DWP Pay Bulletin 48

Please see info below from PCS DWP Group:

Merry Christmas and a more prosperous New Year
PCS wishes all its members in DWP a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year. We would like to thank all reps and members for the support they have given to PCS in 2008, particularly the fantastic backing shown for the pay campaign. This has undoubtedly put us in a much stronger position to get the improvements we need to pay in DWP. We hope members will enjoy their well earned festive break.

Record Unemployment
The latest unemployment figures out this week show another steep rise in the numbers claiming Jobseekers Allowance -now topping 1 million.

Members will be only too aware of the pressure that these increases in unemployment place on them. Recent agreements on extra staff are welcome but we need this to be combined with real improvements to our pay as well.

At a time when DWP is relying on its staff not just to cope with unprecedented increases in workloads, but also to find jobs for all these people in such difficult circumstances, it is imperative that they reward their staff properly as well.

DWP talks to continue in 2009
The DWP pay team will continue to have talks with DWP management early in the New Year, confident that we can build on the progress that has been made so far on the issues of key concern to members. In addition to the talks we have already had on Managing attendance, flexi and family friendly working, job security, PDS and improving employee relations, the agreement now reached at national level means that it is now possible to talk substantively about pay.

The agreement states that efficiency savings can now be used to improve our members pay, under rules now being developed in talks with the Treasury, and that the 2% pay cap on basic pay rises is removed. This means our further talks with DWP based on the new national pay agreement can and should put more money on the negotiating table and then into members pockets.

This is our number one priority for the New Year.

Wishing you all a happy peaceful and prosperous 2009

Update on Turrets - DCPU

New Way of Working in Unit’s 2 & 3 (and other issues such as Christmas/New Year Turret Cover).
The purpose of this post is to provide an update on the progress of the turrets new way of working in Units 2 & 3. As you will be aware we held a members’ meeting and a ballot on 26th November; there have also been a number of activists visiting Units 2 & 3 on 2nd December to speak to the members and potential who work on turrets to gauge feedback on how they feel the new way of working has been implemented in these areas. A desktop ballot also took place on 16th December to check that the principles of the Joint Statements were being adhered to. In addition we have also had regular meetings with Senior Management so that we can monitor the progress of the roll-out into Units 2 & 3, and also to escalate to them any concerns or problems.

Given the feedback received from members it is clear that there has been considerable improvement in relation to the principles of the Joint Statements being adhered to. The roll-out into Unit 2 has been particularly positive, though there is still room for improvement. The roll-out in Unit 3 gave cause for concern with a high number of members’ feeling that the principles of preference, availability and coercion were being not met. These results and concerns were raised with the respective Grade 7’s who gave assurances that they would be addressed. The subsequent ballot on 16th December showed a considerable improvement in Unit 3, though clearly more needs to be done in this Unit before it meets the objectives. However, overall, feedback was more positive than negative and we will continue to monitor its progress.

Once again I would just like to reiterate the definitions of preference and availability. ‘Availability’ means the period of time you are in the office, and is clarified in the first agreed joint statement as “recognising the different working patterns of staff (some preferring to work early, others late and other patterns).” ‘Preference’ means the time you would prefer to work on turrets. The two terms are separate issues and should not be confused or blurred. Whereas preferences cannot always be met, availability should always be. This is also clarified in the agreed joint statement as it states that staff should “not feel coerced into working times which do not meet their stated availability.” However, staff also need to understand that we also have a requirement from the Joint Statement to fully fill the slots, but of course without coercion.

The issue of the 100% turret requirement, despite there being only 40% cover required on Helpline and Ops over the Christmas/ New Year period, was raised with Senior Management. It was explained that it would seem unfair to expect 100% turret cover when there was only 40% Helpline cover. We also explained that it would show goodwill to staff if the turret requirement could be reduced, particularly as it is inevitable that the cover will be reduced over the Christmas/New Year period anyway. Senior Management agreed to go away and consider if there was any scope for a reduction in the requirement.

If anyone experiences any problems or has any concerns about the pilot, please contact Emma Haslehurst or Dean Rhodes. It is important that issues are raised now so that we can try and address them quickly.

Meeting with Senior DCPU Management on 18th December 2008

This post is to update members with feedback from a meeting between PCS and DCPU Management on 18th December 2008.

We clarified the assurance we received at the last meeting that Lean would not impact on normal access to FWH, Annual Leave, Special Leave etc and Senior Management agreed and clarified that there should be no restrictions imposed on staff because of the introduction of Lean over and above the normal DWP Policies and Procedures. In some instances this means that managers should adopt a common sense approach and look across the whole Command rather than individual teams when considering these requests.

Senior Management also assured us that Lean will not impact on the revised working arrangements we recently introduced for Turrets. This means that in effect turret schedules for those Lean areas should be reduced – our view is that if the staffing is reduced by 20% as it is for AOs then the turret schedule for that area should also be reduced by 20%. Senior Management would clarify whether this is the case - please let us know if this is different.

We raised a number of concerns that members from B207 and B209 highlighted at our members, in B207 and B209, meeting on 17th December 2008.

Members felt there were problems with the numbers of trays. Senior Management agreed to look at this issue. A common theme was that the removal of racking was causing problems and we will be looking at this closely with the employer. It is our intention to review Lean jointly with the employer and the roll out early in the New Year where we will look at these issues in more detail.

We wanted to ensure that there was a balance between the needs of the Lean process and the individual control that members have over their day to day work to ensure that staff are able, as much as possible, to determine their working day. Senior Management accepted that the balance does need to be looked at and we will continue to pursue.

Members raised the issue of being pressured into making decisions on cases without the file being available. Senior Management agreed that this should not be happening at all and that it was not acceptable. Also Senior Management said decisions shouldn’t be made purely to ensure targets are not missed. Please let us know if this is happening in your area. Senior Management also stated that they do not routinely trawl for cases near to the target date in order to make decisions although they will do so to ensure the correct actions have been taken on cases. It is quite easy to perceive this as Bucket Management but Senior Management say this is not the case.

Senior Management also said they were looking at reducing the 2,500 cases head of work for the Lean areas and were considering ways they could do this to ease the pressure on newly Leaned areas.

Members also felt the 10 minute daily meetings were a complete waste of time. This view reflects the view of the Carers Allowance experience where the daily meetings were scrapped. We hope DCPU Management learn the lessons of Carers and listen to what staff are saying. They Agreed to consider this.

The universal theme of our members’ consultation was that there are not enough staff. It is clear to us that any process can work if there are enough staff. Many members in B207 and B209 did express favourable views on certain aspects of Lean but felt it would not and could not work without the staff to do it. However we also reflected concerns that the way work was allocated lacked job satisfaction. We believe the arbitrary 10% cut in staffing in the Lean areas is wrong and will be pressing for a suspension of the Job Cuts in the upcoming Review meeting.

We have always said that Lean means job cuts. Senior Management refute this and have stated that Lean will not lead to job cuts but is about increasing capacity. The simple test remains: a Command with 70 staff when they commence Lean training will have 63 staff at the end. Whichever way you look at it this is a job cut.

Finally we raised the question of stationery shortages.

PCS will continue to speak to members in the areas that have rolled out to establish your views. Please also let Duncan Griffiths, Jim Marsh or Grant McClure have any concerns as they arise.

