PCS Fylde Central Benefits & Services Branch

Government is 'peddling myths' and misusing Löfstedt

2012-01-31T08:43:00.000Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The expert who carried a government commissioned review of workplace safety regulation has raised concerns about his report being 'misused' for political purposes. Professor Ragnar Löfstedt told a forum in London on 17 January he was not in favour of 'radical' reform, contradicting David Cameron's attack earlier this month on the 'monster' of health and safety. The prime minister referenced Löfstedt's 2011 report, as he blamed the 'albatross' of health and safety legislation for holding back British businesses. But the professor, speaking at the Westminster Legal Policy Forum, insisted he had never called for significant changes to legal policy. At the 17 January meeting, Löfstedt was asked by Mike Clancy, deputy general secretary of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors' and specialists' union, whether he had concerns about the government's treatment of his review. The professor replied: 'I am concerned about it. I am concerned my review could be misused.' The first health and safety regulations lined up for the chop were made public this week, with seven largely archaic and redundant laws covering topics from anthrax to pottery metrication identified. However, the government is proposing to go way beyond Professor Löfstedt's recommendation to consolidate rather than remove regulation. Employment minister Chris Grayling told the House of Commons on 23 January: 'The Löfstedt report, which we published in November, recommends significant changes to our regulatory regime. We accepted the recommendations and, with other planned changes, we aim to reduce the total number of health and safety regulations by 50 per cent by 2014.' He said while Britain has the 'best safety record in Europe' it also 'has the worst record for unnecessary red tape.' Addressing the minister, Labour MP Kate Clark, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Health and Safety Group, said: 'Given that the Löfstedt report does not say that our health and safety legislation is either excessive or wrong, will the Minister also say that and stop peddling the myths on health and safety legislation - the Löfstedt report says that they are myths - that some of his colleagues keep peddling?' The minister responded: 'The hon. Lady misunderstands the challenge we face.'

TUC says stand up for safety

2012-01-24T10:22:00.001Z

The TUC is gearing up for the biggest ever national workplace health and safety event on 28 April. It has designated Workers' Memorial Day 2012 a 'Day of activity to defend health and safety', which is facing an unprecedented attack. According to the national union body: 'The actions of the government are putting the safety and health of Britain's workers under threat, by trying to slash the laws that protect you, cut enforcement and inspection and make it harder to win compensation for injuries. Don't let this happen. Take part in the TUC Day of Action on health and safety on 28 April 2012, Workers' Memorial Day.' The TUC adds: 'These proposed cuts are not inevitable. Trade unions, safety campaigners and the TUC want proper legal protection for all those in work, a strong Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and a right to seek justice if things go wrong.' TUC is going to promote activities nationwide. 'Join any events in your area on 28 April 2012. This is International Workers Memorial Day when we traditionally remember the dead and fight for the living,' a new 28 April guide urges. 'Never has that message been more important than now. Let's ensure that we make it clear that we want clear commitments and action from those who should be protecting us.' Posters and a leaflet are already available online, and more resources, including a lobbying guide, will be made available as the day draws closer.

Unite criticises Tory 'smokescreen' on unions at work

2012-01-24T10:20:00.000Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The Conservative Party should turn its attention to the challenges facing the economy instead of 'peddling distortion' about the union role, the union Unite has said. The union was commenting after last week's failed attempt by Tory MP and former Barclays investment banker Jesse Norman to introduce legislation to reduce facilities and time provided by public sector employers for trade union work. Unite, however, points to 'findings from business itself which show that the work of union representatives actually saves employers around £1.1 billion annually by helping to resolve disputes and preventing illness and injury at work - ten times more than the £113 million that Norman claims union representatives cost the taxpayer.' The union accused the Conservatives of 'peddling myths about trade unions in the public sector to divert from the poor economic performance and a deeper desire to block public sector workers' access to justice in the workplace.' Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: 'This Tory MP and former Barclays investment banker has his priorities all wrong.' He added: 'There is no rational reason to target dedicated men and women who spend their days preventing accidents, avoiding tribunals and supporting their colleagues.'

Health and safety culture? I wish...

2012-01-17T08:35:00.003Z

David Cameron's resolution last week 'to kill off the health and safety culture for good') has drawn fresh criticism from unions, safety bodies and corporate killing campaigners. TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson said the prime minister's comments 'represent probably the biggest verbal assault on health and safety by a senior politician for many years, which is saying something, given that only last summer the PM was blaming the English riots on our health and safety culture.' He added: 'I wish we had a health and safety culture in the UK... Instead of headline-grabbing claims, what we need is a commitment to protect workers with proper enforcement and penalties against those employers that flout the law and put lives at risk.' Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK), said the prime minister's speech was 'completely fact-free' and 'based in fantasy'. FACK spokesperson Louise Taggart said: 'Whereas Cameron believes he is signalling the end of alleged 'burdens on business' in fact he has just sounded the death knell for hundreds of workers and members of the public.' Louise, whose brother Michael was electrocuted at work aged 26, added Cameron's casualties would include 'loved ones who, like my brother, will leave the house one day only to return in an undertaker's van.' Richard Jones of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) described the prime minister's comments as 'appalling and unhelpful'. He added: 'The number of work-related fatalities rose recently for the first time in years. Please, prime minister, let's not turn that statistic into a trend for the sake of a few easy headlines.' A Hazards Campaign spokesperson said: 'Rather than facing up to the real problems employers cause in their failure to manage workplace health and safety the Tories choose to look the other way - again, as ever. Cameron's announcements will do nothing, absolutely nothing, to reduce the real burden borne by workers, their families and friends or the state. He's looking the wrong way.'

Cameron is 'irresponsible and dangerous'

2012-01-17T08:33:00.002Z

The prime minister's 'repeated attacks' on workplace health and safety measures 'are irresponsible and dangerous,' the union representing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors has warned. Commenting after David Cameron's 5 January resolution to a business audience that his government would 'kill off' health and safety, Prospect said two recent reviews commissioned by the government had concluded the existing system worked. The latest, headed by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt, reported late last year with the professor concluding: 'I have neither seen nor heard any evidence to suggest that there is a case for radically altering or stripping back current health and safety regulation.' Prospect health and safety officer Sarah Page commented: 'Unfortunately, the prime minister seems determined to ignore the findings of his own advisers and play fast and loose with the facts in a way that can only be harmful to the health of millions of British workers.' Unite general secretary Len McCluskey denounced David Cameron's 'callous and out-touch' comments. 'Strong health and safety regulations to protect workers, and the right to hold employers to account should be central to a modern and civilised society,' he added. 'David Cameron and his coalition government are dragging this country backwards. The government should be doing everything possible to protect the health and safety of workers in this country, not undermining it.' Mick Whelan, general secretary of the train drivers' union ASLEF, said: 'It is a sad reflection on our society that the words 'health' and 'safety' can be mocked by our prime minister. These are not dirty words. It is the basic mark of a civilized society that people should be protected from death and injury - and this must apply equally to the work environment as anywhere else.'

BFWTUC Buffet and Social Evening

2012-01-09T13:48:00.000Z

The following invite has been received from Mick Stott, Deputy Chair, Blackpool Against the Cuts Committee and Membership Secretary, BFWTUC:

Note to all Blackpool Against the Cuts (BAC) supporters, Trades Council Delegates (past and present), and possible future ones.

On Tuesday 10th January the BFWTUC are holding a Buffet and Social Evening (President’s Night) following the Trades Council’s AGM at 8.30pm.

Both events will be held at the LMS Loco Club, Back Ribble Road, Blackpool, with the AGM starting at 7.30pm prompt.

All BAC supporters are welcome.

As we move into another year of government austerity with cuts to local services and jobs we need, more than ever, to unite in our opposition to these cuts. This is the time for branches who have let their Trades Council affiliation lapse to come back into the fold. It is also the time for all our current delegates to come and get involved again.

In solidarity - We will not be defeated.

Note: The next BAC supporters meetings will be on 24th and 31st January – please put these dates in your diaries too.

Happy New year to all supporters,

Workplace reps save lives and money

2012-01-09T13:42:00.002Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The prime minister's threat to remove funding for the time public sector union reps take to do their union work ignores the life- and cash-saving role these reps play, the TUC has said. David Cameron told the Commons last week: 'I do not think full-time trade unionists working in the public sector on trades union business, rather than serving the public, is right, and we will put that to an end.' Safety Practitioner, the magazine of safety professionals' organisation IOSH, reported: 'The prime minister's remarks came a week after he wrote a letter of support to Aidan Burley MP, who is spearheading the Trade Union Reform Campaign (TURC) in a bid to cut the facilities time funding. The prime minster wrote: 'Few would take issue with the unions working on behalf of their members in government departments and other public bodies in their own time, or with union funding.' TURC co-founder Mr Burley was asked in the Commons whether he had considered the benefit union reps provide in identifying and preventing health and safety problems in the workplace. He replied: 'My direct answer to the honourable gentleman is to ask what he thinks the human resources department, or the Health and Safety Executive are for. Public sector organisations have those people, so there is total duplication.' TUC national organiser Carl Roper commented: 'Those who highlight only the cost of facility time are telling half the story just to accommodate their ideologically motivated deep antipathy toward unions. The cost of facility time is more than justified by the benefits and savings that union reps, and health and safety reps in particular, bring to workplaces and society in general.' He added: 'Research by BERR (now BIS) in 2007 found that the work of union reps resulted in benefits to society of at least £136m as a result of reducing working days lost due to workplace injury and at least £45m as a result of reducing work related illness. This why the CBI and the HR professionals regard unions and their workplace reps as an essential resource and part of the modern workplace.'

You want the truth, prime minister?

2012-01-09T13:41:00.002Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The TUC has said the prime minister's resolution 'to kill of the health and safety culture for good' exposes how he is more interested in listening to unfounded business grumbles than evidence that millions are hurting and tens of thousands die each year because their workplaces were not safe enough. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said David Cameron's 5 January speech to a business audience 'shows just how out of touch with the reality of working life Number 10 is.' He added: 'Every government report on the UK's supposed compensation culture has shown it to be a myth, and in fact claims have been declining over the past decade. Despite this the government seems hell-bent on trying to stop workers injured by their employers' negligence being able to claim compensation.' He said workers will be 'astonished' at the prime minister's claim there is an 'excessive health and safety culture that has become an albatross around the neck of British businesses'. Firmly rebutting the prime minister's argument, he said: 'The truth is that there are two million people in the UK who have an illness or injury caused by their work - the vast majority of which could have been prevented had their employer had taken the correct safety precautions. Nor do businesses 'battle against a tide of risk assessment forms every year'. The vast majority of employers never carry out any kind of written risk assessments, and for those that do, there is easy-to-understand advice available on how to do them from the Health and Safety Executive.' Mr Barber concluded: 'It is clear that Downing Street does not have a clue about what life is like for the millions of ordinary people who work in shops, offices, schools, factories, call centres and other workplaces across the UK. Instead it is making policy in response to grumbles from elements of the small business lobby and the risible rantings of right-wing commentators.'

TUC slams Cameron move 'to kill off safety'

2012-01-09T13:40:00.001Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

A claim by the prime minister that UK businesses are in a 'stranglehold' of health and safety 'red tape' and compensation claims has been dismissed as 'out of touch' by the TUC. David Cameron, speaking to a business audience on 5 January, said the government was 'waging war against the excessive health and safety culture that has become an albatross around the neck of British businesses.' Referring to measures to help businesses 'cope' with the 'health and safety monster', including cutting regulations, enforcement and exempting the self-employed from safety rules, he added: 'Every day they battle against a tide of risk assessment forms and face the fear of being sued for massive sums. The financial cost of this culture runs into the billions each year. So this coalition has a clear New Year's resolution: to kill off the health and safety culture for good. I want 2012 to go down in history not just as Olympics year or Diamond Jubilee year, but the year we get a lot of this pointless time-wasting out of the British economy and British life once and for all.' The TUC said the comments showed Downing Street was 'out of touch' and 'does not have a clue' about conditions in Britain's workplaces. Research has shown the cost of failing to ensure workplace health and safety standards massively outstrips any compliance costs.

Occupational health is a victim of the NHS cuts

2012-01-09T13:38:00.000Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The coalition government's pledge to protect the NHS has been questioned after four out of five doctors said they had seen patient care suffer as a result of health service cuts during 2011 - and occupational health is one of the key casualties. The Guardian's poll of GPs and hospital doctors, challenges David Cameron's promise to 'cut the deficit, not the NHS'. As well as cuts to occupational health support, doctors cite hospital bed closures, pressure to give patients cheaper, slower-acting drugs and reductions in community health services as examples of recent cost-cutting measures. Doctors.net.uk, which conducted the survey for the newspaper, asked medics: 'Have cuts to staff and/or services affected patient care in your department, area or surgery during the last 12 months?' Of the 664 doctors who responded, 527 (79 per cent) said yes and 137 (21 per cent) said no. Dr Mark Porter, chair of the British Medical Association's hospital consultants and specialists committee, said the poll findings confirmed that the NHS was now 'retracting' and doing less for patients, contradicting repeated ministerial pledges that frontline NHS services would escape the government's deficit reduction programme. He told the Guardian: 'The reality is that whether you look at it from the point of view of a doctor, another clinician or a patient, there are NHS cuts ongoing and it adds up to a picture where the NHS is now retracting. So it's hard to marry that back to the original statement 'I'll cut the deficit, not the NHS'.'

Yes “THE” Aiden Burley MP

2012-01-09T13:32:00.001Z

The Branch website had the recent article about Right Wing Tory MPs asking loaded questions to the Prime Minister about the cost of facility time. The article started “The prime minister's threat to remove funding for the time public sector union reps take to do their union work ignores the life- and cash-saving role these reps play, the TUC has said. David Cameron told the Commons last week: 'I do not think full-time trade unionists working in the public sector on trades union business, rather than serving the public, is right, and we will put that to an end.' Safety Practitioner, the magazine of safety professionals' organisation IOSH, reported: 'The prime minister's remarks came a week after he wrote a letter of support to Aidan Burley MP, who is spearheading the Trade Union Reform Campaign (TURC) in a bid to cut the facilities time funding. The prime minister wrote: 'Few would take issue with the unions working on behalf of their members in government departments and other public bodies in their own time, or with union funding.' TURC co-founder Mr Burley was asked in the Commons whether he had considered the benefit union reps provide in identifying and preventing health and safety problems in the workplace. He replied: 'My direct answer to the honourable gentleman is to ask what he thinks the human resources department, or the Health and Safety Executive are for. Public sector organisations have those people, so there is total duplication.'

Eagle eyed readers may have noticed that the Spearhead of the Trade Union Reform Campaign has also been in the news recently for some of his other activities:

“French prosecutors are investigating a Nazi-themed stag party attended by the Conservative MP Aidan Burley.”

The MP for Cannock in Staffordshire has previously apologised for the "inappropriate behaviour" of fellow guests at the stag party.

'Wrong decision'

He said he had not been contacted by the French authorities.

It is thought the investigation has been triggered by a complaint to the prosecutor from French anti-racism group SOS Racisme.

In a statement, Mr Burley said: "Being involved in a stag party where an SS uniform was worn was wrong and offensive.

"It was the wrong decision on my part; crass and insensitive.

