Challenges for 2010

What the Challenges are for 2010 for Civil Servants on the Fylde

The Civil Service (particularly the Department for Work and Pensions) is one of (if not the) largest employers on the Fylde Coast, however recent Ministerial figures indicate that there are now circa 5,000 DWP staff on the Fylde Coast. There used to be thousands more.

The main political parties appear to be drawing together a consensus that 2010 will witness an attack on Civil Service jobs, compensation payments for when people are forced out of work to be slashed, threatened attacks on Pensions and Pay.

The Financial crisis created by the Bankers and the Millionaire Class:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon Alistair Darling MP set out in his pre-budget statement fiscal measures to respond to the financial crisis created by the errors of the bankers and excesses of the millionaire class.

The measures attack the pay, pensions and conditions of the working class civil servant who had absolutely nothing to do with the errors of the bankers nor the excesses of the millionaire class.

We believe that the government should be focussing more on tackling the £100 billion plus of uncollected, evaded and avoided tax instead of talking about slashing public sector spending and capping public sector pay etc.

In essence the average low paid Civil Servant on the Fylde Coast is being asked to pay in terms of attacks on their Pay and Pensions for the excesses of the financial sector and the errors of the bankers. It’s a bit like Robin Hood but in reverse as the millions of working people have bailed out the millionaires and now are being asked again to pay for the errors of the bankers and their excesses. This will undoubtedly be an issue that the PCS in general and the Fylde Branch in particular will have to respond to in 2010.

Job Cuts in the Fylde and the attacks on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme:
In the Department for Work and Pensions it has been established that over two thousand one hundred jobs have already been cut on the Fylde. Once the worst of the bankers created recession is over then there could be attempts at a purge on Civil Service jobs.

Following from the recent unilateral attempt to impose changes to civil servants’ redundancy terms, it is clear that the government are preparing to cut more jobs on the cheap. The published proposals have not been agreed with the PCS.

The proposals include the following attacks:

• Slashed. The amount of compensation paid if you are made compulsory redundant.
• Chopped. The amount of money that may be offered on any exit scheme (including compulsory redundancy on voluntary basis)
• Axed. All the enhancements to any early retirement schemes that may be offered in the future will be axed.

It is clear that the Government are preparing to cut more jobs on the cheap. Cutting the compensation makes it cheaper to get rid of people. There is every likelihood of their being a ballot of the members in January 2010 for Campaigning Action to defend our conditions of service and jobs. (There is also concern about the standard of the jobs for those left after the job cuts. Due to attacks on Conditions of Service following the job cuts many of the posts are now of the call centre type).

Pay 2010: PCS have warned that capping pay would further undermine morale and entrench low pay in the civil service where 1 in 5 earn less than £15,000. Pay in the Civil Service (DWP) is lower than that of comparable jobs in the private sector with pay gaps of more than £5,000 between the civil service and private sector.

The Chancellor announced a new pay cap of 1 percent pay increases for the next three years in the Public Sector.

Pay cuts and pay freezes have been a common feature for civil servants as the Government has sought to drive down pay over the past few years, with all of the DWP staff receiving a 0% pay rise last year and 1% this year.

There has not been a golden decade of pay rises in the DWP with people getting on average a one percent pay rise over the past three years; however we are being asked to pay for the financial crisis none of which was our doing. Now to tell people that their pay rises are going to be capped at 1 percent for the next three years, making 6 years in total, is grossly unfair.

In reality, because of the fact that, uniquely in the Public Sector, pay progression in the Civil Service is costed out of Annual Pay rounds, this means negative pay rises, i.e. pay cuts of -1%, or alternatively no pay progression.

To explain this; without Pay progression, two people doing the same identical jobs, but one is paid up to £5,000 per annum less than the other, in perpetuity. Imagine if an MP was paid £5,000 per annum less than another in perpetuity, there would be uproar. Members will be undoubtedly very angry at those responsible for this injustice.

