being the out of touch fool that he is , he didn't then distribute any.

Roger lost by 500 votes to the LUnity candidate. Guess who the Right are blaming for this situation? You guessed it - perhaps Wright should start looking for another job.

He was also overheard chatting to two of his cronies (they only number three in total) about setting up their own faction called.....RESPECT. Quite ironic as he seems to be the only other person in the PCS who doesn't have any.

BACKSTABBERS SOUVENIRS