THE POPULAR FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF CPSA
FIGHTING ON IN OUR 45th YEAR BUT A BIT RETIRED NOW
FREEDOM! UNITY! SOCIALISM!
ONE CIVIL SERVICE UNION,
ONE GLORIOUS DESTINY!
REVOLUTION UNTIL VICTORY!
NEWS FROM THE SMOKE FILLED ROOMS
BY BARRABAS - Early December 2005
Tansy FELTIS (see PFL passim ) has emailed to say that neither JANICE nor anyone else has asked her to join the SOCIALIST PARTY. Sometimes our agents consume banned substances, such as alcohol, and fail to convey the correct message. We take a hard line on this type of activity and she can rest assured that the Revolutionary Command Council (General Command) will be meeting shortly to denounce the culprit and publicly expel him/her/all from our midst, prior to being shot, slowly. The mere suggestion that the SSP SIREN had flirted with, nay, attempted to spellbind TANSY with her song - "No strikes, no strikes" must surely fill all with revulsion.
The humourless Trot has added that she objects to her name being bandied about in our organ. As she is a new friend, we will patiently explain that if she continues to make news, she'll continue to be mentioned. This is one of the thrills of belonging to a tiny Trot outfit where everyone gets an opportunity to be famous for something, sometime.
It seems that TANSY got a lot of flack for arranging the LONDON LUNITY AGM with not only just 24 hours notice to attendees, but also managing to advertise two different venues. This resulted in a very low turnout, and goes a long way to explain the reticence of the SP to recruiting her.
The meeting itself got into a bit of a stew over the minutiae of procedures. Andy REID caused the problems by quoting rules nobody understood, resulting in Kevin EVANS shouting out the memorable line of "Just get the fuck on with it!"
Power appears to have gone to Phil PARDOE'S head. According to our mole, the SWP "line" is now whatever FILL says it is. How long the rule of his IRON FIST will last is not known.
It seems that similar problems occurred at the PROUD event with delegates going to the wrong hotels (thought that was the whole point of it), with Glynis MORRIS proudly telling totally confused Hotel staff that she was the "PCS Vice President", not that they knew what that meant. This confusion was caused by Yvonne WASHBOURNE putting two different hotels in her mailing.
The National LUNITY conference is not without its problems either. It seems the GRANDEES have sent out the ballot papers at the last minute. This has caused chaos and accusations of deliberate gerrymandering by the factionettes. Will there be a repeat of last year's fiasco? Only Lee ROCK can tell us!
Meanwhile Stan STENNETT turned up to the London Regional Committee with a cut above his eye and cuts on his hands. He claims he fell off his treadmill. We're supposed to believe that from someone who doesn't drink water. We also have it on good authority that treadmills were abolished in The Pensions Service (except for residual AA grades) as far back as 2003.
The LRC was full of its usual po-faced attendees. After one delegate referred to "Rank and File Movements" being groups of nutters in one union getting together with other nutters, Motormouth McDONALD called the remarks disgraceful, as did Father Mark ANDERSON. The CARCASE couldn't hold the line as Jackie DUTTON and Theresa RAFTERY burst into giggles. There is hope, comrades, where a sense of humour remains. Maybe not, but it sounded good. Tony REAY asked if Mark SERWOTKA was a nutter, foolish boy. What was he thinking? Christine HULME gave the game away when she claimed it would bring POLITICAL ACTIVISTS together. Yeah right.......
Finally, Charlie MCDONALD told the assembled that " London should be proud of itself for getting the PCS to go for a National Ballot". Could this be the same one that helped defeat the motion for National action a year ago? The Rank and File should be told.
Oop North in LEEDS, the repercussions of Stella DENNIS' controversial appointment to the £40,000 National Officer post rumble on over a year after the fateful interviews. Runner-up Nelly TAKLA-WRIGHT has succcessfully negotiated a settlement to her ET case challenging STELLA's predetermined shoe-in (see PFL passim), and received a £30000 + pay off into the bargain. The deal involves NELLY quietly leaving PCS having been on sick leave all year. BAUGH is said to be fuming at the deal but his hands are tied having been advised that NELLY's case was a winner and the union was faced with an embarrassing defeat in court.
BOFF may be even less pleased to learn that NELLY and other Leeds staff were also overpaid TP for eight months following STELLA's appointment. These overpayments have had to be written off due to the incompetence of the HR department at FALCONCREST.
STELLA is reportedly well out her depth in her new role, stumbling erratically through Regional Committee meetings and seemingly spending most of her days working out how to use the computer, which she puts to good use booking holidays on her new found wealth. Her telephone manner is said to be akin to a NORMAN COLLIER monologue, except when speaking to the hordes of tradesmen now employed to modernise the family pad now that two FTO wages are coming in.
Leeds office staff will be glad to see the back of 2005, which has seen a disproportionate number of tragic family bereavements afflict the office. Some will be forgiven for wondering why spacewasters like CAWKWELL, FUGE and DENNIS continue to roam the Yorkshire earth at such a time.
Oh how I remember the time when CPSA set about building it's new premises at Clapham Junction - now FALCONCREST. I recall too that the Broad Left at the time, and this includes at least some of the current NEC including Danny WILLIAMSON, argued vehemently against the additional building of flats adjacent to the new HQ.
In purist Trot ideology, they argued that it would be wrong to provide or use such accommodation for the Union elite such as GS and PRESIDENT. They said "it would not be fair to other union activists and members". "It would be elitist and would be taking a liberty with the Union".
Much noise was made at the time with the Broad Left adopting the moral high ground and making political capital out of the outrageous deed, threatening motions to the President and NEC, possibly even conference. With all this ballyhoo, the flats were subsequently built but were rented/leased out to the public.
So, is it true that PCS has turfed out the tenants and Ms GODRICH, Trot President of PCS, has now installed herself or at least has availed herself to a large slice of staying there? DANNY should be told.
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Ever wondered what DOREEN PURVIS is up to in her old age? http://www.a-love-supreme.com/random/letters.htm (scroll down a bit)
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