Pensions: Members will be concerned over moves to cap employer contributions to public sector pensions. Only two years ago the Government made a commitment to the public sector unions. This led to the closing of the Civil Service final salary schemes to new members and the introduction of a career average scheme (not based on final salary) as well as existing staff being able to continue in the scheme that they have been part of. There are five different Pensions Schemes now in existence in the Civil Service.

There are two myths about Civil Service Pensions. Firstly there is the one that the final salary schemes are still open. They are not. They closed to new members in 2007. Second is that the all Civil Servants are on gold plated pension. Far from being gold plated, the average civil service pension is £6,500. Pensions are deferred income not a lavish perk.

The question is does the Government want people to work until they are 80 (if they survive) whilst young people cannot find work? This is not a logical way to proceed.

Conclusion: The Branch will ensure that we play our full role in the Campaigning Action that is needed. In 2010 there will be a General Election and the Branch will be contacting the candidates to ask where they all stand on all the above issues and will provide assistance to members who may also wish to ask the candidates about such matters.

The Latest Bulletin for Members in DWP and CMEC.

The following has been provided by DWP Group:

Hundreds of Leeds refuse workers won an important victory this week – returning to work having accepted a significantly improved offer after 11 weeks of strike action. These low paid workers were initially threatened with significant pay cuts and the wholesale privatisation of their work without the option of an “in-house” bid. The settlement not only fought off the worst of the threatened pay cuts but also the threat of privatisation. These workers were sustained by significant support from the public and unions including PCS. Their success is significant for all public sector workers.

A Christmas Carol
Are you feeling Christmassy yet? No? Neither are Jobcentre Plus management. Clearly influenced by the release of Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” managers have written to some staff in Jobcentre Plus to say that this year staff in Jobcentre Plus will not receive the usual Christmas flexi credit of half a day for Christmas shopping or team lunches. Staff can be in no doubt that this is not a punishment because everyone right up to the Prime Minister has thanked JCP staff for their incredible hard work during the recession. No, this is not a punishment, it is evidence that JCP management are taking staff’s hard work and commitment for granted on a grand scale and it is a huge mistake on their part.

Dire visions of Christmas past
In Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” Scrooge was warned to change his greedy ways. JCP management have taken staff for granted like this before and they have always come to regret it.DWP management not only benefit from staff goodwill at Christmas, our service to the public depends on staff goodwill all the year round.

Season of goodwill to all
All year we have received hollow “thanks” for our hard work. In the last couple of weeks management have trumpeted the success of the Department in gaining a whole host of awards for excellent service. Undoubtedly members in the whole of DWP and CMEC have played their part in supporting this country through the recession. Most DWP and CMEC staff will receive some small acknowledgment in the form of a Christmas flexi credit as usual. Some JCP staff will not. This is wrong. PCS are calling on management today to put it right.

Stop compulsory transfers
PCS representatives from all of the sites where members have recently been told that they are to be compulsorily transferred to CCD met together this week with the DWP Group Executive Committee to plan the next steps of their campaign.They were updated on how negotiations are going on preventing their compulsory transfer and keeping processing work at their sites.

Management must listen
The GEC are absolutely clear that negotiations with management can achieve the concessions that members and the public need – if management start listening to their own staff and their own managers in the BDC’s. PCS will be pressing home these points when they meet with the new JCP CEO next week.Reps at the meeting were also clear that members on the 15 sites are determined to do whatever it takes to get management to do the right thing for staff and customers.

Young Members Forum 2010

In February 2010 PCS will hold the fifth annual meeting of the young members' forum in the form of a conference. We are inviting PCS members aged 27 and under to attend.

Date: 5th Feb - 7th Feb (arrival Friday night only)
Venue: Britannia Hotel, Birmingham

Objectives
- Report on the progress and actions taken to promote the young members' charter.
- Develop plans for building and raising the profile of the network.
- Setting the 2010 agenda for organising, bargaining and campaigning.
- Announcement of candidates standing for national Chair, Vice Chair and Equalities Officer to the newly elected national young members committee.