Branch Nominations and Motions for AGM

Annual General Meeting (AGM)
The Branch Annual General Meeting next year will be held at the Cliffs Hotel Blackpool on Thursday 26th February 2009 commencing at 10:15 Am. A flexi credit was 2 hours for those members in DWP attending the meeting plus reasonable travelling time has been agreed. The same time for members in CMEC should be available. Details for privatised members are being checked.

If any members desire assistance with transport, please contact Michelle Kenyon, Branch Organiser, Room C122A, Warbreck, Extension 61186.

Motions for AGM
Motions for the AGM (to formulate Branch policy) must be forwarded to the Branch Secretary to arrive no later than 3 pm on 29th January 2009.

Motions must include the names of the proposer and seconder, signed by both and dated. Assistance in writing motions can be obtained by contacting the Branch Secretary on Extension 63484.

If you wish to have the motion adopted by the BEC (ie, go in the BEC's name) then they should be forwarded to the Branch Secretary to arrive no later than 26th January 2009. If the motion is not adopted then it will be up to the individuals to propose and second the motion at the AGM.

Branch Nominations
Nominations are required under Rules 6 and 15 of the Branch Constitution for the following posts:

Section A:

• Chair
• Deputy Chair
• Two Vice Chairs
• Branch Secretary
• Three Deputy Secretaries
• Four Assistant Secretaries (1x DCS, 1x Departmental Directorates, 1x Jobcentre Plus, 1x CSA).
• Treasurer
• Assistant Treasurer
• Organiser
• Three Deputy Organisers
• Membership Officer
• Equal Opportunities Officer
• Two Auditors (not members of the BEC)

Section B:

• Five Delegates to the DWP Group Conference (can be same as National)
• Five Delegates to National Conference (can be same as group)
• Twelve Delegates to the Branch Women's Committee
• Twelve Delegates to the Branch Black Members Committee
• Eight Delegates to the Branch Young Members Committee

Members nominated under section A may also be nominated for section B. A form for submitting nominations can be found here. All nominations must be signed by 2 fully paid up members of the Branch. (Please see Rule 15 of the Branch Constitution for limitations and arrangements for the posts.)

In the event of more nominations for the Branch officer post(s) than the number of posts there will be an election held by ballot as described in Rules 7 and 15 of the Branch Constitution. If elections are needed for other posts a ballot will be held at the AGM.

Nominations must reach the Branch Secretary, Room 7233, Norcross by 3 pm on 29th January 2009.

Nominations
Nominations for posts within the higher tiers of PCS elected at PCS Conferences may be taken at the AGM. Nominations for the DWP Group and National Executive Committee Elections will also be taken at the meeting. Nominations must reach the Branch Secretary, Room 7233, Norcross by 3 pm on 29th January 2009.

AGM Papers
The Branch Annual Report and the Branch Financial Statement will be distributed from the Union Office by 13th January 2009.

It would be helpful if any questions on the Financial Statements and/or Annual Report could be submitted to the Treasurer or Branch Secretary 48 hours prior to the AGM.

National Agreement on Pay

PCS North West Regional Office have provided the following information in the form of a Question and Answer briefing:

“Does the agreement mean more money for pay?
Yes. It means that when efficiency savings have been identified, they can now be used for improving pay. That’s a change in policy. In the past the Treasury would not allow departments and non-departmental public bodies to use that money. The government has not agreed to find additional money on top of existing budgets, but now there is access to new money from these savings, which could amount to many millions of pounds.

Will members in areas where pay offers have been imposed gain any benefit from this agreement?
Yes. In the talks, the employer’s side was not prepared to state formally that existing pay settlements should be re-opened. But they went on to make clear that money from efficiency savings should be used to improve pay in all areas, including where there have been pay disputes or agreed settlements.

The letter from Sir Gus O’Donnell is not as clear as we would have liked because of the limits on what the employers could say at the present time, but there is no doubt that discussions can now take place on improvements to members pay in areas where there have been imposed offers for 2008, including where multi-year offers were imposed.

Does the use of ‘efficiency savings’ mean accepting job cuts?
No. We will continue to oppose and campaign against job cuts, and cuts in public services. The biggest area of efficiency savings discussed in the talks was the use of contractors and consultants. We must now maximise the money available and make sure it comes from the sources we want it to come from.

What’s happened to the public sector pay cap?
The Treasury said in September that there is no “specific number that is the target for pay settlements”. But the Treasury’s pay remit guidance for 2008-9 stated that consolidated pay awards could be no more than 2%. Other public sector unions have had similar problems. The agreement we have now reached states clearly that there is no such pay cap and the new Pay Remit Guidance should reflect this.

Why couldn’t we negotiate a pay rise centrally?
We could not agree an across the board pay rise for all staff because we still operate within the delegated pay bargaining system. The extra money now available for pay will be negotiated in each pay bargaining unit. Our aim is to achieve a situation where central pay bargaining does take place.

We believe that would be in the interests of members and of the civil service as a whole. But even within the delegated bargaining system, we have achieved an agreement on pay issues for the first time in many years.

Are we now leaving each department/NDPB on their own?
No. Delegated pay bargaining will take place in each area but we will be monitoring progress and testing it against the agreement we have reached. Guidance will be given to all pay negotiators. We are clear that members everywhere should benefit from the changed situation.

Will some organisations find more efficiency savings than others?

Yes, some large departments will be able to find more efficiency savings than smaller organisations. But those smaller organisations have fewer staff and a smaller paybill. It is a matter of scale. Moreover, the previous refusal to allow savings to be used for pay acted to hold down pay generally. Now we can begin to change that.

What about our other demands on pay?

The agreement will mean that we now enter into discussions with the Cabinet Office and Treasury on our other demands - on pay progression, regional pay, cutting the number of bargaining units, performance pay and equal pay.

These will take place over the next few months. On funding for pay progression, where we have been calling for a level playing field with other parts of the public sector, there was a great deal of discussion during the negotiations.

The government did not agree to make new money available for this, but the employer side has indicated that they are prepared to consider change as the talks proceed. Money from efficiency savings can be used to fund scale shortening and progression.

Could we have achieved more if we had taken strike action?

We are confident that the strike on November 10 and the action short of a strike that had been planned as part of the campaign would have been well supported. But if we had taken that action we would not have been able to test out the agreement that was on offer. We believed that members would want us to accept that offer and see if we could achieve better pay before calling a strike.

Is the national pay campaign over?

No. The progress we have made on improving pay will be tested out in the delegated bargaining process. If necessary, our national executive will consider stepping up the campaign to ensure that members gain a real benefit from the agreement. If we are successful we will then be in a stronger position to move onto our other national pay objectives.”

If you still have not joined your Union then please complete the form found at the "join us" link on the top right hand side of this page. Only by having a dynamic campaigning Union can we defend and improve our pay and conditions of service.

If anyone requires any further information then please contact your local Branch Office.

Norcross - Mobile phone mast coming to you!

We have been advised that there are plans to install a mobile phone mast on public land at the front of Block 1 Norcross, in essence directly outside the building. If you do not currently work in Block 1, please bear in mind that you might do at some future point.

LST has lodged an objection on behalf of the Departments, which we welcome, however thus far, Wyre Borough Council has not shifted its position.

When mobile phones were first introduced, it was originally thought that microwave radiation was harmless, being at the opposite end of the electro-magnetic spectrum to known dangerous emitters such as x and y rays. However, subsequent brain cancer cases showed that, depending on the strength and proximity of the signal, microwave radiation could indeed be harmful. Since then government has allowed a massive proliferation of masts as a revenue earner without any real analysis of the dangers.