"I am deeply sorry, and want to take this opportunity to offer the people of Cannock Chase an unreserved, wholehearted and full apology for the terrible offence this incident has undoubtedly caused.

"It has been an unbelievably difficult 10 days for my family and friends, and I feel ashamed that Cannock Chase has been placed in the limelight as a result of my behaviour.

'Foolish' conduct

"My family have been through hell, and I want to thank them in particular for the love, courage and support they have given me."

Ian Austin, shadow work and pensions minister and Labour MP for Dudley North, said: "David Cameron and the Tories tried to brush this under the carpet, but the scandal surrounding Aidan Burley's disgraceful conduct is not going away.

"Surely the prime minister must take the whip off Mr Burley while this investigation is taking place."

Mr Cameron has ordered an inquiry.

A Downing Street spokesman reiterated that Mr Burley's conduct had been "offensive and foolish".

Possible charges under French law that could stem from wearing Nazi uniforms include incitement to racial hatred and being an apologist for Nazi war crimes.

Under French law prosecutors are obliged to follow up complaints that allege criminal wrongdoing. A preliminary investigation is then launched to ascertain whether any crimes have been committed.

A preliminary investigation is not a criminal investigation but if it is decided a crime has been committed a formal judicial investigation will be launched which could include the naming of suspects.

Reports of activities on the “Nazi themed” night out include chanting ‘Hitler, Hitler, Hitler’, toasting the ‘Third Reich’ and taunting a waiter for being French.

Advanced AGM Notification

2011-12-22T11:05:00.003Z

Don't worry, you will be told again.

Government sticks with 'dangerous' coastguard plans

2011-12-15T13:45:00.000Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

Government ministers plan to press ahead with station closures, despite overwhelming opposition from coastguards and the public, the union PCS has said. The union believes proposals to close eight coastguard stations around the UK and cut more than 140 jobs will result in the loss of life-saving local knowledge around our coastline. Following initial opposition and severe criticism from a committee of MPs earlier this year, the original proposals were watered down. PCS says revised plans were tabled in July without any formal discussion with the union. There was no commitment to prevent compulsory redundancies and nothing about improving pay for coastguards who are the worst paid in the emergency services, it adds. PCS remains opposed to the planned closure of the stations - Clyde, Forth, Portland, Liverpool, Yarmouth, Brixham, Thames and Swansea - but has said that any new national network must be fully tested. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: 'Coastguards, the communities they serve and the wider public spoke with one voice in opposing these dangerous plans, but they have been shamefully ignored. We are seriously concerned that ministers want to press ahead with proposals that will mean the loss of vital local knowledge of our coastlines, and we are committed to keeping up the fight to defend our communities from these cuts.'

National Pensioners Convention - Dignity Code

2011-12-14T14:30:00.004Z

PCS works alongside the National Pensioners Convention (NPC) promoting the issues pensioners face in the UK, raising awareness where possible.

The NPC has published a Dignity Code that they are hoping to get the government to sign up to honouring in the future. The code can be found here.

Workplace reps save lives and money

2011-12-12T10:00:00.000Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The prime minister's threat to remove funding for the time public sector union reps take to do their union work ignores the life- and cash-saving role these reps play, the TUC has said. David Cameron told the Commons last week: 'I do not think full-time trade unionists working in the public sector on trades union business, rather than serving the public, is right, and we will put that to an end.' Safety Practitioner, the magazine of safety professionals' organisation IOSH, reported: 'The prime minister's remarks came a week after he wrote a letter of support to Aidan Burley MP, who is spearheading the Trade Union Reform Campaign (TURC) in a bid to cut the facilities time funding. The prime minster wrote: 'Few would take issue with the unions working on behalf of their members in government departments and other public bodies in their own time, or with union funding.' TURC co-founder Mr Burley was asked in the Commons whether he had considered the benefit union reps provide in identifying and preventing health and safety problems in the workplace. He replied: 'My direct answer to the honourable gentleman is to ask what he thinks the human resources department, or the Health and Safety Executive are for. Public sector organisations have those people, so there is total duplication.' TUC national organiser Carl Roper commented: 'Those who highlight only the cost of facility time are telling half the story just to accommodate their ideologically motivated deep antipathy toward unions. The cost of facility time is more than justified by the benefits and savings that union reps, and health and safety reps in particular, bring to workplaces and society in general.' He added: 'Research by BERR (now BIS) in 2007 found that the work of union reps resulted in benefits to society of at least £136m as a result of reducing working days lost due to workplace injury and at least £45m as a result of reducing work related illness. This why the CBI and the HR professionals regard unions and their workplace reps as an essential resource and part of the modern workplace.'

TUC calls for action on safety .

2011-12-12T09:59:00.000Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The TUC is calling on unions and safety campaigners to challenge a government safety strategy that 'will lead to more work-related deaths, injuries and ill-health.' TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson has warned 'there has never been a more worrying time for health and safety,' adding four decades of political consensus around the importance of regulations that protect all workers 'has begun to fall apart.' Writing in Hazards magazine, Robertson calls for a nationwide day of action on 28 April, Workers' Memorial Day. 'Political interference, cuts and the overall deregulatory agenda mean the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) will lose much of its effectiveness and will suffer long term damage, while unions will find it much more difficult to operate,' he writes. 'This is not necessarily a deliberate plan by the coalition government to destroy the health and safety system. It is instead a by-product of a more general anti-worker, pro-business, anti-public sector agenda which is seen just as clearly in their approach to employment rights, public spending, taxation and pensions. It also comes from a lack of understanding of the workplace and occupational disease. However, whatever the motive, the effect will be the same - unless we stop it.' The TUC safety specialist says unions and campaigners should build a campaign for a safer, healthier alternative. 'TUC wants to use 28 April 2012 as the day when workers up and down the country take action to protect our health and safety,' Robertson adds. As Workers' Memorial Day this year falls on a Saturday, the focus will be shared between workplace activities and a TUC call on 'unions, trades councils, and others to make 28 April 2012 a 'Day of activity to defend health and safety'.' To help build the campaign, TUC says it will organise meetings of activists in every region of England as well as in Wales. The Scottish TUC will also be organising support for the day. In the fortnight before 28 April, unions will be asked to lobby local MPs. Most MPs surgeries fall on a Friday so there should be a lot on 27 April.

Blackpool Against the Cuts Meeting

2011-12-12T09:56:00.001Z

Just a reminder to all BAC supporters that the next meeting will be held on Tuesday 13th December at 6.30pm. The meeting will be discussing activities for the new year to keep the momentum going.

The venue will be as usual The Loco Club, Back Ribble Road, Blackpool.

Jeremy Clarkson

2011-12-12T09:54:00.002Z

Many of you will have been quite rightly outraged by the flippant comments made by Jeremy Clarkson recently.

The Branch Chair addressed the issue with the BBC in writing.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

Challenge the TaxPayers’ Alliance

2011-12-12T00:05:00.002Z

Clifford Singer helped create the False Economy website falseeconomy.org.uk that will challenge the government’s case for cuts. Here he explains the need to challenge the TaxPayers’ Alliance’s media dominance.

During the summer of 2010, the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) released a report on speed cameras which appeared to show the introduction of cameras in the early 1990s had made roads more dangerous than they would have been otherwise. Leaving aside the mystery of why speed cameras have joined the TPA’s pantheon of villains, along with the more predictable ‘benefit scroungers’ and trade unionists, the report had several characteristics typical of a TPA publication. It came with a serious-looking appendix that explained its seemingly impartial methodology, it gained lots of media coverage and it had political influence – one month later many councils began switching off their speed cameras following road safety budget cuts.

It was typical in one other way too: it was complete nonsense. While the mainstream media was content to accept the report at face value, some less credulous bloggers pointed out that according to the TPA’s projections, in the absence of speed cameras accident deaths would have fallen to zero by 2013, and then continued into negative numbers after that. If it wasn’t for those automated yellow boxes of evil, we would be enjoying the spectacle of the dead being resurrected within the next three years.

On its website, the TPA states: “We’re not a think-tank. We’re a do-tank”.

Pseudo-analysis such as its speed camera report certainly bears out the first part of that statement. But that didn’t stop readers of the influential ConservativeHome website naming the TPA as their favourite think-tank. The TPA has also boasted – through ConservativeHome – of the large number of its policies now adopted by the coalition.

Softening up electorate for cuts
Before the 2010 General Election, the TPA played an important role in softening up public antipathy towards public spending cuts. In September 2009 the TPA drew up, with the Institute of Directors, plans for an annual £50 billion a year of public spending cuts.

The alliance, which launched seven years ago, describes itself as a ‘grassroots alliance’ of ‘ordinary taxpayers’ despite an academic advisory council of Thatcherite acolytes like Patrick Minford and Ruth Lea.

The most enthusiastic coverage comes from Tory tabloids such as the Daily Mail and Express. But it also gets airtime from the BBC and other broadcasters – who should know better.

It is important to challenge the TPA’s media dominance. The alliance is particularly successful at packaging stories for cash-strapped local and regional media. Of course it helps to have £1 million a year behind you – but the point is that we need to make the case for public services.

Need for transparency in all sectors
The TPA has successfully argued for transparency and accountability in the public sector. Rather than arguing against this, we should be arguing for the same rules to apply to the private sector.

The TPA’s concern with transparency deserts it when it comes to its own finances. Its last full accounts, for 2006, record an income of £130,000 – hardly enough to sustain its current 10 full-time staff and offices in London and Birmingham. Since then, it has published ‘abbreviated’ accounts, meaning income and expenditure are withheld, although the Guardian reported its income in 2009 was £1 million. Donors are kept secret.

One source of TPA funding has been the shadowy Midlands Industrial Council. The MIC was founded in 1946 as a pressure group to fight the Attlee government’s nationalisation plans and to champion free enterprise. It has donated about £3 million to the Conservative Party since 2001, much of it targeted at marginal parliamentary seats in the Midlands.

Why won’t the TPA open its books?
As it told MPs who tried to prevent their expenses being published: “If you have nothing to hide then you’ve got nothing to fear.”

Thank you

2011-12-06T16:03:00.001Z

Thanks for the great levels of Support
We wish to thank all the members who supported the action on 30th November 2011. The day was one of the best supported in the Fylde area of the Branch, ever.

For those who did not get chance to see the local Newspaper there was good coverage of the issues including the rally in Blackpool where approximately 700 people attended and made their views known. There was also coverage on the local radio stations (Radio Lancashire and Radio Wave) on the day and the day following.

Please keep updated on the Campaign by following the Branch, DWP Group and National PCS websites.

Unfortunately
Whilst the vast majority of members are positive about the campaign and its objectives (to defend our pensions, oppose the seven year pay freezes/ severe restraints in the DWP, and oppose the job cuts) there appears to be a small number of “excuses” doing the rounds. It is unclear exactly where this comes from and why it happens however there are schools of thought that they emanate from those opposed to the Union and from those members who have let themselves and their colleagues down by not supporting Campaigning Action.

As a means to try and live with their consciences due to their behaviour, they try and come out with reasons why they let themselves and their colleagues down, so badly.

It is vitally important that members do not allow themselves to be deflected from the objectives of the campaign and therefore do not take any credence to any unsubstantiated nonsense.

Together we can win.

Pensions Campaign - What Next?

2011-12-06T10:12:00.003Z

A meeting has been organised by Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre against the Cuts and Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Trades Council.

Contributions are welcomed from the various Unions and their members and supporters involved.

The meeting details are as follows:

7.30pm on Friday 9th December 2011

St. Kentigerns Parish Centre

Newton Drive, Blackpool, FY3 8BT

Overtime Ban for December

2011-12-01T00:01:00.005Z

Please Do Not Forget
Civil Service wide overtime ban throughout December 2011.

The purpose of this post is to thank members for supporting the strike action on the 30th November 2011 and to remind them to keep up the pressure by taking part in the Civil Service wide overtime ban throughout December where overtime is being worked.

PCS has done everything possible to negotiate a solution to the disputes over Pensions, the Civil Service Compensation Scheme and the Pay Freeze however to date there has not been an acceptable outcome from the Government.

We have already witnessed over two thousand job losses from the Fylde economy due to the job cuts in the area and even more are now in jeopardy and many members are facing being made redundant, we have seen our pay frozen (and unlike other areas of the Public Sector our Pay Progression isn’t separately funded meaning that we are treated even more unfairly than other public servants), our Pensions are under attack (we are being expected to pay more for our pensions, work longer and receive less) and our redundancy terms are being cut so that it is cheaper to get rid of us.

We are being asked to pay for the financial mess created by the bankers and the financial speculators and spivs, with our jobs, our pay, our pensions and our conditions of service. The financial mess was none of our making. It’s their financial mess make them pay for it.

It is time for members to show that they oppose the notion of being forced to pay for the excesses of the spivs.

Our reasonable demands are:
- No detrimental changes to our pensions and our redundancy payments
- Application and strengthening on the protocols to avoid redundancy
- An end to the pay freeze and a fair pay rise for all members

JOIN YOUR COLLEAGUES

SUPPORT THE CIVIL SERVICE WIDE OVERTIME BAN

THROUGHOUT DECEMBER 2011

Potential Members
If you have not yet joined your Union, please complete the form here to join.

ALL OUT ON 30th NOVEMBER 2011

2011-11-23T05:59:00.001Z

Then a Civil Service wide overtime
ban throughout December 2011

The purpose of this post is to inform members of the strike action on the 30th November 2011 to be followed by a Civil Service wide overtime ban throughout December. PCS has done everything possible to negotiate a solution to the disputes over Pensions, the Civil Service Compensation Scheme and the Pay Freeze however to date there has not been an acceptable outcome from the Government.

We have already witnessed over two thousand job losses from the Fylde economy due to the job cuts in the area and even more are now in jeopardy and many members are facing being made redundant, we have seen our pay frozen (and unlike other areas of the Public Sector our Pay Progression isn’t separately funded meaning that we are treated even more unfairly than other public servants), our Pensions are under attack (we are being expected to pay more for our pensions, work longer and receive less) and our redundancy terms are being cut so that it is cheaper to get rid of us.

We are being asked to pay for the financial mess created by the bankers and the financial speculators and spivs, with our jobs, our pay, our pensions and our conditions of service. The financial mess was none of our making. It’s their financial mess make them pay for it. It is time for members to show that they oppose the notion of being forced to pay for the excesses of the spivs.

Our reasonable demands are:

No detrimental changes to our pensions and our redundancy payments

Application and strengthening on the protocols to avoid redundancy

An end to the pay freeze and a fair pay rise for all members

Join your colleagues on strike on the 30th November 2011 and support the Civil Service wide overtime ban throughout December 2011.

Potential Members
If you have not yet joined your Union, please complete the form here to join.

PCS in the North West
More information on PCS in the North West can be found here. The PCS NW web page will be updated with information on rallies being held on November 30th locally. The TUC also have a dedicated web page for the rallies here with more information.

The Blackpool Rally details are below:

Assemble from 12 noon at St John's square (outside the church by the bus shelter)

Move off for the march at 12.15pm

Return to St John's square by 1pm

Rally at the Ruskin Hotel on Albert Road from 1.15pm (Several notable speakers have been lined up).