Topics covered
- Organising and young members.
- Young members and the industrial agenda.
- Young members breaking into union structures.
- Building links with other organisations, social justice and the wider community - call centre campaign, youth networks in other trade unions, international solidarity campaigns.

Selection Process
There are a limited number of places for members to attend this conference and we have tried to develop a process that allows for fair representation of young members from the regional networks and branch activists. Therefore there are two ways you can be nominated to attend this conference.

1) Be nominated by your regional network as one of the regional delegates confirmed by the regional committee (please forward a copy of your application to the regional office)

2) Be nominated by your Branch to attend on their behalf.

Please complete the attached application form and return your nomination to the full time regional organiser in your region or to your branch for nomination to the national young members coordinating committee.

Conference arrangements
Accommodation for the event will be booked by PCS centrally so delegates do not need to arrange this but please indicate which days/nights you will be attending. A creche facility will be provided so again, please indicate on the form if you wish to use this.

To have your travel arrangements pre booked please tick the box on the registration form and a form will be sent to you to complete and send back. All food will be provided for the conference so if you have any special dietary requirements please specify them on the registration form attached.

If you have any questions please contact Tracy Edwards in the Organising & Learning Department on 020 7801 2691 or email.

More information will be sent to you regarding the agenda and travel and accommodation arrangements once you have been confirmed to attend.

Please RSVP by the 11th of December to Tracy Edwards, 160 Falcon Rd, London, SW11 2LN or email.

Shared Services Members’ Brief

The following has been supplied by DWP Group.

DCSF Launch
On 2 November DWP Shared Services took over work from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). This reflects moves across the civil service to brigade shared services operations. The DWP is recognised as a major player in this field and already undertakes work for the Cabinet Office. Other smaller departments are also seeking to transfer shared services operations to DWP. Although this move strengthens the position of DWP as a major provider of shared services across Whitehall, it means extra work with a negligible increase in staffing. PCS will monitor developments closely and would welcome feedback from branches on the impact of this change.

Customer Payments changes
Management have notified SSTUS of some major organisation changes affecting Customer Payments operations.

They plan to combine the recall and enquiry telephony work that is currently undertaken by the Bank Liaison Section (BLS) into the Customer Payment Contact Centre (CPC) activity at Runcorn.

To proceed, they intend to integrate the people and skills from the Bank Liaison Section with the Contact Centre.

Management will shortly be issuing information about a preference exercise to be undertaken within BLS to identify 10 FTE AOs and 1 EO who will move with the BLS telephony work into the Contact centre at Runcorn. In essence this will mean that instead of working in BLS, they will work in CPC, all of which is within Customer Payments. The BLS staff working from Runcorn who do not move with the telephony work will continue with backroom processing activities, as now.

PCS would welcome any feedback on this development.

Project ICE
Management informed the Departmental Trade Union Side recently of the above Project that is a HR Change project to establish a Complex Case Advisory Services Team.

This discrete team will sit in the Corporate Centre as part of the Employee Policy Centre of Expertise, i.e. not within Shared Services. It is intended to handle complex HR policy queries from DWP clients and manage complex casework that was previously carried out by HR Business Partners. The team will be located in four regional hubs – Sheffield, London, Newcastle and a site in the Northwest.

PCS are not convinced that this represents any improvement on current structures that could not be addressed by increased staffing and better training.

The project also indicated that it would mean a reduction in staffing in Level 2b in Sheffield as the new team takes over DWP casework. Management could not specify numbers. PCS oppose this reduction in an already overworked unit.

Overall PCS believes this project is ill thought out and merely adds another layer of bureaucracy rather than improving the service.

Feedback on any of the above issues should be directed initially through your branch to Dave Wilkinson or Paul Barton Group Assistant Secretary at Group Office in Leeds.