Our view is to adhere to the cautionary principle.

We have requested advice as to when objections need to be lodged by. At present, we do not have this information, but we would encourage members and potential members to write lodging objections urgently. Particularly members in Block 1.

Details of the proposal can be found on the council web site here.

Objections should be lodged with:

The Planning Department
Wyre Borough Council
Breck Road
Poulton-le-Fylde
FY6 7PU

In order to exert effective pressure, please ensure that you copy your objection to the Council leader, Coun. Russell Forsyth, and the Councillors for the ward. We are advised by the Council that this is Norcross ward, and the Councillors are Coun. Ron Greenhough and Coun. Anne Turner. We are advised that the Breck Road address is suitable for all recipients.

It is best to write in your own words, however, if members prefer to use a model objection statement, please contact us and one can be supplied.

PCS Reaches Agreement with Government over Pay

We have reached a national agreement with the Government over pay.

More money will now be released for pay bargaining in individual departments and related public bodies.

The Government has also said that there is no 2% pay cap on staff pay increases.

We have been campaigning against the unfair pay limit on public sector pay increases and we have demanded fair pay for PCS members.

Many members have been in dispute with their management over the 2008 pay round.

In September members voted in a national ballot for a programme of industrial action. Strike action was planned for 10 November.

We were then told by Sir Gus O’Donnell, head of the civil service, that talks could take place that would address our concerns in this national pay dispute.

Those talks have taken place and the agreement reached. A letter sent by Sir Gus O’Donnell to our General Secretary which sets out the terms of the agreement is available here.

More money to be made available for pay
The letter says that "efficiency savings" can be put to good use in improving pay. This policy change, involving cutting the use of consultants, for example, should release many millions of pounds.

The Employer has not been able to use this money for pay previously.

The letter also says that there is no 2% pay cap on staff pay increases so there is no necessity for people on the maximum of their pay scale to have zero increases.

Campaign continues
The agreement does not mean the end of our campaign for fair pay. It is now necessary for departmental PCS pay bargainers to go to management and talk to them about using this money for staff pay.

Where there have been disputes, management must come back to the negotiating table. The agreement must be tested.

There will not now be national industrial action organised under the authority of the September ballot.

But our national campaign will not end until we are sure that members’ pay has been improved. If necessary, we will step the campaign up again.

Members standing together, being prepared to take action, have opened the door to more money.

Now we must make sure the agreement produces better pay for members.

Our other demands – on pay progression, regional pay, cutting the number of bargaining units, performance pay and equal pay – will be taken up in a process of discussions in the coming months.

Joint action with other unions
We have been working with other public sector unions to campaign against the pay cap. We have said that joint action is the best way to oppose an unfair government policy.

But, in the absence of that joint action, and at a time of economic recession, the agreement we have reached is an important one.

This is the first time in many years that we have achieved a national agreement on pay issues in the civil service and related areas.

Breakthrough
Since 2004 we have protected pensions, won agreements on avoiding compulsory redundancies and on privatisation, and stopped attacks on sick pay.

Members should feel proud that we have now made this breakthrough on pay.

DCPU Turret Pilot Update - Units 1 and 4

Result of the Members Ballot.
The purpose of this post is to provide an update from the desk top ballot of members’ who work on the Turrets in Units 1 and 4 on Tuesday 25th November 2008. Thanks to all the members who participated and gave their views.

Due to the roll out of LEAN in parts of the DCPU and also as it had been over a month since we did the walk round audits in Units 1 and 4 we thought that it would be beneficial to obtain up to date feedback (we had previously also held members’ meetings and ballot during the pilot stage).

The results of the questions put to the members on 25th November 2008 were as follows:

a) Do you think that the roll out of the pilot on the Turrets has delivered its stated aims set out in the joint statement about availability on starting/ finishing times?
Yes: 93 No: 40

b) Do you think that the roll out of the pilot on the Turrets has delivered its stated aims set out in the joint statement about being able to state your preference without coercion?
Yes: 85 No: 48

The results varied dependant upon the unit/room/section/area.

The next stage is for the details of the desk top ballot (broken down into rooms) to be raised with Senior DCPU Management.

A feedback circular will hopefully be issued providing an update.

Second Reminder....

- Updating Membership Records -

The Best Way to Ensure The Best Service

Due to the continual movement of Staff between various sites and/or between rooms your details held by Membership records may require updating.

Members may wish to visit the PCS HQ Website here (they will require their Membership No)or contact Membership records on 020 7801 2601 in order to confirm their current details.

Please check your Ballot Address details and that you are in the correct Branch (Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch – Code 047139).

The Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch recommends that you use your workplace address for balloting purposes (as this is where you will recive most of the information from the Branch) but you may use any address you wish.

If you had used your previous workplace address as your requested Ballot address and require your Membership No. please contact Mick Daniels on Ext: 62881 or email him.

Ex or Non Members who wish to join PCS please complete the application form found here and return to Room 7233, Norcross.

Many thanks for your co-operation and please remember to notify this office of any changes in your personal details.

Are You Registered ?

We are currently urging all members to ensure their details are up to date and request that they visit the PCS site to confirm/update the information held.

If you have not registered on the Site before please click here to be directed to the correct area of the PCS HQ website in a new window.

Please follow the registration instructions.

Once registered confirm the details are correct (you can change them whilst online) or alternatively contact Membership records on 0207 801 2601 (select option 1 when prompted).

The Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch recommends that you use your workplace address for balloting purposes but you may use any address you wish.

Please ensure you are in the correct Branch which is designated as 047139.

Many thanks for your co-operation and please remember to notify the Branch office of any changes in your personal details on Ext: 62881.

DWP Pay Talks Continue

Talks aimed at reaching an agreement to end the dispute in DWP over pay and conditions have continued this week. The GEC has arranged to meet on Friday 28 November to receive a full report of these discussions and the positive improvements which have been discussed.

The GEC will consider reports from the negotiators on pay, managing attendance, a replacement appraisal scheme to PDS, improvements in family friendly policies and procedures, avoidance of compulsory redundancies and improving industrial relations.

A full report of the GEC discussion and decisions will be issued after the meeting.

Unemployment at Record High

The number of people out of work in the UK in the three months to September jumped by 140,000 to 1.82 million - the highest in 11 years.

Unemployment rate rose to 5.8%, up from 5.4% in the previous quarter, according to official figures. The number of people claiming JSA rose by 36,500 to 980,900 in October - the highest monthly increase since 1992.

Experts say unemployment could top two million within months.

The GEC will be pressing DWP management to ensure that enough, well trained, properly rewarded and highly motivated DWP staff are available to cope with this major increase.

Increase Our Pay to Match

The GEC has written to DWP management complaining that these increases have been agreed whilst pay increases for many of us in DWP this year are 0%, the governments public sector pay cap is 2%, and their target for inflation remain 2% or lower.

If canteen prices are to rise so sharply our pay should rise at least at a level to match it.

DWP Agree Increases in Canteen Costs

PCS has been advised by DWP management that:

“A review of the catering tariff with Land Securities Trillium (LST) has now been concluded and DWP has agreed that a tariff increase of 4.63% will be implemented across PRIME sites from 17th November 2008.”

National Action Suspended for Talks

The NEC agreed to suspend the national strike planned for 10 November and the overtime ban proposed to follow to enter into formal talks with the employer.