Sick Pay is good for everyone

2011-11-21T08:36:00.000Z

The following information has been supplied by the TUC:

A week before the Government published a report on sick pay in the UK a research study in the US says that extending paid sick leave could save the country $1 billion in medical costs annually. On 21st November the UK Government will unveil a report by Dame Carol Black and David Frost into the workings of the present sickness absence and sick pay scheme. While it is not unlikely to propose a major overhaul of the system many unions and disability charities are worried that it might be used to force workers back too early. However according to a report released today by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR), paid sick leave is good for the economy, employers and the country. Currently, more than 44 million American workers do not have access to paid sick days, and more are unable to use time off to take care of sick children or other family members. "Taking time off work to see a primary care doctor is common sense, but over 40 million Americans cannot do so without losing pay or their job," said Kevin Miller, Senior Research Associate with IWPR and an author of the report." Americans are paying over $1 billion each year in preventable emergency department costs because hard-working people without paid sick days are unable to get the preventative and early treatment they and their children need." Employees with access to paid sick days have an easier time getting to a doctor during regular business hours to care for themselves or family members. In turn, access to paid sick days can help to decrease the likelihood that a worker will put off needed care and increases access to preventive care among workers and their children.

Pension dispute - Frequently Asked Questions

2011-11-16T07:43:00.002Z

PCS HQ have added some answers to frequently asked questions that often pop up around times of dispute with the Employer.

Please take a moment to have a look here if you have any queries.

Scottish business lobby has concerns for HSE

2011-11-15T07:49:00.000Z

Scotland's business lobby is facing a quandary about health and safety, torn between concern about the rapidly diminishing support provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and its more traditional opposition to regulatory controls. In evidence to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) said it was concerned by the prospect of an 'increasing disconnect' between the HSE and businesses operating in lower or medium-risk sectors. Giving evidence to the Committee on 26 October, the SCC's head of policy and public affairs, Garry Clark, told MPs that larger companies often have good and long-standing relationships with the HSE, and are backed by teams of dedicated health and safety staff; by contrast, smaller firms rarely have such support. SHP Online, produced by safety professionals' body IOSH, reports Clark told the committee, which is conducting an inquiry into the health and safety system in Scotland, a reduced HSE profile 'will make businesses more likely to have false perceptions of the weight of health and safety legislation and what impact it could have on their business.' According to SHP Online: 'This suggestion that curbs on regulatory inspections could actually cloud the legislative landscape for lower-risk firms and smaller businesses, rather than freeing them to expand and take on staff, would seem to blow a big hole in the government's policy on reducing so-called health and safety red tape.' Both SCC and the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) had worries about HSE's new charging regime, due to take effect next year. CIA's Phil Scott told the committee: 'There will be less clarity about when an inspector will come, what they will be looking at, and whether or not there will be a charge at the end. Most small to medium-sized businesses will not have a budget for this, so they will be faced with charges at a month's notice, on a month's invoice. They could be paying quite significant sums of money.'

TUC warns that safety cuts will mean more injuries

2011-11-09T09:11:00.000Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The TUC has warned that cuts in enforcement could lead to an upturn in work-related deaths, sickness and injuries. The union body was commenting after official figures showed a fall last year in work-related ill-health and injuries. The statistics released by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) this week show that in 2010/11, 24,726 major injuries were reported by employers, at a rate of 99 injuries per 100,000 workers, compared with 26,268 in 2009/10, at a rate of 104.8. An estimated 1.2 million people said they were suffering from an illness caused or made worse by their work - 500,000 new illnesses occurring in-year - down from 1.3 million in 2009/10, said the report. The statistics show 171 workers were fatally injured - up from 147 the previous year. Deaths from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma reached a record 2,321 in 2009 (the latest year for which statistics are available), according to the report, up from a then record 2,263 in 2008. The toll of injury and ill-health resulted in 26.4 million working days being lost, an average of 15 days per case - 22.1 million to ill-health and 4.4 million to injury. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber commented: 'These figures cover the period before government changes to the level of safety inspections were introduced. There is a very real danger that the long term downward trends in injury and illness rates that we have seen over recent years will start rising again, as has happened with fatalities.' He added: 'While any reduction is of course welcome, the cuts to the HSE budget, and the coalition government's retreat from inspection activity is very worrying for the future.'

Tory self-regulation threat re-emerges

2011-11-09T09:00:00.001Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

Ideas for business self-regulation floated by the Conservatives prior to and immediately after they won the election have resurfaced. Top Tories had talked of introducing a system of 'earned autonomy', where firms with better safety records could opt-out of official health and safety inspections. Other ideas included more partnership systems, along the lines of the contentious US voluntary protection programmes scaled back when President Obama came to power. The ideas re-emerged in a 1 November speech by business and enterprise minister Mark Prisk to the Local and National Regulators annual conference. He told regulators 'when regulation becomes heavy-handed, inefficient, prescriptive and risk-averse it drags down the ability of businesses to grow, prosper and create jobs.' He added: 'The challenge is to transform the regulatory landscape so that the system delivers essential protections whilst avoiding unnecessary interference in the day to day work of hard-working business people seeking to innovate and grow and thereby delivering the jobs and wealth we need.' Proposals highlighted by the minister included more use of 'co-regulation, where business shares a degree of regulatory responsibility, for example through industry bodies setting professional and working standards.' Also on his deregulatory wishlist was 'earned recognition' - where regulators recognise business activities that support compliance and reduce intervention, creating a stronger incentive for private sector led compliance.' Conservative and government talk of business self-regulation took a backseat in the months following the banking crisis, where the self-policing approach was widely blamed for the economic catastrophic and persisting downturn that followed. On 25 October, Downing Street announced former Tory Cabinet minister Lord Young had been re-appointed as an adviser to the prime minister on enterprise, indicating he 'will work on reducing the burden on business from health and safety regulations, working across departments on the implementation of his recommendations.'

TUC warning on Clegg's call for inspection cuts

2011-11-03T12:51:00.001Z

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

A new system of regulation which could cap the number of workplace inspections of small businesses has been criticised by the TUC as dangerous and unwanted. Commenting on an announcement by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg this week that the government is set to cap workplace inspections for small companies to just two a year to cut back on 'red tape', TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'This is another example of the government putting the right to make a fast buck before our health and safety and our lives - although at least the deputy prime minister acknowledges the dangers of the 'scrap it all' line peddled by the Tory diehards.' He added: 'Regulation is there to protect us all from businesses that rip us off, trash our environment, and risk our health - or even our lives. However, it is only of use if it is enforced. Enforcement should not be seen as a burden on business, but instead a way of ensuring that good businesses are not undercut by cowboys who disregard the law and cut corners, whether it is on paying VAT or not polluting our rivers. Cuts in enforcement will put even more of us at risk of damaged health or injury or death in our workplaces.' He added that the government was responding to the shrill calls of business lobby groups who were not representing the real concerns of small firms. 'A brand new survey of small and medium-sized enterprises published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), shows that employment law and health and safety regulation do not even feature in their list of concerns,' he said. 'It would appear that employer organisations are pursuing a fanatical right wing agenda that does not actually reflect the concerns of their members.'

Public Meeting on Education - Blackpool

2011-11-03T12:47:00.001Z

The following has been supplied by the NUT:

The Government wants to see more and more schools turned into academies. Should we be concerned about academies?

Speakers
Councillor Simon Blackburn, Leader of Blackpool Council
Ken Cridland, Secretary of Lancashire National Union of Teachers
Keith Bradley, Anti-Academy Alliance national speaker

Thursday November 3rd, 7.30pm
St Kentigern's Parish Centre
Newton Drive
Blackpool
FY3 8BT.

Meeting sponsored by Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde branches of the National Union of Teachers

Preparations continue

2011-11-03T06:01:00.002Z

Please see the PCS HQ website here for information on the PCS response to the recent Government pension announcement.

Stress Awareness Day Roadshows

2011-11-02T08:20:00.002Z

The Branch is holding stress awareness roadshows at Warbreck House and Peel Park on Thursday this week.

The details of the stalls are as follows:

Thursday 3rd November 2011
Deli Bar Phase II
Peel Park
11.45 am to 13.30 pm

Thursday 3rd November 2011
Inside Warbreck Canteen
11.45 am to 13.30 pm

Please come along and pick up handouts on Stress and other related matters.

If you haven't joined your union yet, please contact the Branch Office or print and fill in the form here.

If you require any further details then please do not hesitate contact Mick Daniels on Ext 62881.

NW Unite Against Facism

2011-10-30T08:13:00.003Z

The NWUAF are holding their annual regional conference in Manchester on Sunday 13th November, from 10.00am - 4.30pm. This includes a “Griffin Must Go” Campaign Launch at 3pm.

Please see the flyer here for more details.

They have also sent us a petition to circulate which can be found here to print off and obtain as many signatories as possible to support the campaign.

If you are on a PC that will not let you "save as" then choose the "open with" option.

Dismantling the Government’s ideological economic argument

2011-10-18T11:07:00.002+01:00

The following has been supplied by PCS HQ:

Mehdi Hasan is a prolific tweeter, blogger and writer, and the senior political editor of the New Statesman. His latest the book is entitled The Debt Delusion.

This short book takes aim at 10 myths perpetuated by the coalition about the debt and the deficit – and what remedies are most effective to reduce the debt, close the deficit and get the economy growing again.

One of the most alluring arguments deployed by the prime minister and the chancellor has been their equating of the national debt with a credit card, accusing Labour of “maxing out the nation's credit card”. But, as Hasan points out: “Governments can increase their revenues by raising taxes; households cannot. Governments can print money and issue currency; households cannot.”

The book also puts its case with some indisputable facts and statistics: like how there are only two cases out of 15 studied by the International Monetary Fund when cuts preceded economic growth.

There is also an interesting international comparison demonstrating that in 2009 the UK took less as a proportion in tax than Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Germany – and yet George Osborne’s first move as chancellor was to cut business taxes but raise VAT.

The conclusion is straightforward: the government’s economic policy “is part of a political and ideological project to roll back the frontiers of the state”. As Hasan says: “The debt is just a distraction.”

Cameron makes safety his whipping boy again

2011-10-18T11:05:00.001+01:00

The following information has been supplied by the TUC:

The prime minister's inclination to blame safety for the ills of the economy and society has surfaced yet again.

After first blaming health and safety for August's riots, David Cameron has now decided 'the shadow of health and safety' is holding back Britain. In his keynote address to this week's Conservative Party conference in Manchester, he said 'one of the biggest things holding people back is the shadow of health and safety.' This was followed by one of his more widely reported soundbites. 'This isn't how a great nation was built. Britannia didn't rule the waves with arm-bands on,' he said.

Safety professionals' organisation IOSH reacted with disappointment to the speech. IOSH head of policy and public affairs Richard Jones commented: 'We think it's a shame that the prime minister's speech mistakenly cites health and safety as 'holding people back' - the opposite is true! Good health and safety enables enterprise and volunteering to happen successfully and so helps ensure sustainability and growth. It's all about good sense and proportionality and we simply don't recognise the negative picture being painted here - it isn't real health and safety.'

The TUC found the whole tenor of David Cameron's speech and the Tory conference 'disappointing'. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'If the prime minister really felt the nation's pain, he would change course.' He added: 'If we judge people by what they do, rather than what they say, ministers believe that unemployment will be solved by getting tougher with the jobless and that they will restore economic growth by increasing the number of unfair dismissals."

Challenge the TaxPayers’ Alliance

2011-10-18T10:55:00.003+01:00

The following information comes from one of the creators of the false economy website:

Clifford Singer helped create the False Economy website that will challenge the government’s case for cuts. Here he explains the need to challenge the TaxPayers’ Alliance’s media dominance.

During the summer of 2010, the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) released a report on speed cameras which appeared to show the introduction of cameras in the early 1990s had made roads more dangerous than they would have been otherwise. Leaving aside the mystery of why speed cameras have joined the TPA’s pantheon of villains, along with the more predictable ‘benefit scroungers’ and trade unionists, the report had several characteristics typical of a TPA publication. It came with a serious-looking appendix that explained its seemingly impartial methodology, it gained lots of media coverage and it had political influence – one month later many councils began switching off their speed cameras following road safety budget cuts.

It was typical in one other way too: it was complete nonsense. While the mainstream media was content to accept the report at face value, some less credulous bloggers pointed out that according to the TPA’s projections, in the absence of speed cameras accident deaths would have fallen to zero by 2013, and then continued into negative numbers after that. If it wasn’t for those automated yellow boxes of evil, we would be enjoying the spectacle of the dead being resurrected within the next three years.

On its website, the TPA states: “We’re not a think-tank. We’re a do-tank”.

Pseudo-analysis such as its speed camera report certainly bears out the first part of that statement. But that didn’t stop readers of the influential ConservativeHome website naming the TPA as their favourite think-tank. The TPA has also boasted – through ConservativeHome – of the large number of its policies now adopted by the coalition.

Softening up electorate for cuts
Before the 2010 General Election, the TPA played an important role in softening up public antipathy towards public spending cuts. In September 2009 the TPA drew up, with the Institute of Directors, plans for an annual £50 billion a year of public spending cuts.

The alliance, which launched seven years ago, describes itself as a ‘grassroots alliance’ of ‘ordinary taxpayers’ despite an academic advisory council of Thatcherite acolytes like Patrick Minford and Ruth Lea.

The most enthusiastic coverage comes from Tory tabloids such as the Daily Mail and Express. But it also gets airtime from the BBC and other broadcasters – who should know better.

It is important to challenge the TPA’s media dominance. The alliance is particularly successful at packaging stories for cash-strapped local and regional media. Of course it helps to have £1 million a year behind you – but the point is that we need to make the case for public services.

Need for transparency in all sectors
The TPA has successfully argued for transparency and accountability in the public sector. Rather than arguing against this, we should be arguing for the same rules to apply to the private sector.

The TPA’s concern with transparency deserts it when it comes to its own finances. Its last full accounts, for 2006, record an income of £130,000 – hardly enough to sustain its current 10 full-time staff and offices in London and Birmingham. Since then, it has published ‘abbreviated’ accounts, meaning income and expenditure are withheld, although the Guardian reported its income in 2009 was £1 million. Donors are kept secret.

One source of TPA funding has been the shadowy Midlands Industrial Council. The MIC was founded in 1946 as a pressure group to fight the Attlee government’s nationalisation plans and to champion free enterprise. It has donated about £3 million to the Conservative Party since 2001, much of it targeted at marginal parliamentary seats in the Midlands.

Why won’t the TPA open its books? As it told MPs who tried to prevent their expenses being published: “If you have nothing to hide then you’ve got nothing to fear.”

Women and Pension Reform

2011-10-18T10:51:00.002+01:00

The following has been provided by the Equality, Health and Safety Department at PCS HQ:

There are around half a million civil servants in the UK. Just over half of all civil servants are women (53%). Almost a quarter of civil servants (21%) work part-time.

Increased cost – Everyone will be hit by higher contributions, particularly when there is a pay freeze and rising prices. However, with a gender pay gap in the civil service that shows men earning 15% more than women on average, this will hit women harder.