Civil Service Pension Delivery.
Members will have seen the recent announcement that DWP Shared Services is to take complete operational control of civil service pensions. A national review has been underway for some time and the recommendations were to establish control in one government department. DWP will take over all existing APAC sites. PCS will be meeting management next month to discuss the implications and also the role of the new Chief Operating Officer.

North West Regional Equality Officer’s Report

Report supplied by the Regional Equality Officer.

The Regional Equality Committee (REC) is due to meet on 1st December 2009.

Equality Monitoring Data.
As reported to the October Regional Committee (RC) within NW Jobcentre Plus reps have been actively pursuing the employer’s failure to provide TU side with equality monitoring data in relation to vacancy filling exercises.

We have explained that it is unacceptable for managers in the North West to state that they do not collate and hold such data. We have stated that they have a legal duty to obtain and analyse data in order to implement any changes to their procedures where discriminatory trends are identified. We also explained that there is a requirement to (equality) monitor all vacancy-filling exercises (not just recruitment and promotion) including preference exercises, selection exercises, transfers and use of temporary promotion).

JCP Regional Management was very reluctant to discuss these issues in an open employee relations forum and claimed not to understand the key issues. They offered to hold a separate meeting to discuss but have since advised that they need to check the policy and undertake research.

Clearly we will now have to give them the opportunity to respond prior to deciding on how to progress this fundamental equality matter.

Recommend: It would be helpful for other business unit trade union sides to advise the RC on what form of equality data is being shared with them.

Branch Equality Officer (BEO) Training.
I have had a meeting with the Equality Reps Project Officer and he advises that the PCS-specific BEO training course is due to be rolled out early in 2010. The intention is for this training to be modular-based in order that it can be adapted to an individual’s level of experience. To note.

National meeting of Regional Equality Reps.
The last meeting took place on 1st October and our Region was the only Region/nation to provide a written report on activities, and our report was well received. Main issues:

Equality reps.
The Group are in correspondence with DWP for more flexibility in reps training
EHRC report on Jobcentre Plus. The report found that JCP are failing to comply with their statutory duties. JCP to produce an action plan.

Equality Data.
The DWP has gathered and analysed equality monitoring data in the area of disciplinary action. The analysis demonstrates that ethnic minority staff are more than twice as likely to receive disciplinary action than white staff. Disabled staff are almost twice as likely to be dismissed as non-disabled staff. Ethnic minority staff are twice as likely to be dismissed as white staff.

Regional Equality Newsletter.
A holding newsletter was issued for the last quarter. The audience for the newsletter is reps rather than members.

PCS General Secretary Elections 2009

PCS has been transformed under Mark Serwotka’s leadership. It is a strong, united union, capable of defending members’ interests – a union to be proud of.

When staffing was being cut in DWP, the nationally agreed cabinet office protocols prevented a single compulsory redundancy. When the recession began, Mark helped to keep DWP in the headlines, strengthening our arguments for the additional staffing we needed.

Mark has been a strong and articulate advocate for members within the DWP, speaking at meetings with Ministers and supporting the Group Executive Committee in campaigns and negotiations. He has also spoken at hundreds of meetings with members across the country, enthusing them to take action and giving them confidence that together we can win with the support of colleagues and the wider union.

He has also spoken up for DWP members through the press and media, countering the negative perception of civil servants and answering the attacks of politicians. Mark has given clear leadership in a number of campaigns; over pay; pensions; job security and now over the compensation scheme. Mark is also the recognisable, public face of our union and has led from the front our defence of public services.

Mark was an AO in a benefits office for over twenty years. A low paid worker and a PCS rep and he has never forgotten that. Mark’s support for PCS members could not be bettered and his re-election is vital if we are to secure the gains we need to improve our working lives.

We need leaders with commitment, credibility, experience and a track record of delivery. Mark has demonstrated he has the interests of DWP members at heart and can deliver agreements which protect our jobs, conditions and communities.