The decision was made after receiving a letter from Sir Gus O’Donnell, head of the civil service, which agreed that discussions should take place to address the concerns that form the basis of the national pay dispute and that the period during which the union could legally take industrial action would be extended by 28 days.

The programme of action which members voted for in the national ballot has been suspended while talks are taking place to find a solution to the dispute.

The NEC will meet again on 27 November to review progress in these talks.

Pay Campaign: Next steps & Suspension of 10th Nov. 2008 event.

Next steps.
The last minute offer of talks by the Cabinet Secretary Sir Augustine O’Donnell is welcome news; a vindication of the efforts members have made to secure justice on Pay. It is possible of course that this is just a ruse to secure suspension of the 10th November event. Since this would achieve nothing but a delay, this would seem rather pointless. We are cautiously optimistic therefore that there will be meaningful discussions.

However, the ongoing support of members for our Pay Campaign is now more vital than ever. Inflation stands at 5%. In DWP this year, the Pay Rise has been Zero. In MOD too, there have been Zero per cent pay rises in recent years, whilst there have been billions for the banks and senior bank executives.

Those who have received Pay Progression must not confuse this with a Pay Rise. All parts of the public sector have been hit by the pay cap, but only in the civil service does this cap have to fund Progression as well. In all other parts of the public sector, Pay Progression is funded separately. For those below max, until the mid-nineties, Progression jumps were around £1,000 a year, quite separate from the Annual Pay Rise. It is this money that was looted from us in 1995, and never put back.

In DWP this year, because there has been Progression, there has been no money for a Pay Rise. Remember too, that whether you are on max or progressing towards it, the current Pay Imposition means the max will devalue by 10% or more over the 3 years of the Imposition.

If government changes hands in 2010, its worth remembering that in the mid-nineties the (then) DSS budget was frozen for 4 years on the run. DSS still made pay offers, but how would DWP or MOD cope with a frozen budget, with staff cuts already factored in? Whatever the government, we have to alter the zero percent pay rise or it will be the tip of the iceberg. None of us can afford to have our Pay driven down by 10% in real terms every 3 years. Remember the bankers enjoyed “boom” years. We did not.

We call on all members to stand firm, Support the campaign, back the NEC-and write to your MP. Campaigning works. If you are not already a member, please fill in the application form on the reverse.

Suspension of 10th November event.
This occurred at the 11th hour, leaving the Branches in a tricky position as regards getting the news out. We did tannoy announcements at Norcross and Warbreck. At Peel Park the employer did the announcement, but left out most of the message resulting in numerous queries. Some management groups picked up on this and circulated the full tannoy message. Peel Park representatives also issued a quick circular. At Warbreck the employer e-cascaded the full message, and at Norcross we issued a not-entirely-related desk drop that was ready to go, so we were available to answer questions in some blocks.

The FCB&S Branch Secretary issued a press release. Unfortunately, the Gazette chose not to run this, but some information was covered on radio stations.

If any member inadvertently took Industrial Action on 10th November, please contact your Branch Office as a matter of urgency.

NATIONAL STRIKE SUSPENDED

The action on Monday and the overtime ban commencing Tuesday have both been postponed to allow time for more discussions.

There will be more information on the PCS website, however please be aware that this facility is being hit hard currently with users looking for info.

The PCS national executive committee met this morning and following their receipt of a letter from the Cabinet Office have decided to suspend the industrial action for 28 days as further talks have been have been offered to address the concerns that form the basis of the current dispute.

The Branch will update members with more information as we receive it.

Thank you all for supporting PCS, the campaign and your colleagues so far.

Unite - Blackpool Rally - Saturday 15 November 2008, 12.00 noon

The North West Unite against Facism (website here) organisation, teamed with the Blackpool Trades Council are holding a rally in Blackpool.

Once again the BNP are unfortunately holding their "party" conference in the New Kimberley Hotel on Blackpool Promenade.

The Protest will assemble in the square at the top of Victoria Street, Blackpool (near side entrance to Winter Gardens) and then march to protest outside New Kimberley Hotel, 585-589 New South Promenade, Blackpool, FY4 1NQ.

The promotional flyer can be found here.

DCPU Turrets Members Meeting (Units 2 & 3)

DCPU members will be aware that on Monday 24th November 2008 a “new ways of working” has taken place in your unit on the staffing of the Turrets.

We keep members informed as to the latest position from meetings with the employer in a series of circulars, however as the new way of scheduling the Turrets has rolled out into your unit we thought that a members’ meeting was needed to gauge feedback.

We have arranged a members’ meeting as follows for units 2 & 3:

Wednesday 26th November 2008
Warbreck Canteen

2:15 pm

45 minutes has been agreed for you to attend the meeting.

If you have read this post and are not a member; then please complete the application on the form found at the link on the top right hand side of this page.

Turret Pilot Update - Result of Members Ballot - Unit 5

The purpose of this post is to provide an update from the desk top ballot of members’ who work on the Turrets in Unit 5 on Tuesday 4th November 2008. Thanks to all the members who participated and gave their views.

As there was a meeting with Senior DCPU Management in Unit 5 to formally discuss the roll out of the pilot we thought that it would be beneficial to obtain up to date feedback (we had previously undertaken two walk rounds and audits of the rooms and also held a members’ meeting and ballot during the early stages of the roll out).

The results of the questions put to the members on 4th November 2008 were as follows:

a) Do you think that the roll out of the pilot on the Turrets has delivered its stated aims set out in the joint statement about availability on starting/ finishing times?
Yes = 40 No = 11

b) Do you think that the roll out of the pilot on the Turrets has delivered its stated aims set out in the joint statement about being able to state your preference without coercion?
Yes = 35 No = 15

The next stage is for the above to be raised with Senior DCPU Management on Tuesday 4th November 2008. A feedback circular will hopefully be issued from the meeting.

PCS Health Advice for all Members using telephones

Acoustic Shock Definition
In lay terms, it is a sonic surge, or shock delivered via a telephone system.

It is caused by a sudden spike or surge of noise at a given frequency that will damage the ear.

The effects vary from a ringing in the ear for a short period of time, to permanent damage of the inner ear affecting the organic mechanisms of balance.

Key factors to record if an incident of acoustic shock occurs
The following information should be recorded:

• Date and time of the incident
• Details of the source of the exposure
• Description of the noise
• Duration of the exposure
• Details of the headset and telephone equipment used
• Whether the incident was electronically recorded (a copy should be kept for future reference)
• Symptoms experienced by the operator directly related to the acoustic shock incident

DWP Guidance
Guidance states that staff who are exposed to acoustic shock incidents should record these as near misses.

If however, the incident causes you an adverse response then the incident should be recorded as an accident/injury using the AR1 form currently (at time of post) found here.

To assist with this staff should follow the Guidance for the completion of Accident, Near Misses and Workshop Health Issues Report Form AR1 which at present can be found here.

In addition to completing the AR1 form any adverse effect should also be reported to your GP for advice.

Further information on Acoustic Shock and good practices for call centres can be found on the HSE website here.

SCAMPS Funding

The Branch has received a letter from Michael Jack MP's office enclosing a reply from DWP about the funding of the SCAMPS scheme at Lytham.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

PCS Industrial Action

It's on We're Out!

ALL OUT ON 10th NOVEMBER 2008
Then a Civil Service wide overtime ban

The purpose of this post is to inform members of the strike action on the 10th November 2008 to be followed by a Civil Service wide overtime ban.