Work Longer - The pension proposals from the government talk about people working up to 48 years for a full pension, The actual length will be linked to state pension age that will keep increasing if life expectancy figures increase so people will never be sure when they can retire. This will make it difficult for people to plan. Women have short service now on average around 11 years when they leave, men tend to have longer service (14 years but weakens the gender argument). Women tend to have shorter service for a variety of reasons often domestic. They often take unpaid maternity leave and career breaks. Part-time service can drastically impact on service, 85% of part-timers are women. For a forty year career, 10 years of maternity leave (unpaid)/career break and part time working for a few years could easily halve the service and pension.

Older women hit by pension age increase - Many women now in their 50s have been already given longer pension ages, 3 changes for those 54 now. It is in this age group many women have to give up work. Just when they are been told by the government to work longer. Whilst we do not have exact figures PCS get a number of calls on a regular basis from women who are forced by caring responsibilities into taking their pension and lump sum early (reduced) to look after elderly relatives or partners with health problems. This can only increase as Tory cuts mean less help for carers in the community.

Young women hit by cuts in childcare - forcing them to reduce hours to enable them to fit in with drastically cut childcare services in the community.

Live longer in retirement - Women live longer than men they are reliant on pension longer often leading them into a poverty stricken old age.

Get less - Your new civil service pension will be based on an ‘adequacy level’ a technical term that means your occupational pension plus state pension only has to reach 60% of what your final pay is. This for many will mean a lower pension for paying more

Cuts hit mental health services

2011-10-18T10:44:00.000+01:00

The following information has been supplied by the TUC:

The TUC has warned that the government's spending cuts risk reversing vital progress made in the recognition and treatment of mental health issues in the UK. Work-related mental health issues are responsible for around a third of all work-related sickness absence and many victims of stress or bullying need support to help them recover.

Earlier this month a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) survey found stress is now the number one cause of long-term absence in both manual and non-manual workers and confirmed a link between job insecurity and a marked increase in mental health problems. The website False Economy found that 17 NHS mental health trusts were facing significant staff redundancies, and many people who are off sick with mental health related issues are finding it more difficult to access support.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The TUC fears that the government's spending cuts are undermining the increasing recognition of the extent of mental ill health problems we have seen in the workplace and beyond in recent years, and the measures that have been taken in response. Across the UK, local authority and NHS mental health services are falling victim to budget cuts, and people are losing vital support mechanisms which were helping them stay in or get back into work. On top of this, the stress arising for many workers from the massive job cuts in the public sector, and the uncertainty hanging over those who remain, is not conducive to healthy workplaces.'

Formal backing for 250,000 civil servants to join 30 November strike

2011-09-30T06:53:00.001+01:00

Formal backing for more than a quarter of a million civil and public servants to join a public sector-wide strike on 30 November puts PCS on a "war footing".

Meeting yesterday the union's national executive committee endorsed the date as the next national strike following the successful action PCS took on 30 June alongside teachers and lecturers. It will be followed by a one-month overtime ban. At a previous meeting ahead of the TUC annual congress, PCS's NEC had agreed to co-ordinate strike action with other unions and said it was looking at dates in November.

The union is also considering the potential for taking more targeted and selective industrial action alongside any taken nationally, and each employer area of the union is drawing up campaign plans focusing on their specific issues. Following announcements at TUC congress earlier this month, the government now faces the prospect of a strike by up to three million public sector workers - the largest in UK history.

As well as having their pay frozen with inflation above 5%, public sector workers face their pensions being raided to help pay off the budget deficit caused by the recession and the bank bail-out.

The government continues to refuse to negotiate on its plans to force public servants to work longer and pay more for less in retirement.

Because of media scrutiny around the 30 June strike, ministers have had to ditch their misleading claims that public sector pensions are unaffordable, and they now cite the 'unfairness' of the divide between public and private sector pensions. Unions say this is a false distinction and are calling for 'fair pensions for all'. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Our union and others across the public sector are now on a war footing to prepare for what would be the biggest strike in UK history. "If ministers continue to dig their heels in they will face industrial action by three million civil servants, health workers, teachers and other public servants that will not just last one day, but will be sustained for weeks and months. "We believe we will continue to enjoy public support because we are not only fighting for the public sector, we are campaigning for fair pensions for all."

Unions will fight safety cuts

2011-09-28T11:37:00.000+01:00

Unions have reaffirmed their commitment to fight cuts in the Health and Safety Executive and attacks on safety laws. Delegates to TUC's Congress last week supported unanimously a motion moved by construction union UCATT critical of the government's decision to lop 35 per cent off HSE's budget by 2015. The annual TUC conference was told longstanding financial pressures mean HSE's enforcement activities have already fallen to an all-time low. The unions are also concerned that dramatic cuts in inspections, which will see many sectors including the notoriously hazardous agriculture and quarrying industries, no longer receiving any unannounced inspections. The decision to axe HSE's telephone Infoline also concerned unions. The TUC's official policy making conference agreed to oppose any 'watering-down of health and safety.' Dennis Doody, a member of UCATT's executive council, told delegates: 'It is a fundamental right to be safe at work. This government is destroying that right. The vast majority of workplace accidents are easily preventable. Government policies will increase accidents.' Doody added: 'Now more than ever the trade union movement needs to defeat these policies. And show how this Tory-led government has blood on its hands. If we don't take action, more and more workers will be killed and maimed at work.' The motion says the TUC must 'continue to be actively involved in campaigning with all affiliates affected by any watering down of health and safety imposed through the government's health and safety reform.' It also calls for the legal groundwork to be done on a legal challenge to 'prevent harm' prior to any damaging policies being implemented.

Older Persons Day

2011-09-28T11:03:00.003+01:00

Fylde and Central Benefits and Services Branch supports Older Persons Day. Older Persons Day is celebrated internationally on October the 1st.

This year, on Friday 30th September 2011, the Branch will be holding a PCS Information Stand at the Warbreck House Restaurant and also at the Peel Park Coffee Lounge from 11.45am to 1.30pm.

For further details please contact x67714

FAO Members in the Corporate Review

2011-09-25T06:34:00.000+01:00

The unsustainable cuts in the Corporate Centre and the botched selection exercises are symptomatic of the real damage being done by the Tory led coalition spending cuts. As the promised economic recovery falters and global recession looms there is a growing realisation that far from offering protection against disaster the government’s policy is deepening and quickening the threat.

This is why PCS has led the way in opposing the cuts and co-ordinating campaigning activity through the TUC. Work to build alliances with other unions culminated at the TUC with the announcement of a public service strike on 30th November. Public opinion is also shifting. All along the government has struggled to claim a mandate for its reckless economic policy and the level of public opposition is now much clearer.

From just about any perspective cuts which undermine the capability of the Department for Work and Pensions at a time when mass unemployment is making a comeback is short sighted to the point of stupidity. The Department needs the people whose jobs are now on the line. It needs their knowledge and skills to develop and evaluate policy and to deliver vital services.

When Robert Devereux appeared before the Public Accounts Committee earlier in the year disbelief was expressed at the lack of a clear plan to deliver both savings and services. Its recent report was highly critical. We know why. The move to new structures is not driven by what is needed to improve or even find the “best fit”. It is purely driven by cuts. The reduction of staff in the DWP Corporate Centre from 11,800 to 8,400 in a single year is already a living nightmare. It means:

Neglecting key policy areas
Massively overloading posts
Posting staff by compulsion
Making compulsory redundancies.

Plenty of work to do
We need to be absolutely clear about the absurd arguments used in the Tory press in their rabid campaign in favour of making our members redundant. There are no “non-jobs”. There is plenty of work to be done which is why there is never any answer to the question the union raises with Ministers in relation to cuts – please tell us which functions will no longer be carried out.

There is an obligation on the employer which is more important, not less, when events are politically driven. PCS will spell this out. Far from being privileged or feather bedded the reality of life in the civil service is comparatively low pay and an unrelenting long hours culture with the continual pressure of political deadlines. There has also been reliance on a culture of duty and loyalty on which the current Ministers do not stint to call. In return it has always been claimed that staff could rely on job security and security in retirement. PCS is sending a clear message to the Permanent Secretary and Executive Team that they cannot expect business as usual if the terms around which important life choices are simply ripped up and thrown in people’s faces.

Prevention of compulsory redundancy
Recently the Department entered the Meaningful Consultation process over the first redundancy risk arising from the Corporate Transformation. When this happened four years ago PCS was successful in preventing job cuts leading to compulsory redundancy.

The threat of industrial action and detailed examination of the options available to all staff made surplus using the processes agreed under the Cabinet Office Protocols persuaded government and the employer to back off. The large number of applications for VES indicates that it is possible for DWP to discharge its obligation to the workforce and retain this approach. To ensure that the employer does this PCS will now:

monitor closely the issue of non-release of VES applicants which will be key this time in avoiding compulsory redundancy
challenge attempts to conceal compulsory redundancy using the threat of withdrawing the offer of better terms under VR
Scrutinise proposals to offer transitional posts
ensure members genuinely have access to redeployment support
organise campaigning activities to make clear your views on the botched Corporate Review
prepare for an industrial response to any compulsory redundancy.

What you can do

Support PCS campaigning activities and prepare for action on 30th November
Talk to colleagues and encourage them to get involved too
Write personally to your MP now referencing the Public Accounts Committee report and making clear the scale of the job loss and redundancy threat.

Reply from local MP

2011-09-23T18:03:00.000+01:00

The Branch has received a reply from the local MP Mark Menzies on the subject of public sector pensions.

Unfortunately the scan is not very good/sharp as the Branch scanner is broken (solution being worked on), but hopefully you will be able to make out the content once it is clicked:

March and Rally - Manchester for the Alternative

2011-09-22T12:40:00.003+01:00

Sunday 2 October 12 noon
Liverpool Road (off Deansgate)

This year the Conservative Party are having their annual Conference in Manchester and the TUC is organising a march and rally to show opposition to the Coalition Government's disastrous policies of pay freezes, cuts and attacks on public services that are producing rising unemployment, cuts in living standards and stagnation. The march will also show the support for The Alternative. We need jobs, growth and justice for a sustainable future and this event will send that message loud and clear.

We call for the maximum support and are specifically asking unions and trades councils to:

- Encourage all your members to attend, a flier is available to download.

- Let us know if you are booking transport and we can give advice on drop off, parking and collection;

- To ensure that we have an effective and safe event we need a number of stewards and all affiliates are asked to nominate a number of stewards, please e mail contact details of potential stewards to NWMarch@tuc.org.uk

- Consider making a donation to help fund the campaign.

There will be provision for marchers with disabilities, including a short route.

Stonewall at the Conferences

2011-09-20T13:28:00.003+01:00

Stonewall will once again be attending all three major party conferences this year!We’d be delighted if you could join us at any of the events taking place in your area:

Monday 19 September for the Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham

Monday 26 September for the Labour Party conference in Liverpool

Tuesday 4 October for the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester

At all events we’ll be asking how we can ensure LGBT representation in public life.

These free events are open to all Stonewall supporters and include speakers from all the parties, as well as complimentary drinks and nibbles. They are held outside of the party conference secure zones.

For any further details please contact Richard Lane.

Disabled people to protest across the UK

2011-09-20T13:08:00.002+01:00

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

Disabled people, their families and friends will be taking to the streets in cities across the UK protesting against Government cuts to disability benefits and services. Protests are planned in cities including Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham, Brighton, Manchester, Newcastle and Bristol with more locations expected to follow.

The Hardest Hit campaign, organised jointly by the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) and the UK Disabled People's Council, brings together individuals and organisations to send a clear message to the Government: stop these cuts.

Saturday 22 October 2011

2.00-3.00pm

A rally will take place in Albert Square, outside Manchester Town Hall. Speakers will include individuals affected by the proposals laid out in the Welfare Reform Bill and a petition will be presented to local elected representatives expressing opposition to the Welfare Reform Bill.

Manchester is one of many cities across the North West that have been severely affected by budget cuts. Across the region people are seeing deep cuts in services such as social care and transport, that they rely on to remain independent.

We call on the people of theNorth West to join us at this event to voice our concerns over these unfair proposals.

More details will be posted here soon.

To register your interest email: Northwest@hardesthit.org.uk

Please circulate these details as widely as possible and encourage all members to support this rally.

Abolition of DWP’s Executive Agencies

2011-09-14T12:29:00.000+01:00

The Secretary of State on 12 September announced that Jobcentre Plus and Pension, Disability and Carers Service (PDCS) will cease to exist from 3rd October as executive agencies of DWP. From then both agencies will be brought under a single DWP Chief Operating Officer.

Part of the Cuts
This move is driven solely by the government’s cuts, and specifically the government’s insistence that DWP makes 26% savings in its running costs. Therefore for PCS this is not about the merits or otherwise of executive agencies or a strong centre. We are implacably opposed to using the end of executive agencies to introduce savage job cuts on staff, both in Jobcentre Plus and PDCS as well as within the Corporate Centre through the current Corporate Review.

The changes resulting from the move to a single Chief Operating Officer are projected to lead directly to 3,000 job cuts.

This greatly increases the risks of members facing compulsory redundancy.

The GEC is meeting next week to discuss how to ramp up the campaign to defend jobs in DWP and to oppose any use of compulsory redundancies.

Manchester for the Alternative

2011-09-12T06:51:00.005+01:00

The TUC have organised a rally and march to demonstrate at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester.

More information can be found on the flyer here.

More information on the TUC campaign 'All Together for Public Services' can be found here.

Politicians not safety prompted the riots

2011-09-07T09:52:00.000+01:00

The prime minister's attempt to link health and safety and human rights to the August riots have been dealt a blow - with politicians themselves put in the frame instead. Researchers at Essex University and Royal Holloway University of London found instead a major cause of the riots was the bad example set by politicians and bankers. In a 15 August speech, David Cameron twice targeted health and safety as a root cause of the riots. But the academic report, 'There will be burning and a-looting tonight,' concluded politicians are seen as 'a class apart' who abide by their own rules. The authors say political factors behind the riots could include 'middle class looting' by bankers in the financial crisis as well as the MPs' expenses scandal. They may have 'made it more acceptable for everyone else to 'take' what they wanted, when they wanted it.' The report concludes: 'People's disposition towards state institutions weigh more heavily in shaping their propensity to obey the law than their belief systems and personal values.' Sarah Birch, a reader in politics at Essex University, who carried out the research with Nicholas Allen, a senior politics lecturer at Royal Holloway University of London, said: 'Though it would be an over-simplification to say that lack of confidence in the political system caused the riots, the evidence we've examined suggests that there is something about the functioning of the political system and the behaviour of politicians that makes a significant minority of people potentially available for participation in acts of mass illegality.' Mr Cameron, who regards the riots as a symbol of Britain's 'broken society', this week began chairing a cabinet review of the government's social policies to see what changes were needed as a result of the riots. It will include state benefits, schools, parenting, family policy and will consider whether health and safety and human rights laws prevent 'common sense solution' to social problems.

Unacceptable customer behaviour

2011-09-07T09:48:00.001+01:00

Following a long period of planning and design and several technical hitches the new Unacceptable Customer Behaviour database is finally being rolled out across DWP. PCS has been heavily involved in this process, working with DWP management to ensure that the database provides accurate and up to date information on those customers who do present a danger to our members. The database is electronic and uses an online reporting form, so the old IF1 will eventually cease to exist.

Early Problems
Despite all the hard work that went into designing the actual database it became clear from the familiarisation sessions that there were potentially significant difficulties in its practical application.