Hewlett Packard Ballot

Background
Members may have seen leaflets from the PCS EDS Fylde and Preston Branch concerning a ballot in HP (formerly EDS). EDS was one of the companies who were given IT contracts from the DWP during the 1990’s, there used to be a Information Technology Services Agency (ITSA) in the DSS.

Members in the DWP will be fully aware of the issues of pay cuts and job cuts.

The Dispute in HP
Our sister Branch in EDS has provided the following information about the background of the issues and also why they were leafleting the Norcross site:

“The union’s National Disputes Committee has approved an official industrial action ballot of members in the EDS Branch and the two North East DWP account branches. The ballot covers all members employed by HP, whether or not they currently work on the DWP account.

Prior to confirming the approval, a final approach was made to HP’s Employee Relations Manager to ascertain whether any movement from the company was forthcoming on the two areas of dispute – compulsory redundancies and the across-the-board pay freeze. The response was negative.

The Managing Director, HP UK & Ireland, reported on the completion of the HP-EDS Integration Workforce Management Programme, in which 3242 jobs have been shed in the UK. The figures he gives confirm that 25% of this total, 810 job cuts were made by compulsory redundancy. He goes on to announce a further Workforce Management Programme to be implemented in the first half of 2010, with an estimated 1105 further job cuts, of which 796 are expected to be in HP Enterprise Services (ex-EDS).

The Managing Director, HP UK & Ireland refers to these proposals having followed a European Workers Council meeting in May and a meeting with Employee Representatives on 15th September. He further refers to another meeting with Employee Representatives on 3rd November. At the latter meeting, the company’s representatives declined to give an assurance that there will be no compulsory redundancies.

Some members in HP have commented that the Managing Director, HP UK & Ireland communication appears to be implying that the Works Council and the Employee Representatives (i.e. the union representatives) are somehow party to the decision to cut more jobs. This is not the case. PCS have consistently asserted, at these WFM meetings, that redundancies are neither necessary nor genuine, but are – together with the pay freeze - simply headcount reductions designed to transfer workload to fewer shoulders and to boost HP profits, share values, dividends and senior management bonuses at the expense of its employees.

Kelly Services, an employment agency which holds a number of contracts with HP including supplying operations staff at the SDC, Norcross, was seeking to cut its workers’ pay. We advised of the contractual position relating to pay cuts – which is no different for agency workers - and we advised Kelly’s workers to ‘Just say No’, as HP permanent staff, in overwhelming numbers, had already successfully done so.

We have now learned that Kelly’s have imposed the 2.5% cut.

The letter sent by Kelly’s management to the workers makes it clear that the cuts have been very much driven by HP:

“The global economy and every major corporation within it are under sustained pressure to reduce costs with the ultimate goal of securing the long term future of its workforce. EDS (an HP company) are not exempt from this,
Revenue is in decline and EDS (an HP company) are reducing cost expenditure wherever possible. Kelly Services have been impacted by this reduction and accordingly we need to reduce labour costs.

As a strategic partner, Kelly Services needs to support this initiative and reinforce the message that this initiative is key in order to secure the long term future for all our workers on secondment at EDS”.

So long as workers register a protest when pay cuts are imposed, these can be legally overturned. Hence, PCS has organised to help Kelly’s workers, who are joining the union, to lodge group grievances.

Updates will follow in future issues, but what has happened to Kelly’s colleagues is indicative of what we are up against with HP attitudes on cutting and freezing pay to boost their profits. A strong union, for both agency workers and permanent workers is absolutely vital.”

Hopefully members in the Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch will now have a flavour of what the campaign in HP is about.

If you require any further details then please contact the Branch Office.

Hewlett Packard staff in strike vote

For PCS members locally, HP, formerly EDS are balloting on industrial action. Some of the staff involved may well be working alongside you, especially for those of you working in Blocks 3 and 8 at Norcross.