PCS has done everything possible to negotiate a solution to the Pay problems and the lack of a Civil Service Pay structure and Civil Service pay Negotiation.

Talks have been held with the Government, who has failed to honour its commitments:

Tony Blair, Prime Minister, 5th May 2004, “The objective of this work (in partnership with Unions) is to improve the coherence of pay and conditions across the Civil Service within an overarching delegated framework”.

John Hutton, Cabinet Office Minister, 9th May 2005, “I agree with you that there is a need to make concrete progress in 2005 towards a more coherent pay system for all Civil Servants”

But the employer is not, so far, prepared to accept our fair and reasonable demands. The ballot of all union members in the Civil Service took place in early autumn and the members have decided to take strike action (and action short of a strike) to restore National Pay Bargaining and a National Pay structure.

The date above is the next stage of the action.

Your Pay and Conditions of Service Under Threat The Civil Service Pay levels including pay progression are deteriorating, and worse still pay cuts in real terms threaten further erosions to our pay.

We are not the cause of inflation we are the victims of inflation.

OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE CAMPAIGN
We are aiming for the widest possible support from members for our pay objectives based on gaining your agreement that;

• All members in the civil service should be paid the same "going rate" for the job (i.e. the higher pay rates now existing in some civil service organisations),
  
• The principle of "equal pay for work of equal value" applies across all parts of the civil service and related organisations, for all grades/pay bands, by raising the lower pay rates up to the same as the higher ones,
  
• Speedy pay progression to maximum rates for all i.e. no more than 5 years,
  
• Separately funded pay progression and pay rise elements
  
• There must be protection of pay values in "higher paying" organisations and improved pay progression for all members in all areas.

JOIN YOUR COLLEAGUES ON STRIKE ON THE 10th NOVEMBER 2008 SUPPORT THE FOLLOWING CIVIL SERVICE WIDE OVERTIME BAN

Potential Members; If you have not yet joined your Union, please consider doing so by completing the form found at the link on the top right hand side of this page.

PCS calls on Government to Avoid Damaging Strike

The national executive committee (NEC) has agreed the first stages of a programme of national industrial action across civil and public services over the government's public sector pay cap.

The union urged the government to come to the negotiating table to avoid damaging industrial action and review its public sector pay cap of 2%, which is resulting in pay cuts and pay freezes for some of the lowest paid in the public sector.

If there is no movement from the government then industrial action will begin with a one day UK civil service and public sector strike strike on 10 November, hitting passports, Jobcentres, Tax Credits, immigration and customs, as well as driving licences, coastguards, driving tests and museums.

The one day strike, which will be followed by an overtime ban throughout the civil service, comes as civil and public servants across the UK face mounting pressure on their finances as a result of the government’s public sector pay cap.

With one in five in the civil service earning less than £15,000 and thousands earning just above the minimum wage, the government’s policy of capping public sector pay has hit some of the lowest paid in the public sector the hardest.
In October, at least six government departments and agencies, including coastguards and the Office for National Statistics, had to give emergency pay rises to lift earnings above the new national minimum wage rate.

The NEC also agreed outline plans for sustained and targeted industrial action that would stretch into next year in the different sectors of the civil service.

The NEC will meet after the one day strike on 10 November to discuss dates for the sectoral action should there be no breakthrough with the government.

Unlike other parts of the public sector, civil servants are doubly disadvantaged because ‘progression’ (moving from the minimum to the maximum of the pay range) is included in the government’s pay cap along with cost of living increases. Hence there is less money available to fund basic pay awards.

This year has already seen pay strikes hit jobcentres, passports, immigration and coastguards across the UK, as well as strikes in the Scottish courts service, museums and sportscotland.

PCS members have also co-ordinated their industrial action over pay with other public sector unions, including NUT, UCU and Unison.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: “The everyday things we take for granted from passports and getting back into work, through to tax credits, coastguards and securing our borders are delivered by hardworking civil and public servants. Giving these people pay rises that take their wages to just 13 or 25 pence above the national minimum wage is unsustainable when you face double digit rises in food, fuel and housing costs.

“There is a three week opportunity to avoid damaging industrial action, where the government can pay heed to the Bank of England’s warning on the economic consequences that the squeeze on wages is having. The government has the opportunity to recognise that its own workforce is doubly disadvantaged by a punitive pay system, that sees coastguards receiving special pay rises because the minimum wage has gone up and nearly half of jobcentre workers receiving no pay rise whatsoever this year.”

Campaigns for the Restoration of National Civil Service Pay Bargaining and Structure

The Branch has issued the following press release locally:

Civil Service National Pay Dispute The PCS Calls for Action.

PCS Industrial Action on 10th November 2008, followed by an Overtime Ban Throughout the Civil Service.

Background
to the dispute During the 1990’s Civil Service Pay Bargaining and a Civil Service Pay Structure was stolen from the members.

This has resulted in over 200 separate bargaining units and people being paid less than others for doing the same job.

The ending of a Civil Service Pay structure has in many areas resulted in the blending of Pay Progression and Pay rise elements to Inflate, or double sell, Pay offers.

Pay Rise and Pay Progression elements.
In the Civil Service there are two key elements to any pay offer to consider. First is the Pay Rise element. This is how much the pay scale increases by; it is sometimes also called the cost of living rise.

It is distinct from Pay Progression, which is the time that it takes to move from scale Minima to scale Maxima. This used to be as little as 4 to 8 years in the 1980’s. Pay Progression used to be a separate issue from Pay Rise and was something that members received annually. This was deliberately blended in the early 1990’s to try and confuse staff into believing that they were getting a higher pay increase than they were in actuality.

The Government agrees to Pay Talks but nothing is ever concluded
After years of talks about pay coherence the PCS National Executive Committee want to step up our campaigning on pay to apply more pressure on the government to take action to bring an end to the current chaos and unfairness of Civil Service pay.

The Ballot
The ballot on the Industrial Action took place between 24th September 2008 and 17th October 2008.

The Ballot Results
The results of the ballot are as follows:

Those in favour of strike action = 54% Those against = 46% Those in favour of action short of a strike = 80% Those against = 20%

OUR DEMANDS ARE REASONABLE
The following are the list of our demands:

• All members in the civil service should be paid the same "going rate" for the job (i.e. the higher pay rates now existing in some civil service Departments),
• The principle of "equal pay for work of equal value" applies across all parts of the civil service and related organisations, for all grades/pay bands, by raising the lower pay rates up to the same as the higher ones,
• Speedy pay progression to maximum rates for all i.e. no more than 5 years,
• Separately funded pay progression and pay rise elements, so giving the Civil Service parity with all other parts of the public sector.
• There must be protection of pay values in "higher paying" organisations and improved pay progression for all members in all areas.

The Next Steps
The PCS National Executive Committee met on 23rd October 2008 and discussed to next stages of the campaign. They have decided to call the following programme of action as the Government have failed to live up to their commitments (see below).

The programme of action includes:

• Industrial Action across the Civil Service on 10th November 2008; followed by an overtime ban throughout the civil service.
• The NEC also agreed outline plans for sustained and targeted industrial action that would stretch into next year in the different sectors of the civil service.
• The NEC will meet after the one day strike on 10 November to discuss dates for the sectoral action should there be no breakthrough with the government.