What do Members need to do?
The new approach to UCB means that claimants and customers will no longer be identified solely by a “PV” marker. Instead the database will display specific control measures that must be put in place when dealing with that claimant/customer. This makes it even more important that members are given, and take, the time to prepare for interviews/visits beforehand.

Although only a limited number of PCS reps will hold licences to access the full database, all members will be able to see the control measures applicable to individual customers.

Everyone has a vital role to play in ensuring that the database is populated and used effectively. The database will only be useful if it contains up to date, accurate information. It is absolutely critical therefore that members ensure that they report all incidents.

Sadly, we know that not all incidents in DWP are reported. This has often because members felt they were not afforded time to complete the reporting documentation; that they believe they should tolerate abusive behaviour as part of the job; that they feel it would show an inability to fulfil their job role; or simply did not think that the incident warranted reporting because the threat was to someone other than themselves or was just not serious enough to be reported. It is crucial that any incident is formally reported and DWP and JCP guidance is clear that anyone involved in an incident is given time to complete the report. The fact that you personally do not feel upset or threatened by inappropriate customer behaviour does not mean that you should not report it. The customer who shouts at you in a telephone call could potentially assault a colleague in a Jobcentre if your colleagues are not aware that the customer can react angrily.

Next Steps
The GEC will continue to work with DWP to monitor the rollout and press for improvements when we identify issues of concern.

Last chance to stop the NHS bill

2011-09-07T09:21:00.002+01:00

The Guardian have posted a news article on the NHS bill. The full article can be found here.

Minister ignores work's 'inconvenient corpses'

2011-09-07T09:19:00.000+01:00

An investigation by Hazards magazine has discovered the government minister responsible for workplace safety deliberately misled MPs on 'the terrible human and economic cost of health and safety failings at work'. The 'Firm Favourites' report says Chris Grayling was 'spoon-fed' a £20bn figure by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in a 'suggested reply' to a parliamentary question from Labour MP Ian Lavery. But HSE's briefing to the minister, obtained by Hazards using a freedom of information request, also advised the minister the estimate 'does not include the costs of long-latency disease,' adding: 'These costs could be considerable.' This advice, not included in HSE's model reply, was not made known to MPs. Hazards estimates the contribution from just one asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, would add at least £5 billion to the bill. The real costs figure, if mortality and morbidity from other occupational cancers, work-related heart disease and other conditions were accounted for, would be several times the total Grayling passed on to MPs. The magazine concludes: 'Grayling's creative accounting, aided by a compliant HSE and combined with an industry-blind spot on the substantial cash benefits to society of not killing or sickening workers, creates a regulation averse fiction to justify less health protection at work. It is an approach that experts are now warning can cause serious harm to real businesses and real-life workers.' The report also warns that the minister has exhibited a serious bias towards the industry lobby, while ignoring the concerns of those facing risks in the workplace. While the minister has had 'face time' with two insurance industry bodies and 10 business lobby groups in recent months, he is still refusing to meet with Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK), whose membership is composed entirely of individuals who have lost a family member in often horrific and always devastating workplace fatalities. Hazards suggests these 'inconvenient corpses' are something the deregulation focused minister would rather ignore.

Minister takes workers for a deadly ride

2011-09-07T09:16:00.000+01:00

While safety minister Chris Grayling felt no need to comment on a sharp increase in workplace fatalities in his first year at the helm, or this month's £1 fine for criminal safety failings linked to a worker's death, or even the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) failure to investigate 95 per cent of all reported major injuries, one thing did compel him to take up the ministerial pen. And that was the decision by holiday firm Butlins to instruct staff to stop customers crashing into each other in dodgem cars. Jeremy Pardey, Butlins resort director at Bognor Regis, said the company made the decision because there have been injuries in the past, including broken bones, due to people bumping into each other. But in his letter chastising Butlins managing director Dermot King, Grayling called on the company to 'make it clear publicly that its decision to ban bumping in dodgems has no basis in health and safety rules and that it has absolutely no obligation to take what I suspect will prove to be an extremely controversial decision.' He added: 'Given the public interest in this issue I am releasing this letter to the media.' The April 2011 letter got a second airing this week, when HSE included the dodgems story in a list of the 'Top 10 bizarre health and safety 'bans'.' HSE also broke with its usual practice, after discussions with the DWP press office, and this week posted the minister's letter to its website. In a letter to Chris Grayling, campaign group Families Against Corporate Killers (FACK) said the minister has got his priorities seriously - dangerously - out of kilter. Pointing to the failure of the minister to speak out on serious workplace safety issues, a FACK spokesperson said: 'He must stop his attacks on our legal framework, recognise the real cost of workplace health and safety failures to society and who is responsible.'

Overpayments of overtime made by RM recovery

2011-09-07T09:11:00.003+01:00

Payroll system error
PCS has been has been informed that a fault has been identified in the RM system which has resulted in incorrect payments of overtime. This issue affects employees in both DWP and the Child Maintenance Commission (CMEC).

PCS guidance for overpayments of salary
PCS guidance on recovery of overpayments of pay is available on the PCS DWP Group Website under HR guidance.

DWP and CMEC Policy and Procedure
The DWP and CMEC guidance for recoveries from pay is published on the DWP Intranet under Pay and Reward/Salary. This includes:

Recovery from Pay Policy

Recoveries from Pay Procedure

Recoveries from Pay Advice

Where an overpayment occurs in any one pay month, an automatic adjustment is made from the next month’s salary to recover the overpayment in full. (Policy paragraph 2).

If an overpayment occurs over several months or, occurs in one month but an automatic adjustment cannot be made, a letter is sent about when the overpayment will be recovered. (Policy paragraph 3)

Official error overpayments
Overpayments of salary are subject to the guidance provided by the Treasury in Government Accounting. This policy is separate from the rules governing overpayments of benefit and states that all overpayments of salary, which occur due to mistakes of fact, should be pursued. Generally, if employees have received public money to which they are not entitled, they will be asked to repay it.

Most overpayments of salary fall into the category of mistake of fact. Mistakes of fact, as stated in Government Accounting, include computer input errors. Departmental error alone is not grounds for appeal and therefore appeals received solely for this reason will not be accepted.

Hardship
Employees may claim hardship if repayment would be detrimental to either themselves or their family for financial, health or personal reasons. Hardship must not be confused with inconvenience and the test of hardship should be real. Employees may be asked to supply evidence to support their claim. If it is agreed that payment would cause the employee hardship payroll will consider the individual circumstances to agree an appropriate amount of repayment.

Workforce Management Redeployment Package (WMRP)

2011-08-25T14:38:00.002+01:00

The WMRP was introduced in 2006 after pressure from PCS on DWP management to look at ways of giving incentives to members to move on a voluntary basis as part of the Departmental strategy to avoid compulsory redundancies. As a result the Department entered negotiations with the Treasury with the aim of being able to offer such a package. The result is the WMRP, the latest version of which is available on the intranet.

What Is The WMRP?
The WMRP is available to staff agreeing to voluntarily move beyond normal mobility distance when they are surplus, facing a surplus situation or vacating a post to accommodate a surplus member of staff. It must also avoid the payment of an exit package. It is currently being offered to members in offices threatened with closure that cannot be found a post within mobility. Standard WMRP awards last for a fixed period of three years.

The Standard WMRP can consist of up to four elements in addition to the excess fares normally paid. These are:

Excess Travelling Time to compensate for the difference in travelling time between home to previous office and home to new office journey. This element is only available to staff in Band A/AA to Band E/SEO or equivalent.

Excess car parking fees – as part of the excess fares allowance where the cost is greater at the new office (the difference is paid).

Additional Family Care expenses – where additional child or dependants care expenses are incurred by the redeployment.

A monthly Redeployment Allowance – up to a maximum of £125 per month if the employee can show there remains a financial disincentive to their family unit and the cost is not covered by existing policies. There is no list of items this might cover but they must not be ‘novel or contentious’. Management have confirmed that the London Congestion Charge, Mersey Tunnel fees and similar tolls could be paid.

All payments are taxable and subject to NI contributions. Further details on the conditions that apply are in the attached guidance.

WMRP – Limited Relocation Award
It is also possible to obtain an WMRP to contribute to the cost of moving home up to the lower of the average exit cost of your grade or £10,000. It is not possible to combine this with excess fares allowance and further details are in the guidance.

Advice To Members
Whether a member accepts a transfer beyond normal mobility and accepts a WMRP will be very much a personal decision based on their individual circumstances. It may be the right decision for some members. However PCS advice should be to weigh up the options carefully and consider all the possible consequences. Factors to consider might be:

The value of the exit package that is on offer or would be offered if transfer beyond mobility is refused, together with a realistic consideration of employment prospects outside the civil service in the current economic climate.

The time limited nature of WMRP.

The monthly Redeployment Allowance would not increase after it has been awarded – even if costs do.

Increased travel to work can have an adverse effect on work/life balance.

The possibility of posts closer to home becoming available.

In addition the departmental workforce planning guidance reflects the legal position that suitable jobs offered in the same or a similar location as a redundancy avoidance measure cannot be refused on the basis of mobility restrictions alone. This means that members accepting a WMRP to go to a post they find attractive might later find themselves compulsorily transferred to a post they don’t want in the same place and not be able to use the mobility rules to refuse.

Conclusion
PCS has always welcomed WMRP as an additional redundancy avoidance measure based on ideas first put forward by the union. But restrictions mean it won’t be available to some members that would want it, and as explained above it is not always the best option for members.

Work Experience Placements in DWP

2011-08-24T14:47:00.001+01:00

The following details have been supplied by the PCS DWP Group:

As part of the government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ initiative, Jobcentre Plus advisers can offer JSA claimants aged 18 to 24 a period of work experience with employers for between 25 and 30 hours per week.

PCS believes that while work experience clearly has a role in helping people back to work the government should be investing in real jobs, not cutting them as it is currently doing in DWP and all major government departments.

DWP, as an employer, is participating in its own flagship scheme and will therefore be offering work experience placements to JSA claimants in its offices. The intention is for DWP to offer around 1,500 work experience placements each year. The placements will last between 4 and 8 weeks. A JSA claimant can be offered a placement in any part of DWP apart from any Jobcentre Plus office that deals with any element of their JSA claim.

These work experience placements are not DWP employees and are not subject to DWP terms and conditions or HR policies. They are not paid by DWP while on work experience but continue to receive their benefits, plus any additional travel or childcare costs.

Safeguards in Place
The supposed aim of the work experience placements is to provide participants with the opportunity to gain some experience of work to improve their job prospects and real life experience of the workplace. Placements should be given real and meaningful activities but they cannot be used to replace employees who may be leaving DWP.

Strict rules which prevent them from having access to the Department’s main computer systems should mean they cannot replace paid staff. Placements should be given no expectation of a permanent or temporary job at the end of the placement. All placements will have to complete security checks prior to them starting their placement.

PCS Concerns
PCS has raised concerns over the use of placements in DWP offices. No extra resources have been made available to managers to support the use of placements. We believe it will be a further unwelcome burden on hard-pressed staff and managers to carry out inductions and ensure that meaningful activities are made available for people on placements while having to do their ‘day job’ at the same time.

The use of work experience placements on this scale in DWP is unprecedented. It is therefore quite probable that issues and concerns will arise over the coming period as the placements start to appear in offices.

Important Dates

2011-08-24T14:43:00.003+01:00

Pete Middleman, North West Regional Secretary for PCS has supplied the following:

Please see below two important dates for your diary.

Building on the success of the 26th March, March for the Alternative, 30th June rallies and a good PCS presence at the summer festivals including the Durham Miners' Gala and Tolpuddle, it is important to maintain momentum through the Party conference season. Therefore, we are co-ordinating NW members' involvement in major TUC national demonstrations at:

Liberal Democrat conference, Birmingham - Sunday 18th September

Conservative party conference, Manchester - Sunday 2nd October

We expect the PCS North West Regional Banner to be present at both events and will require volunteers to march behind it.

Please ensure that these events are brought to the attention of your Branches, Networks and members to maximise attendance.

Transport to both will be provided by the regional office and we will subsequently issue a deadline to register for the same.

Given that the Tory conference takes place in our region, we expect the Manchester event to be particularly well supported.

PM's riot act exposes his anti-safety obsession

2011-08-24T14:42:00.000+01:00

The extent of David Cameron's antipathy to rules protecting people from sometimes deadly injuries and diseases at work has been exposed this week. Campaigners have accused the prime minister of being 'crass and insulting' after he claimed 'health and safety' bore some of the responsibility for last week's riots. He used a 15 August speech to attack what he claimed was the 'obsession with health and safety that has eroded people's willingness to act according to common sense.' Cameron added that 'as we urgently review the work we're doing on the broken society, judging whether it's ambitious enough - I want to make it clear that there will be no holds barred... and that most definitely includes the human rights and health and safety culture.' Hazards Campaign spokesperson Hilda Palmer said the prime minister's attempt to link social unrest to health and safety rules 'is not only complete rubbish but completely crass and scraping the bottom of the daft ideas barrel.' Citing the case of a satellite dish firm Foxtel Ltd, which was fined £1 this week after the death of employee Noel Corbin, she said: 'Noel's employers went into liquidation therefore avoiding any accountability or paying the penalty for the crime. There's not a get-out clause available to rioters, so why should it be available to killer employers?' She said company safety failings cost society billions each year, adding: 'The government's answer to this is to let employers get away with even more killing, injuring and making workers ill, as well as looting our economy by attacking and cutting health and safety provisions.' Stirling University regulatory policy expert Professor Andy Watterson was also critical of the prime minister. 'It's the lack of a safety culture, as espoused by failing unfettered market principles, that does so much damage, year after year, to public health in the UK, not health and safety,' he wrote in a letter to The Guardian. 'This is particularly disturbing as evidence rolls in week by week about the health and safety failures of deregulated workplaces and the successes of regulated ones.'

Prospect slams 'irresponsible' government

2011-08-24T14:40:00.000+01:00

Health and safety legislation is neither excessive nor damaging to innovation, Prospect has told an independent review ordered by the government. The review, headed by Professor Ragnar Löfstedt and due to report in the autumn, has been told by ministers to concentrate on 'easing' burdens on business. Prospect, which includes 1,500 Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors and specialists in its membership, is warning, however, that it is not regulation but non-compliance and poor interpretation of the rules that should be of greatest concern. The union is sceptical whether the review will carry any weight given the wider deregulatory agenda being pursued by government. Prospect deputy general secretary Mike Clancy said the government's 'Good Health and Safety, Good for Everyone' blueprint, launched in March 2011, 'provides further evidence of its deregulatory agenda given the removal, without consultation, of swathes of industry from HSE's preventive inspection regime. This is an irresponsible tactic that is designed solely to meet the cuts targets set by the comprehensive spending review.' Prospect says the safety system could be improved through measures to make health and safety simpler, with clear, concise, sensitive guidance, rather than being driven by the 'pejorative premise that health and safety is a burden to business.' According to Clancy: 'Shoddy interpretation and application of the law is at the heart of much of the negative media attention when, in fact, poor employer behaviour and management neglect are the main causes of the toll on the workforce.'