The following is direct from the PCS HQ website:

Over 1,000 PCS members working on government IT contracts for EDS/Hewlett Packard (HP) began a strike ballot today in a dispute over job losses and pay.

There has been growing anger amongst staff since HP took over EDS in August 2008 with 3,400 staff already axed in addition to a pay freeze and voluntary pay cuts. Hardworking staff, who are shouldering greater workloads and contributing significantly to HP’s revenue and profits, now face a further insecurity with further 1,000 job losses planned for the first half of next year.
The ballot which runs until 30 November is asking members to vote on action short of strike and strike action which could take the form of a series of one or two day strikes.

Those being balloted work mainly on IT contracts for the Department for Work and Pensions in locations around the UK including: Newcastle, Washington, Preston and the Fylde Coast.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "There has been growing anger amongst staff who are facing yet more uncertainty about their future. Staff have been contributing significantly to HP’s revenue, whilst shouldering greater workloads and helping to generate good profit levels.

Yet their reward is more job cuts, imposed pay freezes and pleas from the company to take a voluntary pay cut. We will be urging members to deliver a strong yes vote and tell management that enough is enough."

PCS DWP Group Telephony Campaign

To all members of the PCS Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch at Warbreck in Helpline and on Turrets or in 201, 202 and 204 at Norcross.

Members may have seen details in the PCS DWP Group circulars about the campaign in Job Centre Plus regarding the extension of Call Centres in the DWP.

The PCS DWP Group Executive Committee have decided that a line in the sand has to be drawn in terms of the continuing pressures from the employer to eat into members conditions of service. Your Branch Executive Committee unanimously agreed that, provided the campaigns aims were beneficial to all members who work in a Telephony environment in the DWP then all members working in a telephony environment should be included in the Campaign. We have requested assurances that the campaign’s aims and demands will include:

1. Adoption of the PCS Call Centre Charter in all Call Centres in the DWP, including full access to FWH, an end to the Genesys system with its “nth” degree scheduling of call centre workers’ hours on the phones, acceptance that call centres workers are a part of the Department and should have the same rights to Special Leave/ Annual Leave etc and that any other improvements secured by PCS Departmentally apply to all workers equally, including call centre workers.
   
2. That there should be volunteers only to move into the JC Plus call centres
   If members want sight of the full PCS Call Centre Charter then they should contact Katya Lawder.

If you have any concerns, reservations or issues about the Campaign or want to discuss the issues then could the members who work on Turrets contact Emma Haslehurst by email or on Ext: 67400, the members in Helpline contact Katya Lawder by email of on Ext: 61186 and the Block 2 Norcross members please contact Duncan Griffiths via email or on Ext: 63484.

Right to Request Part-Time Working
Branches across the North West have received reports of members with caring responsibilities who have had requests for changes to their working patterns refused for ‘business reasons’. Your NW Regional Committee does not consider that an employer the size of DWP can reasonably refuse such requests.

PCS advises members who are considering making such requests, or who have had such requests refused to contact their local TU representative for advice.

Making DWP more representative in the North West
In our last newsletter we reported that anecdotal evidence suggested that DWP are failing to monitor the fairness or otherwise of their workforce management policies. They are failing to obtain equality data following recruitment, promotion and other vacancy-filling exercises, let alone analyse the data in order to make recommendations for improvements. The issue has now been raised with Jobcentre Plus regional managers who have confirmed that they do not use this data in the North West. This is unacceptable and PCS will continue to pursue this issue.

Regional Equality Networks
PCS has established a number of equality networks in the North West for members from under-represented groups within the union. Membership of the network groups is open to all qualifying members In the North West there are currently networks for black members, disabled members, LGBT members and young members.