Quotes from the Government
Tony Blair, Prime Minister, 5th May 2004, “The objective of this work (in partnership with Unions) is to improve the coherence of pay and conditions across the Civil Service within an overarching delegated framework”

John Hutton, Cabinet Office Minister, 9th May 2005, “I agree with you that there is a need to make concrete progress in 2005 towards a more coherent pay system for all Civil Servants”

Unfortunately the Government has not to date honoured its commitments.
Quotes from the PCS Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch The Secretary of the Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch Duncan Griffiths said “we have little doubt that the members, who voted for strike action, and overwhelmingly for action short of a strike (e.g. an overtime ban) in the ballot will now back up the campaign to defend their pay and restore Civil Service pay bargaining.”

The Branch Organiser of the SPVA (Ministry of Defence) Branch Rachel Wallace-Dand said “the National Executive Committee met on 23rd October 2008 and discussed what the next stages will be.

The programme of action includes Industrial Action across the Civil Service on 10th November 2008; followed by an overtime ban throughout the civil service. The NEC also agreed outline plans for sustained and targeted industrial action that would stretch into next year in the different sectors of the civil service.

The NEC will meet after the one day strike on 10 November to discuss dates for the sectoral action should there be no breakthrough with the Government. Even though it is very late in the day there is still time for the Government to honour its commitments (please see quotes above from the Government). However it is now looking like Industrial action is inevitable, as members have little option than to stand up and say enough is enough we have seen through the smokescreen from the employer that has been in place since National Pay bargaining was snatched from us, and realise that it is totally unjustified that people should be working doing the same or similar jobs and being paid thousands of pounds less.

I have little doubt that the members will overwhelmingly support any call for Industrial action given the results of the ballot. No one takes Industrial action lightly, it is the last resort when all else has failed, but now is the time for the members to vote with their feet and demonstrate to the Government that they are not prepared to sit idly by and watch their pay be eroded by inflation. Civil Servants are not the cause of inflation we are the victims of inflation.”

For further details contact:
Duncan Griffiths Branch Secretary Room 7233 Norcross Telephone: (01253) 332881

Background details

• The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) is the largest trade union in the Civil Service with circa 300,000 members.
• The Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch has over 3,300 members mainly in the Department for Work and Pensions in the Fylde (Norcross, Peel Park and Warbreck).
• SPVA Branch represents hundreds of members in the MOD at Norcross and other sites.

Turrets Working In The DCPU

The purpose of this post is to provide an update on the roll-out of the turret pilot in Unit 5, the processes to ensure in Units 1 and 4 that are continuing and the potential roll out of the processes into Units 2 & 3.

Units 5 (The first Unit to roll out the pilot)
On 15th October 2008 there was a members’ meeting in Unit 5, and the actual details of the outcome have been circulated to members in the area. On 16th October 2008 we presented the findings broken down room by room to the employer. A circular detailing the responses has been issued to members in the area. On Monday 20th October 2008 a small team of activists walk round all the rooms in Unit 5 to gauge the latest position and again the results were fed back to the employer at a meeting on Wednesday 22nd October 2008. There was an acceptance that there has not been the level of communications that were desirable, but the message that availability and preference are different things appears now to be resonating. Senior DCPU 5 Management are going to try a form of control sheet in their area that allows easier identification of availability (when you are available to cover the phones) and preference (when you would prefer to cover the phones, without feeling coercion).

The question of targets in terms of set number of hours on the phones has been withdrawn.

The room that had not started on the process (B215) have now started with effect from 20th October 2008.

Issues such as the length of shifts and flexibility are being progressed and further details will be issued to the members in Unit 5 after next week’s meeting.

We will continue to seek feedback and intend to look at means of doing so (room meetings etc).

Units 1 and 4 (The pilot area)
On 14th October 2008 a small team of PCS activists walked round Units 1 and 4 to gauge if there were still any problems. A comprehensive audit of the rooms was undertaken. This was broadly in line with the members ballot on 17th September 2008 (details of which have been previously circulated), however there had been some changes due to the time that had lapsed. On 16th October 2008 we presented the points from the walk round of Units 1 and 4 to the employer. The Senior Management were asked to respond to the points.

At the meeting on Wednesday 22nd October 2008 Unit 1 Management responded to the results of the walk round sheets, advising that they thought (in the main) that they were positive and that they had looked into all the areas of concern. They were satisfied that the message contained in the three agreed joint statements had been implemented and re-stated.

Unfortunately Unit 4 Management have yet to respond to their results of the walk round sheets, but they have been asked to and reminded particularly the “pockets” where it still does not appear to be working as it should.

Units 2 & 3
Units 2 and 3 were due to go live in terms of the rollout from week commencing 3rd November 2008, however it is now likely that this may be postponed by a short period of time due to the fact that half terms week is right in front of the roll out week and there needs to be an assurance process, so that things are done correctly.

Preference and Availability
Remember the Joint Statement that the pilot process is to work on both preference AND availability, as it states -

‘The terms of the Pilot were to take forward a process that would allow staff to state their availability (times staff will be in the office on any particular day) and preference (giving staff the opportunity to state the period they would prefer to undertake their turret cover without feeling they are being coerced) whilst recognising that cover has to be provided.’

Therefore, all staff should be asked to state their start and finish times and their preferred turret slot within their stated availability. However, with preference comes responsibility and members need to remember that we also have a responsibility from the Joint Statement to ensure that the slots are fully filled, but of course without coercion.

Staffing and processes in Helpline
The employer has indicated that the GAD upgrade has in their opinion gone well and also that the recruitment into Helpline of 24 staff (who are now taking calls) has meant a reduction recently in the amount of “Turreting”.

We will continue to press for additional staffing at the forthcoming meetings with the employer to ensure that the key aspect in the joint agreed statements is honoured i.e. the need to address the staffing issues in Helpline to reduce the dependency on excessive amounts of Turrets cover.

I would like to thank Emma Haslehurst, Clark Nuttall and Victor Carman for all their work over the past few weeks in walk rounds and meetings etc.

If anyone experiences any problems or has any concerns about the pilot, the roll out thus far and into the next stages, please contact Emma Haslehurst or Dean Rhodes. It is important that issues are raised now so that we can try and address them during the next stages of the pilot roll out.

International Briefing Launch Of Online Survey for PCS Members On International Issues

Consultation Process
I have initiated a project to consult the union's membership about its interest in international issues, and to invest in developing the capacity of union members to be involved in future international work. The work is being funded with a grant from the Department for International Development's 'Development Learning Fund', managed by the TUC's European Union and International Relations Department.

Online Survey
A new international Project Officer, Gary Willis, has been recruited on a temporary contract to handle the development of the project. One of his first tasks has been to develop an online survey, which can be found here.

The online survey went live on 9 October and will be on the site for one month. I appreciate that now is an extremely busy time, but if you are able to make members aware of the existence of the survey, then they have the option of choosing to participate.

Printed Version
Members who prefer to complete a paper copy of the survey can contact Gary at: gary@pcs.org.uk or write to him:

Gary Willis, International Project Officer,
PCS, Deputy General Secretary's Office,
160 Falcon Road,
London SW11 2LN

He will arrange for a copy to be sent to the member, together with a pre-paid envelope.

Random Sample
A printed version of the survey will also be sent out to a random sample of 1,000 members from each of PCS' groups.

Statutory Rights for Workplace Environmental Reps

Background
At our national green forum in December last year John McDonnell MP, chair of the PCS parliamentary group of MPs, proposed that we to table a parliamentary amendment which would seek to amend the ACAS code of practice on trade union duties and activities to provide for statutory rights for environmental reps.