Union safety demands kill infections

2011-08-24T14:39:00.000+01:00

Union members must 'act now' to protect workplace health and safety rights and standards from an unprecedented attack, public sector union UNISON has said. Its short guide on 'The threat to health and safety' says the system protecting workers 'is under greater threat now than at any other time.' In addition to cuts to the Health and Safety Executive's funding and a significant reduction in official workplace safety inspections, it warns 'hard-won health and safety legislation is on the chopping block and people are becoming more vulnerable to issues such as stress, bullying and violence.' With an estimated 500,000 public sector workers set to lose their jobs, UNISON adds, insecure workers will be less likely to raise safety concerns and will be reluctant to take sick leave. 'The impact of this is that workplaces become both more dangerous and unhealthier,' the guides notes. With many UNISON workplaces now classified as 'low risk' and exempt from preventive, 'proactive' HSE inspections, workers are losing essential protection. 'Studies show that over 90 per cent of employers improve their health and safety policies either immediately before or after an inspection,' the union points out. It says UNISON reps should encourage members to keep on reporting and recording health and safety incidents. It adds they should raise concerns about the cuts to health and safety with their local MP and should tell their story through the local media, highlighting how the cuts are affecting people in particular workplaces.

Pension Petition

2011-08-18T09:49:00.001+01:00

PCS have been made aware of an e-petition on the government’s change to the uprating of pensions from RPI to CPI, which has recently been made available on the Directgov web-site:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/1535

You may be aware that PCS are currently challenging this change by Judicial Review and the case is due to be heard in the High Court later this year. Should the site receive 100K responses it will result in the matter being debated by Parliament, which may assist our challenge.

This change to the uprating mechanism from Retail Price Index (RPI) to Consumer Price Index (CPI) would yet again see a significant reduction in the final value of pensions.

Please sign the petition.

UNISON calls for safety action now

2011-08-16T09:54:00.001+01:00

Government refusing real talks

2011-08-11T09:33:00.001+01:00

Unite’s assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail, who also took part in the recent talks with the government over public sector pensions, said: “There was a serious risk that the talks could have broken down after Danny Alexander took the decision to try to negotiate through the media. However, we continue to negotiate in good faith but remain convinced that we must make progress on pension contributions, indexation and pension age for our members to find any changes acceptable.

"The government still wants our members to pay more and work longer – it refuses to make any compromises.

"There has been no movement from the government on pension contribution increases, the link to the rising state pensions and the unions remain at odds with the government over the inflation link change from RPI to CPI.”

The government’s approach to negotiations also infuriated the FDA, the senior civil service union, whose general secretary Jonathan Baume said: “The Treasury is simply fixed on raising their £2.8 billion pensions' levy, and seems to have no genuine interest in a long-term, sustainable agreement on the future of public sector pension provision.”

While it represents far fewer members than the other unions, the FDA’s decision to be mandated for a strike ballot at its annual conference is another sign that an autumn of strike action is looming.

Call for Osborne pension tax rethink

2011-08-11T09:32:00.000+01:00

The GMB is talking about a possible strike ballot. National officer Brian Strutton told the union’s annual conference, which represents 700,000 members including many thousands in local authorities, that “we will draw a line in the sand when the government deliberately attempts to destroy our pensions”.

In the most recent bulletin to members over the ongoing negotiations with the government, he added that the GMB was asking for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) to be considered apart from other public sector schemes because of its funding and the proportion of lower paid workers making contributions, saying: “Fundamentally, government needs to show flexibility in their approach to the substance of the negotiations, not just the form.

“I expect the first Local Government Pension Scheme specific meeting to take place very soon and GMB will be looking for a clear signal from government that they are rethinking the Osborne pension tax - the 50% increase in member contributions that threatens the viability of the scheme.

“GMB remains committed to the policy of negotiating the best proposals we can while preparing for industrial action should negotiations fail. We are not at that point yet and I will keep you informed.”

Autumn of action looms

2011-08-11T09:29:00.000+01:00

Following the success of the mass walkout and co-ordinated action with other unions on 30 June the plan is to co-ordinate further action with other trades unionists being targeted by government cutbacks.

After the well-supported national action by PCS, the National Union of Teachers and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, more strikes could be on the way this autumn. Negotiations may be ongoing, but there is little or no movement over the future of public sector pensions – and seemingly little option other than to take a stand against a government that refuses to budge.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis has said if no agreement is reached there will be a ballot of Unison’s 1.2 million members working in local government and the NHS over the government’s pension reforms. In June he said: “Be in no doubt this union is on the road to industrial action in the autumn.

“This will not be a one-day action, as we know that will not change anything. This is longer term industrial action to prevent the destruction of public service pension schemes. The only thing that can stop this is if the government allows us to negotiate."

The union is said to have put together a £30million fighting fund for the action, including the £1.2million cost of the ballot itself. To prepare for possible industrial action, Unison has had to demonstrate an accurate database of members, a process likely to take 17 weeks to complete in order for there to be as little scope as possible for employers to challenge the ballot.

Threat of offshoring

2011-08-11T09:28:00.000+01:00

PCS members working for Hewlett Packard are campaigning against proposals to offshore about 200 jobs from the UK to India. The application, maintenance and support (AMS) jobs are based mainly in Newcastle, Lytham and Sheffield and we are concerned that these proposals represent the tip of the iceberg in terms of further offshoring of government work.

The proposals will mean that government data on 26 million Department for Work and Pensions customers will be accessible from India and potentially raises the prospect of more work being done from overseas. It is critical to all our members in the public and private sector that these proposals are stopped.If our initial campaigning does not deliver the outcome we are looking for PCS members across HP will be balloted on taking wider industrial action that will include striking to prevent the company engaging in any further sell-off of our members’ jobs.

Work Programme in chaos

2011-08-11T09:25:00.002+01:00

The following has been supplied by PCS HQ:

Tory minister Chris Grayling announced on 4 July that the government’s new welfare to work programme was now “fully operational across Great Britain”. What he failed to tell anybody is that there is still chaos, confusion and recrimination about the roles of PCS members who should have TUPE transferred to implement the new scheme.

A legal case is still being progressed by the commercial sector against Working Links for the lack of consultation over redundancies for the 300 employees delivering Pathways to Work earlier in the year. The Department for Work and Pensions said Pathways would not be included in the Work Programme – but if you look at the DWP website today, it redirects members of the public who would have been eligible for Pathways to the Work Programme. There may still be challenges to providers from Pathways workers about the TUPE status of their roles.

And the DWP’s position on Pathways has encouraged some providers to say that TUPE doesn’t apply at all to the Work Programme – or that it doesn’t apply to some contracts transitioning to the Work Programme, so people who thought they would be protected by TUPE find themselves in an employment no man’s land.PCS is taking up these cases, but the lack of co-ordination across providers, and the DWP’s hands-off impression of Pontius Pilate means that a number of members face huge uncertainty about their future.

We will be lucky if employment tribunals make decisions about these cases before the end of this year.

Private and public sector workers in it together

2011-08-11T09:15:00.002+01:00

PCS members in the commercial sector face the same attacks from the government's slash and burn approach to tackling the budget deficit. Thousands of jobs are at risk, fat cat bosses are using the crisis to attack pay and more than 70% of our members don’t even have a pension.

Our members fundamentally reject attempts by the government and media to create a false divide between workers in the public and private sector and on 30 June actively supported the action taken by fellow members in the civil service and public bodies.

PCS members working in Hewlett Packard in Glasgow, Capgemini in the West Midlands, Capita in Liverpool, Mitie cleaners in London and others joined their civil service colleagues on picket lines.

Commercial sector members marched and attended rallies across the country and private sector worker and NEC member Chris Morrison addressed the rally in Telford offering full solidarity with those taking action to defend pensions, jobs and pay. In a number of workplaces commercial sector workers refused overtime and worked their contracted hours and many made donations to the hardship fund.

As we move into the autumn PCS members working in Steria, Hewlett Packard, Fujitsu, Capita, Balfour Beatty Workplace and in welfare to work will be balloted on industrial action to defend their jobs, resist offshoring and to fight low pay.

PCS will be co-ordinating any action that may take place so that public and private sector workers can participate together.

PCS statement on the UK riots

2011-08-10T07:45:00.002+01:00

Thousands of our members live and work in the communities that have been hit by the vandalism and looting of recent days. Tragically many people have lost their homes, and many more their workplace, potentially their job and income too.

We echo the words of the Fire Brigades Union, “these events illustrate the bravery and commitment of London’s firefighters, and the entire capital will be grateful to them”. Our emergency services in London and other cities have once again shown that they play a vital role in protecting the public.

Public sector workers, from police community support officers to welfare advisers and from teachers to youth workers, will have a huge role to play in rebuilding and in maintaining a sense of community. The government has spent recent months disrespecting these workers and attacking their jobs, pensions and pay; it is time for that to stop and for them to recognise their valuable contribution to society.
As communities clear up, we have to step back and recognise these disturbances did not happen in a vacuum. It is not condoning violence to say that simply dismissing this as 'mindless criminality' is to give up on our responsibility to look for causes and solutions.

Youth unemployment is at its highest level on record, and further and higher education costs are set to soar. Public services are being slashed in many communities with councils cutting youth services and eligibility to housing. Welfare cuts and privatisation mean jobcentres are being closed and benefit cuts are causing anguish and hardship to many.

Our society is more unequal than at any point since the 1930s. There will be those who will call for tougher sentencing and more police powers, but these will not solve the very deep problems facing our country. As PCS has argued, we need investment to create the jobs and build the infrastructure that our communities need.

We should also resist attempts to demonise young people in general. They have been the biggest victims of this recession. The lawlessness of the financial and political elites is a much larger problem that our society must address.

In the coming days and weeks, we must address the complex issues that have led to the recent days' incidents across London and elsewhere, and caused so many to be rightly shocked and appalled.

Mark Serwotka - General Secretary
Janice Godrich - President

Government inciting 'hatred' of disabled

2011-08-09T12:48:00.000+01:00

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

Over 50 charities have condemned the government for "contributing to hatred towards disabled people" by portraying them as work-shy scroungers. The Disability Benefits Consortium said the government is using 'dangerously misleading' statistics to fuel claims that high numbers of benefits claimants are faking. Department for Work and Pensions released figures last week suggested that only 7 per cent of claimants for employment support allowance, the new benefit that replacing incapacity benefits, were unable to do any sort of work. This led to press reports that the majority of sickness benefits claimants are 'faking'. TUC responded by saying the government, which has introduced much tougher and much criticised disability tests, was more interested in saving money than helping the sick or those with disabilities. Disability Alliance spokesperson Neil Coyle, echoing the TUC comments, said: 'The government must ensure appropriate support is available to disabled people to get and keep work. It is very worrying that some support has dropped in the last year. Sadly, the language to describe disabled people needing support has become more offensive and this also contributes to barriers to work as employers suspect genuinely disabled people of faking or being 'work-shy'.' Disability Benefits Consortium spokesperson Hayley Jordan condemned the "irresponsible and inaccurate portrayal of benefits claimants... Disabled people are very disappointed that the government is refusing to ensure accurate reporting and may be contributing to stigmatisation, victimisation and exclusion.'

Letwin wants more deadly job insecurity

2011-08-09T12:44:00.000+01:00

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

The government's policy chief has revealed the government's determination to instil a real 'fear' of job losses in public sector workers. The comments from Oliver Letwin, architect of the coalition's plans to reform public services, came as new research highlights the deadly consequences of job insecurity. Letwin told a meeting at the offices of leading consultancy firm KPMG: 'You can't have room for innovation and the pressure for excellence without having some real discipline and some fear on the part of the providers that things may go wrong if they don't live up to the aims that society as a whole is demanding of them.' He added: 'Some will not survive. It is an inevitable and intended consequence of what we are talking about.' Mark Serwotka, general secretary the civil service union PCS, described the minister's comments as 'nonsense.' He said: 'Public sector workers are already working in fear - fear of cuts to their job, pension, living standards and of privatisation. Far from improving productivity, the cuts are creating chaos in vital public services.' Research on the impact of job insecurity, published in the August 2011 edition of the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, concluded 'perceived job insecurity can lead to adverse health effects in both permanent and temporary employees. Policies should aim to improve work-related well-being by reducing job insecurity. Efforts towards 'flexicurity' are important, but it is equally important to remember that a significant proportion of employees with a permanent contract experience job insecurity.'

NW TUC Demonstrations

2011-08-03T11:36:00.004+01:00

The following has been provided by the PCS NW Regional Secretary:

Dear Colleague,

Please see below two important dates for your diary.

Building on the success of the 26th March, March for the Alternative, 30th June rallies and a good PCS presence at the summer festivals including the Durham Miners' Gala and Tolpuddle, it is important to maintain momentum through the Party conference season. Therefore, we are co-ordinating NW members' involvement in major TUC national demonstrations at:

- Liberal Democrat conference, Birmingham - Sunday 18th September
- Conservative party conference, Manchester - Sunday 2nd October

We expect the PCS North West Regional Banner to be present at both events and will require volunteers to march behind it. Please ensure that these events are brought to the attention of your Branches, Networks and members to maximise attendance. Transport to both will be provided by the regional office and we will subsequently issue a deadline to register for the same.

Given that the Tory conference takes place in our region, we expect the Manchester event to be particularly well supported. Anyone interested in attending should contact either Grant McClure or Katya Lawder by email or on x61186.

Funding cuts by local authorities risk women's safety and support

2011-08-03T11:33:00.000+01:00

Provided by the TUC:

Local authorities are ignoring ministers' warnings that violence against women services should not be a soft target for funding cuts, says the TUC, End Violence Against Women Coalition and Women's Resource Centre in response to research published today (Tuesday) by False Economy.

The False Economy research - available at www.falseeconomy.org.uk - shows that numerous support services for women are having their funding cut or withdrawn in the current financial year.

These services - which are essential for women to access safety, justice and to rebuild their lives - include domestic violence projects, specialist support for ethnic minority women fleeing violence and counselling services for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Violence against women is far more widespread than is commonly thought: 60,000 women are raped each year, one in four women experience domestic violence in their lifetime and it is estimated that 20,000 girls under 15 are at high risk of female genital mutilation in the UK each year.

Adequate provision of support after violence is one of the key objectives of the government's strategy to end violence against women and girls.

TUC Women's Officer Scarlet Harris said: 'The data uncovered by the False Economy website today presents an alarming picture.

'In spite of government assurances about the importance of violence against women services, many are being forced to close their doors or scale back their work due to funding cuts.
'Worryingly, we know that the cuts indentified today are just the tip of the iceberg as funding for many of these services is likely to be reduced further in the coming years.

'These are not 'nice to have' services, they are often quite literally a lifeline to vulnerable women and girls.'

Vivienne Hayes of Women's Resource Centre said: 'Women's organisations provide some of the most cost-effective services across the UK for women and families in need.
'They have also long been grievously underfunded, and seeing these figures shows all too starkly the terrible impact these cuts are having on such vital services.

'Local authorities should not adopt a 'slash and burn' policy when it comes to cutting women's organisations' funding, and should instead ensure that where possible financing is secured and the UK's most vulnerable and marginalised women are supported. This data shows that a more sensible, pragmatic approach towards making savings locally is essential.'

Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition Holly Dustin said: 'We already have very patchy provision of these essential services and by cutting funding to existing services, or withdrawing it altogether, councils are leaving women high and dry at a time when they most need support to escape violence and rebuild their lives.