These networks hold regular training events, usually on a quarterly basis. If you are interested in joining one of these networks please contact your local branch equality officer

Forthcoming Equality Events:

• North West Black Members Network: Liverpool, 12th November 2009

• PCS PROUD annual seminar: Glasgow, 20th November 2009

2000 LOCAL Job Cuts!

Two Thousand Job Cuts have taken place in the Fylde in the Department for Work and Pensions. No wonder it’s so difficult for people to find a job in the Fylde.

Background
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) have over the past five years been running a campaign to defend jobs and to highlight the economic impact of job cuts on the Fylde. The Government previously announced that there would be 104,000 job cuts in the Civil Service and the DWP was to take a large slice of the cuts.

We warned as to the detrimental impact of the job cuts on the economy of the Fylde area and also on future employment prospects.

We have met with local MPs and the Blackpool Council Leadership to warn of the dire consequences of the job cuts and tried to build a strategy to promote the interests of the Fylde rather than to accept that job cuts and economic misery are inevitable.

Exposed - Facts and Figures of the Job Cuts
The Rt. Hon Michael Jack MP (Fylde) has tabled a series of questions in the House of Commons as to the extent of the job cuts in the DWP (alone) in the Fylde over the past five years. The responses are grim reading as follows, broken down into Council Boroughs. The figures are in whole time equivalents Job Cuts between 2005 and 2009:

Blackpool = 245
Fylde = 1,057
Wyre = 860

TOTAL JOB CUTS ACROSS THE “FYLDE” = 2,162

NB. The above figures also include some people who have been privatised and also some transferred out of the DWP. However some of the privatised areas have also had job cuts not included in the above.

The figures are truly desperate. No wonder there are so many people unemployed and unable to find work on the Fylde. There is also the proposal to cut the Civil Service Compensation scheme which is an outrageous attempt to cut people’s jobs on the cheap at a time when many on the Fylde are worried about job security. We can clearly see that there has been a consensus formed by the political elite in the country that there will be a need for more job cuts to pay for the bail out of the bankers and the millionaire class, that means that many more jobs in the DWP on the Fylde and indeed across the Public Sector are at risk over the next few years.

Of course this does not bode well for the future of job opportunities in the area. This is obviously of great concern especially for the unemployed seeking a decent job in the Fylde area. Once the worst of the recession created by the bankers is over then there will attempts at a purge on Civil Service jobs. Cutting the compensation makes it cheaper to get rid of people.

Statements made by political leaders recently about more job cuts in the Public Sector to pay for the excesses of the bankers could make the jobs situation on the Fylde even worse. We would call upon all the interested parties in the Fylde to work together to get a grip on the jobs situation, before it becomes too late.

Conclusion
The Branch will continue to campaign to defend jobs in the area and also raise key issues such as the expectations of those left behind after the job cuts and the pressures to deliver increasing workloads with fewer and fewer staff.

If you have not yet joined PCS then please download and complete the membership form within the information pack here, or contact your site office for a form.

Blow the Whistle - White Ribbon Campaign

In 1991, a handful of men in Canada decided they had a responsibility to urge men to speak out against violence against women. They decided that wearing a white ribbon would be a symbol of men's opposition to men's violence against women.

After only six weeks preparation, as many as one hundred thousand men across Canada wore a white ribbon. Many others were drawn into discussion and debate on the issue of men's violence.

There are now White Ribbon Campaigns operating in many countries around the world. The first White Ribbon Day was launched in the UK by Womankind in 1998.

White Ribbon Campaign UK was launched in 2004 to work in conjunction with the work already done by Womankind Worldwide.The White Ribbon Campaign is the largest effort in the world of men working to end men's violence against women. It relies on volunteer support and financial contributions from individuals and organisations.

The White Ribbon football campaign is called “Blow the whistle on violence against women”. The aims of the campaign are to get male role models such as footballers and football managers to wear a white ribbon, to pledge that they will never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women.

The reason for this is that if a young man sees that his role model condemns violence against women, then he is likely to follow suit.

We also asked the football teams to produce an article in their match day programme, highlighting the issues of the campaign.