As environmental reps do not at present have legal rights to time off to carry out the role or undertake training, extending the scope of union activities to cover environmental issues at work only happens through voluntary agreements with employers.

Pressure has been growing in parliament around this issue over the last couple of years. In 2006/7 John McDonnell tabled an early day motion (EDM) asking for workplace environmental reps to be given the same rights as other union reps. A further EDM was tabled by Martin Salter MP last year on the same issue.

We have been working with John McDonnell's office and have now drafted an amendment to the Employment Bill that is presently going through parliament to provide for time off for training and carrying out activities along similar lines to those accorded to union learning reps in 2002.

The amendment is in keeping with a motion on climate change that was carried at TUC Congress this year as well as the TUC Just Transition pamphlet A Green and Fair Future that was published earlier in the year. Both call upon the government to give statutory rights to environmental reps.

Why do we need green reps?
Last week the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Miliband announced that the Government would amend the Climate Change Bill by increasing the target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from 60 to 80 per cent by 2050.
Over half of carbon emissions are work­related so organisations have a vitally important role to play in tackling climate change.

Collective action in the workplace can lead to changes in policy and structures as well as individual behaviour and so is more effective in cutting carbon than actions taken by individual consumers. Staff at all levels need to be engaged in the task of helping to reduce emissions - union environmental reps play a key role in raising awareness and ensuring that environmental issues are included in the bargaining agenda with employers.

Employers have however been slow to implement carbon reduction and wider environmental measures.

Civil service employers were strongly criticised earlier in the year by the parliamentary Environment Audit Committee (EAC) which produced a report that described the government's performance in greening its own estate as "extremely poor" and "very disappointing".
We welcome the EAC's recommendation that the Office of Government Commerce works with civil service unions on greening government departments. I am now engaged in talks with the Cabinet Office, alongside other civil service unions, to take this recommendation forward.

Support for rights for workplace environmental reps
The campaign for rights for workplace environmental reps is supported by green organisations such as Friends of the Earth and the Campaign against Climate Change. Last month the Green Party carried a motion at its autumn conference calling for statutory rights for environmental reps.

The vital role union reps can play in tackling climate change has also been acknowledged by government ministers. In June, Secretary of State for the Environment Hilary Benn visited the British Museum where PCS led on one of the TUC's Greenworkplaces projects last year. Speaking afterwards at a TUC conference on climate change he said:

"Today I saw at first hand the valuable role that union reps are playing. I visited a 'Greening the workplace' project at the British Museum, where union reps have worked in partnership with management to raise awareness of climate change in the workplace and identify opportunities for carbon savings.

I was impressed with the work I saw and with the real commitment and enthusiasm. What is clear is that bottom­up union and employee led action can really make a difference."

What you can do Contact your MP and ask them to support the amendment and encourage members in your branch to do so too. A model letter can be found here in MS Word format and is also available on the PCS website here.

Please pass on any responses from your MP to campaigns officer Laura Cockram on 020 7801 2820 or laurac@pcs.org.uk so we can track which MPs support the amendment.

Members vote 'YES' for Action

A majority of members voting in the national ballot have voted in favour of a programme of industrial action:

Question 1: strike action

• Number of ballot papers returned 91,749
• Number voting ‘yes’ 48,946 (54%)
• Number voting ‘no’ 41,832 (46%)
• Spoilt ballot papers 971

Question 2: action short of a strike:

• Number of ballot papers returned 91,749
• Number voting 'yes' 72,662 (80%)
• Number voting 'no' 17,666 (20%)
• Spoilt ballot papers 1,421

The turnout was 35%.

We have had a democratic ballot. All relevant members had the opportunity to vote. A clear majority of members who cast their vote, voted in favour of the action.

The ballot result sends a clear message to the employer that members support their union’s policy and that we want:

• Each member to receive a consolidated basic pay increase at least equal to the retail price index;
• A level playing field between public sector workers by removing pay progression costs from budgets for increases;
• Reduction in the number of separate pay negotiations;
• An end to pressure for regional pay;
• Additional funding to remedy equal pay problems;
• An end to links between pay and performance appraisal.

With the ballot result, we will continue to press the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury to come to an agreement over our demands. As ever, PCS will do all it can to proceed by discussion and negotiation.

Next steps

The national executive committee will meet next week on 23 October to receive reports on responses from government to our demands and, in the continuing absence of a positive response, to decide on the timing of national strike action and to endorse plans for targeted sectoral action and national action short of a strike.

On behalf of the NEC we wish to thanks all reps for their hard work in achieving this ballot result. We must now go forward united and determined to secure a fair settlement for members.

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary
Janice Godrich, President

Further DCPU Turret Update

Meeting with Senior DCPU Unit 5 Management - Thurs 16th Oct 2008
The purpose of this circular is to provide an update from the meeting with Senior DCPU Unit 5 on Thursday 16th October 2008 to discuss the feedback from the members in Unit 5. Thanks to all the members who attended the meeting and gave their views.

We raised the details from the ballot including the results from the different rooms. Senior Management have taken these away and will be looking to improve communications to ensure that the situation on the ability to state availability and preference on times to work on the Turrets is as per the agreed joint statement. The issue of the length of shifts highlighted in some of the rooms was raised and the lack of flexibility.

We also re-emphasised the fact that it had been agreed that the two fifths of time to be spent on the Turrets had been withdrawn (this had been implemented in three of the above rooms). The employer advised that the clarification that the two fifths had been withdrawn had been e-mailed around all the Turrets AOs in the rooms concerned.

We also picked up some of the general issues picked up at the members’ meeting such as:

Were Helpline busy to the point that they need as much support? We were advised that Helpline are busy and that they deploy the Helpline support staff and other prior to utilising the Turreteers. (Frankly there just are not enough staff in the DCPU).

The GAD system is has not been functioning properly however they expect to get this resolved so that it does

They do keep statistics on how many hours people have worked on the Turrets for purposes of filling the slots however they indicated that this was not for PDS (Appraisal purposes) and they destroyed the details after use. We reiterated the point that if there wasn’t the availability to cover the slots then Helpline needed to be informed as there was not a treasure chest of staff to call upon.

The next step is that we will do a further walk round and obtain updated feedback and will then meet again with Senior DCPU Management.

DCPU Turret Pilot Roll Out Update

Meeting with Members of DCPU Unit 5.

The purpose of this post is to provide an update from the members’ meeting on Wednesday 15th October 2008 to discuss the rollout of the Turret pilot in Unit 5. Thanks to all the members who attended the meeting and gave their views.

There had been a walk round in Unit 5 on 8th October 2008 to gauge feedback and the details had been referred to Senior DCPU Management within 24 hours of the walk round. As a ballot of the members had taken place at the start of the Turret pilot it had been agreed that it would be best if one did so as the pilot rolled out to ascertain membership feedback.

The results of the questions put to the members at the meeting on 15th October 2008 were as follows:

a) Do you think that the pilot (roll out) on the Turrets has delivered its stated aims set out in the joint statement about preference on starting and finishing times?
Yes: 8 No: 13

b) Do you think that the pilot (roll out) on the Turrets has delivered its stated aims set out in the joint statement about being able to state your availability without coercion?
Yes: 5 No: 16

c) Do you agree that members should have the ability to state their availability without coercion?

Yes: 21 No: 0

d) Would you prefer to return to line managers issuing Turrets rotas?

Yes: 2 No: 18

The next stage is for the issues raised at the meeting on 15th October 2008 to be raised with Senior DCPU Management on Thursday 16th October 2008. (The results and comments varied dramatically dependant upon the room concerned).