'Violence against women support services are not a luxury that can only be afforded in good economic times, they are core services that all women should have access to no matter where they live. We are calling for local authorities to ringfence funding for specialist services as part of local violence against women strategies, as some are already doing.

'We also think it's critical that all local areas have specialist Commissioners who have expertise on these issues, and for there to be a national oversight mechanism to end patchy provision.'

Fit for work tests are about cutting costs

2011-08-03T11:32:00.001+01:00

Provided by the TUC:

The government is more interested in saving money that providing genuine assistance so those that are sick or have disabilities can move into work, the TUC has said. New claimants of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) must undergo Work Capability Assessments (WCA) to see if they are capable of some sort of employment. Latest government figures show of 1.3 million tests between October 2008 and November 2010, just 88,700 (7 per cent) were considered unfit for any work.

A further 17 per cent were assessed as able to do some sort of work given the correct support, and 39 per cent were deemed to be fit for work and were moved onto jobseeker's allowance. Commenting on the figures, released this week by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The new incapacity benefit assessment is a much tougher test than previously and is designed to save the government money by excluding more people. It is therefore unsurprising that more disabled people have been declared fit for work. These figures certainly don't suggest that thousands of disabled people are suddenly 'trying it on'.' He added: 'The government needs to do much more to help disabled people back into jobs, rather than cracking down on the benefits they get when they are unable to work.' He said Access to Work statistics released the same day show that in 2010/11 the number of disabled people helped by this scheme fell by just over 1,400 on the previous year.

The DWP figures came as a report by the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee concluded that some vulnerable benefit claimants had payments stopped because of administrative errors in work assessments. The private French company given £100 million a year to carry out the tests, Atos Healthcare, received stern criticism in the committee's report. Its work 'has often fallen below the standard claimants rightly expect. This has contributed significantly to the widely felt mistrust of the whole process,' the report said. Atos staff are currently testing around 11,000 incapacity benefit claimants a week, to help judge whether they are eligible for benefit payments. The TUC, charities and MPs say they have been contacted by large numbers of people who felt their test results were simply wrong.

Reports that the vast majority of disabled claimants are fit for work should not be trusted, the union representing workers in the benefits system has said. PCS, which has thousands of members in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), said the tests for claimants fail to address many serious health issues. The union was commenting after a House of Commons select committee report into incapacity benefit re-assessments concluded the system 'does not accurately assess claimants' employability and needs in the workplace.' PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: 'This exercise is just about saving money by bullying people who are sick or disabled onto lower levels of benefit. It is not about finding people work - because there is no work available.' He added: 'The government is failing to create jobs, while cutting thousands of posts in the public sector. The government has given £100 million to a private health care company to do these flawed assessments - instead of using the health service which is already there and trusted by the public. The government have set up a system that demonises disabled people and will encourage bullying and hate crimes. Disabled people need more support - not less - to lead independent lives, including working lives.'

TUC warns that safety must not be undermined

2011-08-03T11:31:00.001+01:00

Provided by the TUC:

The TUC has said it will 'strongly oppose' any government moves to undermine workplace health and safety protection. The statement comes in a written submission to the government commissioned Löfstedt review of workplace health and safety. Ministers have directed the review to concentrate on 'easing unnecessary burdens on business'.

In response, TUC states: 'It does not support regulation for the sake of it, and has worked closely with the HSE on its simplification programme because that was a genuine attempt to ensure that the regulatory regime was effective.' But it adds the TUC 'does not believe however that regulation imposes any kind of burden on business. It is a responsibility, just as paying taxes is a responsibility, and no business should be able to operate unless it can do so safety.' The submission concludes: 'Regulation needs enforcement to be effective and the current level of enforcement activity is clearly inadequate.'

TUC says the review 'should confirm that health and safety regulation should be developed by an independent Health and Safety Executive, making recommendations to the government on regulations. This will ensure that regulations will have the support of all sides of industry and continue to be effective and simple.' It adds: 'The TUC will strongly oppose any attempt to reduce the level of protection at a time when over 20,000 people are killed every year as a result of work and 2.1 million are suffering from an injury or illness caused or made worse by work.'

The TUC submission notes that voluntary, 'self-regulation' approaches are not a viable alternative to regulation and enforcement, and have 'failed' where they have been tried.

Safety concerns remain over new coastguard plans

2011-07-29T10:13:00.000+01:00

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

Watered-down government plans to slash the number of Britain's coastguard centres will still risk lives, unions have warned. Originally it was proposed that the number of centres be cut from 19 to eight, with only three remaining open 24 hours a day. But Transport secretary Philip Hammond announced in the Commons last week that 11 centres would remain and that they would all operate round-the-clock. The union PCS welcomed the climb-down from the government's original proposals, but said it will still oppose any new plans that would result in safety being compromised. It added the announcement was 'a partial victory for the communities who campaigned to save what is an essential public service that they hold dear. But it will be a bitter blow for those still under threat.' PCS expressed concern the government had made no commitment to prevent compulsory redundancies, and insisted the new plans must be subject to 'full and meaningful consultation involving staff, unions, the public and other interested parties.' PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: 'We pay tribute to our coastguard members and people in their communities who have fought so hard to defend what is a vital public service.' He added, however: 'This fight is not over. We are committed to ensuring we retain the local knowledge of our coastlines that is essential to saving lives, as we are determined to defend all public services and our communities from the government's cuts.' Bob Crow, general secretary of the transport union RMT, said: 'While the government have clearly been forced by public and union pressure to make significant changes to their original proposals we still remain concerned that the revised plans may leave gaps in the service and we will be seeking further assurances that there will be no impact on the safety of our members out on the high seas.'

Legal changes will hurt victims

2011-07-29T10:11:00.000+01:00

The following has been supplied by the TUC:

A government shake-up of the legal system will be bad news for many of the hundreds of thousands of people harmed by their work each year. TUC's Hugh Robertson was commenting as the government confirmed it will press ahead with the reforms to civil compensation, including personal injury claims. These proposals, contained in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill, 'will seriously damage access to justice for many working people,' writes the TUC head of safety in the union body's Touchstone blog. 'While attention has focused on those sections of the bill dealing with legal aid and sentencing, other parts could also prove to be disastrous for those people seeking compensation because of an injury at work caused by the employers' negligence.' He adds: 'Union members will be among the millions who are deprived of the ability to claim compensation, or who will lose damages. As many as 25 per cent of injury claims will not be brought. Those that proceed might lose up to 25 per cent of damages for the success fee and further substantial reductions for required legal expense insurance.' He says many people will no longer be able to obtain legal representation, particularly for low value or complex cases. 'However, although a claim of £3,000 or £4,000 may be considered to be low value by the government, it is not low value to a cleaner who earns £6 an hour and represents four months wages.' He warns workplace safety will be another victim. 'By reducing the threat of litigation in workplace accidents and diseases, health and safety at work will be undermined. The money taken from claimants and their representatives won't benefit the Treasury, but the big insurers will gain a windfall.'

Code Breaking Challenge

2011-07-29T09:59:00.003+01:00

PCS in Leeds have issued the following: In conjunction with the recent visit to Bletchley Park (Home of the WWII code breaking museum) the Queen has launched a code breaking challenge which is open to ages 13 to 16. The challenge is contained within a document here with the last coded message being the subject of the competition and closes on Thursday 18th August.

Given that school's will be breaking up for the summer very soon, PCS thought this would be something useful for staff who are looking ways to keep their children amused during this time.

PCS statement to members on public sector pensions

2011-07-28T13:44:00.001+01:00

PCS HQ has issued the following statement to all PCS members:

"The government has today (Thursday 28 July) made further announcements regarding their attacks on public sector pensions confirming what we have said all along:

they want you to pay more and work longer for a smaller pension.

All of this despite the evidence clearly demonstrating that changes are not required.

They argue that there is protection for low paid workers. But this only applies to those earning less than £15,000 (only 4% of PCS members). Those who earn between £15,000 and £21,000 will pay 1.5% more and those above £21,000 will pay anything between 3% and 6%.

All of this at a time of a pay freeze, rising prices and no certainty about the future pension. Nearly all members will have to pay more, to work longer, and get a pension not as good as their current scheme.

The talks to date have been about public sector pensions in general. Now the government wants to move to talks about individual schemes. We are considering our approach to these talks and are discussing this with the other civil service unions. We need to be sure that these talks are real negotiations not just about implementing predetermined plans.

On 30 June members took strike action alongside members of three education unions. Other unions have already indicated that they are looking to join us in any further action. Unless the government engages in serious and honest negotiations, more public sector workers will be striking in the autumn. This will be critical to ensure the so-called consultation is taken seriously by government.

We know that our pensions are affordable and sustainable – indeed earlier in the week a senior cabinet minister, Andrew Lansley, said that the government’s proposals were wrong.

The government says this is about paying to tackle the deficit, but there is an alternative way that would prevent the need for the government to impose what is effectively an extra tax on working in the public sector.

Instead of targeting public servants, pensioners, students, disabled people and those entitled to welfare payments, the government should invest in jobs and public services to help our economy to grow and tackle seriously the £120 billion in taxes lost each year through tax evasion, avoidance and a lack of resources in Revenue and Customs."

UAF Leafletting

2011-07-28T07:58:00.002+01:00

Dear colleagues,

We have been asked to pass on an announcement that local anti-fascist activists will be leafletting against the English Defence League in Blackpool this Saturday.

If you wish to help with the leafletting please contact the branch office on 01253 331186 for further details.

A good source of current information and news about the EDL is Lancaster Unity.

Turrrets and Staffing Etc - Reminder

2011-07-27T07:39:00.003+01:00

To all members of the PCS Fylde Central Benefitsand Services Branch at Warbreck who work on Turrets.

MEMBERS’ MEETINGS
THURSDAY 28th JULY 2011

Dear Colleagues

Members will be fully aware of the job cuts that have been announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Senior PDCS Management have continued discussions with PCS about the Turrets and call handling. These discussions have included potential changes to the manner in which calls are handled at Warbreck. We met last on 6th July 2011. We have requested time to meet with the members who work on Turrets.

We have arranged two members’ meetings as follows to discuss the latest issues:

THURSDAY 28th JULY 2011
Warbreck Canteen - 10.00 am
Warbreck Canteen - 2.00 pm

If you have read this post and are not a member; then please complete an application form to join. Only members who work on Turrets may attend the meeting. We look forward to seeing you there.

Call for ministers to put safety before profits

2011-07-26T09:36:00.000+01:00

The government must not allow workers to die to boost business profits, civil service union PCS has said. The union, which has hundreds of members in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), made the call in responses to government-initiated reviews of health and safety legislation. It says when coalition politicians talk about 'reducing the burden of health and safety legislation on UK businesses... this demonstrates a lack of care for employees by the UK government.' The union says its members in HSE are fighting a 35 per cent budget cut over four years, which it believes would make it 'very difficult' for them to do their jobs properly, a problem amplified for the government's risky strategy. According to PCS: 'The proposed changes are pro-business. They will increase risk-taking by employers and increase the number of work-related stress cases, near misses, injuries and fatalities.' The union adds that a three-pronged attack on workplace health and safety is currently underway. The government commissioned Löfstedt review of health and safety has been given a deregulatory brief and is due to report in October. A government initiated sickness absence review is being co-chaired by the head of the strongly anti-safety regulation British Chambers of Commerce. And the government's Red Tape Challenge is highlighting health and safety regulation until 21 July.

High court challenge over cuts to redundancy pay

2011-07-22T08:23:00.000+01:00

The government's cuts to redundancy terms for civil and public servants will tomorrow face a legal challenge in the high court from the two largest civil service unions.

PCS and the Prison Officers' Association are challenging by way of a judicial review cuts to redundancy pay imposed through legislation passed last year.

The unions - which together represent almost two-thirds of the total civil service workforce - argue that, because rights to certain redundancy terms have accrued through length of service, they are classed as a "possession" in human rights law and should not be "interfered with" unless there is an over-riding public interest.

In November, MPs and Lords on the human rights joint committee criticised the government's plans as they were going through parliament, saying ministers had not made the case for capping payouts.

During the bill's progress, PCS accused Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude of misleading MPs when he claimed in parliament the union had declined invitations to negotiate.

The previous government's attempt to impose a civil service compensation scheme, which governs redundancy terms, was struck down by the high court shortly before the general election last year following a successful judicial review taken by PCS.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Ministers simply want to make it easier and cheaper to throw 100,000 of their own staff out of work in the deluded belief this will help our economy get back on track.

"We are determined to fight this, not just to protect our members' jobs but to defend the communities they serve from the ideological vandals in this Tory-led cabinet. Instead of cutting jobs, the government should be creating them and investing in our public services to help our economy to grow."

Expert slams government's safe jobs 'fantasy'

2011-07-12T09:42:00.000+01:00

Cuts to safety enforcement, regulation and budgets are being justified with government 'lies', UNISON members have been told. Addressing 150 concerned workers at a fringe meeting of the union's annual conference last week, Hazards Campaign spokesperson Hilda Palmer ripped into the cut price, cut back health and safety strategy which will see most workers in 'low risk' workplaces shunted off the official enforcement radar. 'The government claims that offices shops and schools - the kind of places where UNISON members work - are non-hazardous. This is wrong. You are actually quite likely to die of stress-related illnesses,' she said. She added that people who work with computers or in call centres are more likely to suffer from muscle and joint disorders. Employment minister Chris Grayling 'hated health and safety' and wanted to throw the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on the 'bonfire of the quangos,' she said. The minister has fronted a government assault on health and safety that has seen HSE inspector numbers slashed, preventive safety inspections cut back by 11,000 a year and an attack of safety regulations based on an unfounded claim they inhibit enterprise and are bad for business, she said. 'There is an acceptance that proactive inspections work,' Palmer added. 'But they are not taking place in agriculture, which kills more workers per 100,000 than any other industry, manufacturing and the whole of the public sector. The idea that work is safe is a lie.' The Hazards Campaign is leading a 'We didn't vote to die at work' campaign, to challenge the government's safety strategy.

Unions denounce safety red tape 'sham'

2011-07-12T09:02:00.000+01:00

The increasingly desperate tone and tactics employed by the government in its attempts to justify the removal of safety protection at work have been described by unions as a 'sham' bordering on 'reality TV show' banality. In a news release issued this week by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), employment minister said the government's Red Tape Challenge on health and safety regulations, which will run from 30 June to 21 July, 'is the opportunity that every beleaguered business leader, incredulous community group or outraged newspaper reader has been waiting for - a chance to directly change the laws underpinning Britain's health and safety culture.' In a statement, the TUC was highly critical of the government approach. 'The government is, once again, spreading the myth that health and safety regulation is 'red tape'. We do not believe that government policy should be made on the basis of who shouts loudest, and do not think that the safety and health of workers should be determined by the outcome of a web-based discussion forum,' the statement said. 'The need to protect your workers is not a burden, it is a responsibility and, at times like this we should be trying to ensure that employers do obey the law and do not cut corners. Instead we have seen a retreat away from enforcement, two reviews of health and safety regulation and now this. What is to be next - a TV reality show to decide what piece of legislation gets ditched?' TUC added that the approach is 'a flawed process which undermines the existing decision-making process on health and safety which seeks to regulate on the basis of consensus and evidence.' Unite general secretary Len McCluskey dismissed the red tape challenge as an 'insult' and 'a sham.' He added: 'It is not an appropriate way to determine government policy on health and safety at work - and it is an insult to workers everywhere, particularly those who have been injured themselves or for those families who have lost a loved one.'