A feedback circular will hopefully be issued from the meeting.

We also intend to do a further walk round of the rooms to ascertain an updated position on members’ views

Don't forget to vote in the National Pay Ballot

The government wants us to think there is no money for civil and public servants' pay. But pay in the private sector is increasing at 1 % higher than the public sector; senior civil servants can get as much as £40,000 in bonuses; and billions can be found to bail out the bankers.

Sir Gus O'Donnell, Head of the Civil Service, and permanent secretaries have urged you not to rock the boat at a time of economic difficulty by voting for industrial action.

Are we asking too much?
We simply want to protect the living standards of public servants with inflation level basic pay increases. We want a level playing field. Pay progression costs should be funded separately, as is the case elsewhere in the public sector, so that more money is available for basic pay increases.

This can easily be afforded. It is a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of bankrolling the bankers. The financial crisis is not of our making - we don't have to pay for it.

AGM Arrangements 2009

Dear Colleagues

Following the 2008 Branch Annual General Meeting, Members were asked to complete a feedback questionnaire.

Thanks to all members who did so.

The comments and responses from members were, with two exceptions, extremely positive, for which our thanks. Your representatives do welcome your appreciation of the hard work that goes into this key event.

There were two key areas that you identified that required addressing: The venue and the lack of food. It was also obvious that the two went together.

The Branch Committee has addressed these concerns.

The 2009 AGM will be at the Cliffs Hotel on Thursday, 26th February, commencing at 10.15 am. We have managed to ‘square the circle’ regarding certain logistical arrangements. Tables will be provided and there will be plenty of food.

I have also been asked to point out that the Department does not permit consumption of alcohol whilst on duty and the Branch cannot generate a position where members could leave themselves open to disciplinary action.

Preferences for morning or afternoon start are split fairly evenly. There are advantages and disadvantages either way. However, PCS is a Union that takes Equal Opportunities seriously. Many part-time members find afternoon meetings much more difficult to attend, hence next year we have gone for the morning start. However, this will be kept under review for subsequent years.

I am delighted to announce that the guest speaker will be Chris Baugh, the Union’s Assistant General Secretary, and who is in fact from Blackpool.

One issue raised by many of you is the need for more time for the meeting. This is under the employer’s control. Within the resources available, we have already used every conceivable device to maximise the time. And because we have staff on fixed hours, we are not simply able to extend the meeting into members’ own time.

Industrial relations is one of the strands featuring in the pay talks. We will ask for the time for AGM’s to be increased as part of these talks.

I hope members find the above information helpful.

Yours Sincerely

Martin Jones
Branch Chair

European Health and Safety Week Roadshows

The local PCS Branches (Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch, and Veterans Agency National Branch) are combining effort to put on health and safety information stands at the various sites they cover across the Fylde.

There will be plenty of information on offer relating to workplace health, safety and welfare and the reps staffing the stalls will be able to answer any queries you may have, or point you in the right direction. The only exception being Beacon Road, where information will be left in the main canteen area for staff to pick up as and when they take their breaks.

The stalls will be available as follows:

Monday 20 October 2008
Norcross Canteen
11.45am – 1.30pm

Monday 20 October 2008
Tomlinson House Canteen (Tommy’s)
11.45am – 1.30pm

Tuesday 21 October 2008
Outside Warbreck Canteen
11.45am – 1.30pm

Wednesday 22 October 2008
Beacon Road
7am – 12 noon

Thursday 23 October 2008
Deli Bar Phase II
Peel Park
11.45am – 1.30pm

Retirement Age to be Scrapped

Retirement rules to change
There will be no mandatory retirement age for junior ranks of the civil service, it has been announced.

The Cabinet Office said on Wednesday that department permanent secretaries and the Council of Civil Service Unions had agreed that employment policy should change by 2010.

A government spokesman said a number of departments, employing around 50 per cent of civil servants, had already dropped a mandatory retirement age since anti-age discrimination legislation came in two years ago.

The Cabinet Office is carrying out separate work to review the situation for the senior civil service, he added.

The announcement was timed to coincide with National Older People’s Day, which cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell said recognised the “important contribution that older workers make in the work place”.

An end to mandatory retirement ages across departments and agencies was a “practical demonstration of our commitment to providing greater flexibility for our people”, he said.

“Like any successful organisation, we need people who have knowledge and experience in key areas, as well as those with fresh ideas to challenge traditional methods,” he added.

“I am proud that the civil service values all colleagues, regardless of age, and recognises that we must build on the skills and experience of an increasingly diverse workforce so that we can continue to improve the delivery of public services for everyone in society.”

This item was sourced from the Civil Service Network website.

Minimum Wage Shame

Civil servants have been given special pay rises to stop their pay falling below the new national minimum wage, it has been revealed.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have been forced to take the interim measure as the adult rate for the minimum wage increased to £5.73 an hour on Wednesday.

In a statement, the ONS said the decision had been taken because pay negotiations had not been completed. “Until this is concluded, the ONS has taken action to ensure none of its staff receive a salary below the new national minimum wage,” it added.

An MCA spokesman confirmed that they had also provided an uplift for some staff, "mostly trainees". He said the agency currently had a pay claim lodged with ministers. "That will lift up the pay of a significant number of our lowest paid workers," he added.

Nevertheless, Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) general secretary Mark Serwotka said it was “shameful that government departments and agencies may have to give low paid staff an emergency pay rise to lift their earnings above the new national minimum wage”.

He added: “This sorry state of affairs underlines the endemic problem of low pay across civil and public services, which is being made worse by the government’s public sector pay cap.”

PCS also claimed that other areas of government were potentially affected by the new minimum wage, and named the Home Office and the National Offender Management Service.

But a Ministry of Justice spokesman said there was “absolutely no truth” in the claim. “None of the staff in the National Offender Management Service will be affected by the change in the minimum wage,” he added.

A statement from the Home Office also said that “no member of Home Office staff earns less than the national minimum wage rate and no emergency pay rise is, or has been, necessary to achieve this”.

This item was sourced from the Civil Service Network website.

DCPU Turret Pilot Update

Result of the Members Ballot
The purpose of this post is to provide an update from the members’ meeting on Wednesday 1st October 2008 to discuss the roll out of the Turret pilot and the staffing levels at Warbreck. Thanks to all the members who attended the meeting and gave their views.

As a ballot of the members had taken place at the start of the Turret pilot it was considered to be best practise if one did so at this stage to ascertain membership feedback.
The results of the questions put to the members at the meeting on 1st October 2008 were as follows (please note that the ballot was broken down between all the members and those on the Turrets to try and evaluate the different viewpoints (if there were any):

“Do you agree that being able to state your preference as to starting/ finishing times and availability to work the Turrets without coercion (as adopted in units 1 and 4) should be rolled out (as described in the Joint Statements) and PCS to continue negotiations, to reduce the amount of time spent on Turrets, and secure additional resources in the DCPU?”

All Members: Yes: 154 No: 22

Turret Members: Yes: 108 No: 16

The next stage is that the revised method of staffing the Turrets will roll out in DCPU unit 5 on Monday 6th October 2008.

A members’ meeting for the people on the Turrets in unit 5 will take place on Wednesday 15th October 2008, to ascertain initial feedback for the ongoing negotiations.

If you have read this and are not a member then please complete the form found at the "Join Us" link at the top right hand side of this page.