Abuse aimed at pickets

2011-07-12T09:01:00.000+01:00

On Thursday 30th June 2011 at circa 8 am a C Cabs driver made foul and abusive gestures made by towards male and female members of PCS, DWP Fylde Central Benefits and Services and SPVA Branches, who were picketing at the White Carr Lane Gate at Norcross.

We were obviously disappointed that anyone would chose to make foul and abusive gestures towards male and female PCS members, and brought this behaviour to the attention of the Managing Director of C Cabs giving them, out of courtesy, the opportunity to comment on the behaviour of one of C Cabs drivers.

There has been no reply and therefore we thought that we ought to bring this to the attention of the membership of the Branches.

PCS National Black Members' seminar 2011

2011-07-12T08:49:00.003+01:00

The PCS National Black Members' seminar 2011 is scheduled to be held from the 21st - 23rd of October 2011.

This year’s seminar will be held in Liverpool at the Adelphi Hotel, the theme is the ‘Public Sector Cuts – The Impact: Resistance and Fight Back.’

The seminar presents an opportunity for PCS members from the African & Asian Diaspora to develop ideas about how to organise and campaign against public sector cuts. The seminar will look at workplace and community issues. Interested?

Please email equality@pcs.org.uk or ring the Equality Department on 0207 801 2683 for more information.

Please note the closing date for application is Friday 30 September 2011.

The application form can be found here.

Event Contact:
Phyllis Opoku-Gyimah
Tel: 020 7801 2683

Civil Service Wide Overtime Ban Throughout July

2011-07-01T04:32:00.000+01:00

The purpose of this post is to inform members that the well supported strike action on the 30th of June 2011 is to be followed by a Civil Service wide overtime ban.

PCS has done everything possible to negotiate a solution to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, the Pay Freeze, and our Pensions however to date there has not been an acceptable outcome from the Government.

We have already witnessed over two thousand job losses from the Fylde economy due to the job cuts in the area and even more are now in jeopardy, we have seen our pay frozen (and unlike other areas of the Public Sector our Pay Progression isn’t separately funded meaning that we are treated even more unfairly than other public servants), our Pensions are under attack (we are being expected to pay more for our pensions, work longer and receive less) and our redundancy terms are being cut so that it is cheaper to get rid of us.

We are being asked to pay for the financial mess created by the bankers and the financial speculators and spivs, with our jobs, our pay, our pensions and our conditions of service. The financial mess was none of our making. It’s their financial mess make them pay for it.

It is time for members to show that they oppose the notion of being forced to pay for the excesses of the spivs.

Our reasonable demands are:

No detrimental changes to our pensions and our redundancy payments
Application and strengthening on the protocols to avoid redundancy
An end to the pay freeze and a fair pay rise for all members

SUPPORT THE CIVIL SERVICE WIDE OVERTIME BAN THROUGHOUT JULY 2011

Minister's snub to bereaved families

2011-06-30T11:13:00.000+01:00

The government's health and safety minister has refused to meet with representatives of the families of people killed at work. Employment minister Chris Grayling, who pushed through unprecedented funding cuts to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and demanded a dramatic reduction in proactive enforcement by the safety watchdog, has rejected requests for a meeting from Families Against Corporate Killing (FACK), to hear their views about his workplace safety strategy.

The group, which was founded by relatives of those killed at work, said in snubbing them the minister has exposed his intention to 'ease the burden on employers' without taking account of the far greater burden borne by families and the public purse as a result of criminal health and safety failings at work. FACK first wrote to Mr Grayling on 6 May to request an audience, arguing that 'there seems to have been no attempt to contact, involve or consult those harmed by work - injured and made ill - or the families of those killed by gross negligence.'

In response the minister said that he regretted that 'diary commitments mean I am unable to meet with you at the current time'. He has found time for meetings with other organisations, including business groups - and told campaigners including FACK members who doorstepped him at the DWP HQ on Workers' Memorial Day 'my door is always open'.

FACK founder Linzi Herbertson said: 'FACK families are utterly disgusted with Chris Grayling's refusal to meet with us about the effects of the cuts he is proposing to the already inadequate health and safety system which allowed people we love to be killed just for going to work.' She added that the minister was more interested in 'listening to the false accounting of the business lobby.'

Victims made to pay in new offenders bill

2011-06-30T11:12:00.000+01:00

Victims of occupational injuries or diseases will be unable to afford a compensation claim or will have to pay the legal costs as a result of a proposed law introduced this week by the government.

The TUC says provisions in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to switch the cost on personal injury cases from those who negligence caused the problem to the victims will not deliver a saving to the government but 'will simply line the pockets of insurers.' The Bill will do away with Conditional Fee (CFA) or 'No Win No Fee' agreements. These currently allow all legal costs, including the solicitor's success fee, to be recovered from the negligent defendant.

Under the proposed new law, the injury or disease victim will be expected to give up 25 per cent of their compensation to meet his or her legal costs, even in cases where the defendant has been grossly negligent. The draft law leaves open the possibility for victims who lose cases to be required to pay legal costs incurred by the employer. The changes have been criticised by unions and work injury and disease victims' advocates.

TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson commented: 'This bill will mean that many workers who suffer an occupational injury or disease will no longer be able to afford to make claims against their employer or, if they do manage to fund a case, will find their damages reduced. It is a blatant assault on victims and will simply line the pockets of insurers.'

Tony Whitston, chair of the Asbestos Victims Support Groups' Forum UK, said dying workers are being 'told that they must carry the risks of suing for compensation', adding 'isn't the risk of losing their lives enough?' He said the reality of the 'shameful attack' is only negligent firms and insurers will benefit from the government proposals. 'The fact is that many frail and terminally ill sufferers will no longer sue for compensation, fearing more uncertainty and stress of litigation,'he said. The union Unite said there were other damaging changes in the proposed law, estimating 650,000 people 'could be denied legal aid and advice to help them with housing, employment and immigration problems.'

PCS INDUSTRIAL ACTION

2011-06-29T16:02:00.000+01:00

ALL OUT ON 30th JUNE 2011

Then a Civil Service wide overtime ban throughout July 2011

The purpose of this post is to inform members of the strike action on the 30th June 2011 to be followed by a Civil Service wide overtime ban.

PCS has done everything possible to negotiate a solution to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, the Pay Freeze, and our Pensions however to date there has not been an acceptable outcome from the Government.

We have already witnessed over two thousand job losses from the Fylde economy due to the job cuts in the area and even more are now in jeopardy, we have seen our pay frozen (and unlike other areas of the Public Sector our Pay Progression isn’t separately funded meaning that we are treated even more unfairly than other public servants), our Pensions are under attack (we are being expected to pay more for our pensions, work longer and receive less) and our redundancy terms are being cut so that it is cheaper to get rid of us.

We are being asked to pay for the financial mess created by the bankers and the financial speculators and spivs, with our jobs, our pay, our pensions and our conditions of service. The financial mess was none of our making. It’s their financial mess make them pay for it.

It is time for members to show that they oppose the notion of being forced to pay for the excesses of the spivs.

Our reasonable demands are:

No detrimental changes to our pensions and our redundancy payments
Application and strengthening on the protocols to avoid redundancy
An end to the pay freeze and a fair pay rise for all members

JOIN YOUR COLLEAGUES ON STRIKE ON THE 30th JUNE 2011 AND SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING CIVIL SERVICE WIDE OVERTIME BAN THROUGHOUT JULY

Potential Members
If you have not yet joined your Union, please consider doing so and complete the form here and return to Room 7233, Norcross.

Rally for the Alternative - Blackpool!

2011-06-29T16:01:00.001+01:00

Blackpool Against the Cuts will be holding a Rally for the Alternative on:

3.30pm, Thursday 30th June

The Rally will be held at St John’s Square, Blackpool Town Centre. Please come along and offer your support for the alternative – Tax Justice, not slashing the terms and conditions of public sector workers.

North West Rallies - 30th June 2011

2011-06-29T15:50:00.000+01:00

PCS North West Regional Office has provided details of several rallies being organised in the North West for the strike day taking place on June 30th.

The flyer advertising the events can be found here.

***update***

There is now an event in Blackpool, click here.

Pensions - Update

2011-06-29T09:36:00.006+01:00

Have you checked the online PCS Pensions Calculator?
We urge all members to check the PCS online Pensions Calculator to see how much more you will have to pay, work longer and receive less. The calculator can be found here.

Millions of workers, who were already facing meagre average annual pension income of less than £5,000 in many cases, will have to work longer and pay more for far less in retirement. The calculations used in the PCS Pensions Calculator are taken from government proposals which are based on the Hutton report.

The calculator provides members of the three main civil service schemes: Classic, Premium and Nuvos with estimates of how much the government’s proposed pension changes could cost them between now and their retirement. Many people face a doubling or tripling of contributions and might have to work longer because of the raising of the pension age from 60 to 65 and then to 68. For the average worker that could mean paying an extra £50.00+ a month at a time when there is a pay freeze.

PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka explains: “These figures show the scale of the pensions’ robbery facing millions of people across the UK. Many people on low incomes will lose money they can ill afford to each month as their contributions could more than double or even triple. Thousands of people will also lose out; because of the switch from RPI to CPI indexation.

The cuts are unnecessary; our pension schemes are affordable and sustainable. The proposed huge increase in contributions will go straight into the coffers of the Treasury to pay off the deficit caused by the finance sector. We need action to stop this pensions robbery, to stop the job cuts, and the pay freeze. There is an alternative: create jobs to grow the economy and collect the £120 billion in tax evaded, avoided and uncollected each year.”

For examples of the extra you may have to pay each month please below:

A larger version of the image can be found here.

The above are examples only and use DWP imposed 2011/12 salary rates. Those in the Premium and Nuvos scheme tend to lose even more. Check the PCS Web Site yourself to find out how much you could lose!

NUT Rally - Lancaster

2011-06-23T07:38:00.003+01:00

The following has been supplied by NW Regional Office:

Lancaster, Morecambe & District NUT have arranged a couple of events:

Thursday 23rd June
Open Public Meeting at Lancaster Town Hall, 7pm-9pm
Speakers: Kevin Courtney (NUT), Bob Wareing (ATL), UCU, PCS, NHS, etc.

Thursday 30th June
Rally and March; assemble 11am in Market Square, Lancaster with live music, stalls, street theatre, balloons.

All are invited to both events.

The Lancashire NUT website can be found here.

War on Want - Fest-Watch

2011-06-23T07:20:00.002+01:00

War on Want will be present at many of the festivals across the UK this summer.

For further details check out their page here.

How Much Will YOU Lose?

2011-06-22T05:58:00.001+01:00

PCS have prepared a calculator for the three Civil Service Pension schemes to show how much you will lose over your career (if you have a job) by the changes the Government intend to impose.

The calculators can be found here and it is suggested that everyone uses them to find out exactly how the Governments impositions will effect individuals income both directly in their wage packet and in the future for their pensions.

Pay 2011 Q&A

2011-06-17T13:56:00.001+01:00

The members’ meetings on the DWP Pay offer are ongoing here is a questions and answers brief from PCS DWP Group:

Q: I am aware of the Pay Freeze, but how much is the real value of my pay falling?

A: A lot. The rate of inflation for May was 5.2% RPI (4.5% CPI). Set against this almost half of the DWP workforce get no increase and the rest an increase of less than 2.5%. Nobody gets any progression. This is also the fifth year of pay restraint in DWP. Had the EO maximum not been held down since 2007 and then frozen for two years it would be worth over £2,500 more now.

Q: What about the government’s pension changes?

A: In addition to the rapidly rising cost of living members will need to consider the increase in employee pension contribution of at least 3% which the government intends to introduce from April 2012. This will reduce your take home pay by roughly the equivalent of losing a day’s pay every month. For a personal illustration of how this could affect you - use the pension calculator on the PCS website.

Q: Is it true that the non-consolidated end of year bonus now costs more than the pay increase?

A: Yes. The pay offer is worth £30 million and the end of year bonus is worth £52 million. The money is used to allow non-consolidated and non-pensionable payments to be made to staff earning above £21,000 full-time equivalent, but the employer insists it must be performance related. Despite the opposition of the unions it is distributed on the basis of a 2 to 1 share to staff in receipt of “consistently good” and “wholly exceptional” markings. This means the small number receiving the top box marking get twice as much as those whose performance is rated as “consistently good”. This represents a huge increase in the proportion of pay costs that are performance related and sets a very undesirable precedent.

Q: What is the union’s attitude to performance related pay?

A: It is wrong in principle to claim to reward high performance when the money comes out of the pockets of those whose performance is consistently good. Improved performance is only really possible when everyone contributes. A carrot on a stick may be ok for donkeys but not civil servants. In practice performance related pay can be shown to discriminate against staff for other reasons. Full diversity and equality data is not yet available but on the emerging figures seen by pay negotiators there has been little or no improvement in the outcomes which made part-time staff, ethnic minority staff, and staff with a disability less likely to be awarded the top marking last year.

Q: Do all staff with the qualifying box marks get an end of year bonus payment?

A: No. Staff must also be in post on 1st July 2011. This year, significant numbers of staff who can claim to have earned a bonus through their People performance marking are excluded, such as those taking an exit package whose last day of service is 30th June, and anyone terminating at the end of an FTA before 1st July 2011. PCS negotiators have made this point to management repeatedly but to no avail.

Q: Do unsatisfactory performers get a pay award?

A: No. As in previous years in addition to exclusion from the end of year bonus staff marked as unsatisfactory in the 2010/11 People Performance report will not receive any consolidated increase. This applies even if their pay falls below the range minimum. There is provision for the award to be paid if performance improves.

Blackpool Against Cuts

2011-06-16T07:30:00.002+01:00

A reminder that the next meetings of Blackpool Against Cuts are on the 21st and 28th of June, both metings are at the LMS Loco Club, Back Ribble Road, Blackpool, FY1 4AB (map here).

The meetings will run between 6:30 PM and 7:45 PM.

Any agenda items for 21st by the morning of the June 20th please. Agenda items can be sent to Andy Boylan.

It's Yes and Yes - Ballot Results

2011-06-15T18:04:00.004+01:00

The purpose of this post is to inform members of the outcome of the National ballot on the Pay freeze, Civil Service Compensation Scheme, Pensions changes and the campaign to defend members’ jobs, and pay in the Civil Service (including the DWP/ CSA on the Fylde).

The ballot closed on 15th June 2011 and the results were as follows:

Question 1 – Are you prepared to take part in Strike Action
Number of members voting: YES = 61% NO = 39%

Question 2 – Are you prepared to take part in Industrial Action Short of a Strike
Number of members voting: YES = 84% NO = 16%

It is important that members write to their MPs so that they will (hopefully) realise the depth of feeling of the membership. It can make a difference. We have previous circulated model letters on the issues to send to your MP.

You may also want to visit this site which looks at the impact on your pension.

The Branch website will be updated with information during the next stages of the campaign.

We believe it is vital that all members support the campaign and get actively involved.