So far they have been supported by teams including Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton, Fulham, Tottenham, West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Stoke City.

For more information about the White Ribbon Campaign or Blow Your Whistle on Violence Against Women visit their website here. Or you can email them here.

Please join the campaign in trying to end male violence against women by supporting this event. If you, or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence please do not suffer in silence. Any member can contact the Warbreck Office in confidence on ext 61186/67400 or Norcross on ext 62882/63484.

For support, advice and information you can also contact the following organisations:

Fylde Coast Women's Aid - 01253 596699 – A local branch of Women’s Aid.

RESPECT - 0845 1228609 – For men who feel they are in danger of being violent or abusive.

Broken Rainbow – 08452 604460 – Support for LGBT people experiencing domestic violence.

MALE (Men’s Advice Line & Enquiries) – 0845 0646800 – If you are a male victim of domestic violence.

Women’s & Children Helpline – 0808 2000247 – Freephone 24 Hour National Domestic Violence Helpline (England) which is run in partnership between Women’s Aid & Refuge.

The Refuge website also shows you how to stop anyone knowing that you have been on their/a website in order to protect you.

Put People First - G20

Put People First G20 Counter Conferences in London and in St Andrews, Scotland, Saturday 7 November.

Please see the following link to PCS website, providing more information about these Put People First Coalition events, being held simultaneously in London and St Andrews, Scotland:

Click Here

For the Counter Conference in St Andrews the fastest link is through the Put People First website here.

Support Your Local Postal Worker

Postal workers are fighting to defend
their rights and your postal service.

Support the CWU

The PCS North West Regional Committee have sent the following message of support to the CWU.

"22nd October 2009

Dear Carl

On behalf of 44,000 PCS members in the North West we offer our full support to CWU and its members in their dispute with Royal Mail.

PCS members recognise the attack on public services. The failure of Royal Mail to enter into ACAS facilitated negotiations speaks volumes about their approach to industrial relations.

PCS members would welcome the opportunity to show their support for CWU members. Please keep us informed of picket lines and other activities and we will ensure our members are asked to offer practical support."

Media Releases

The Independent have issued an article on the BNP that can be found here.

Another article published by the Guardian can be found here.

Hope Not Hate - Question Time

Despite widespread opposition Nick Griffin will be on Question Time this Thursday.

The BBC have made their decision - they are willing to let a leader of a fascist Party on their flagship show. Last week the BNP agreed to change its constitution for fear of being found guilty of having a racist and illegal membership policy.

On Sunday, Griffin attacked and abused his fellow panelists Bonnie Greer and Baroness Warsi for not being white, and yet the BBC still allow him on. Griffin's presence is a stain on the BBC - and many of you will share the widespread feelings of anger about this. So it is time to make a stand.

On Thursday afternoon HNH are going to the BBC to deliver the Question Time presenter, David Dimbleby, thousands of messages of hope from our supporters. Your stories, your experiences and your belief in an open and tolerant society will send the strongest possible rejection of the BNP's message of hate.

You can send your message of hope here.

The BNP's goal is to divide us. It's to whip up fear and hatred in our communities and then exploit the anger that they've induced. But we don't have to accept their hatred. At a moment like this we need to rally together to send a message of defiance against the BNP.

You the public are best placed to do this.

So why do you oppose the racist BNP? Why are you proud to live in our open and tolerant society? Or quite simply, do you have a message you want to send Nick Griffin?

Tell us here.

Whatever you write, whatever story you tell, your words will speak for the majority of Britons.

When thousands of us come together in this action we can send a unified message of hope to counter Griffin's fractured message of hate.

Please join us in this moment - whether you write a single word or an entire essay we will take them all to the BBC and present them to David Dimbleby. We can't make the impact we need without you.

Please send a message now

- your stories make our movement -

A Message from UAF

A message to you all from the North West Regional Organiser for Unite Against Fascism.

The Fleetwood and Wyre UAF coordinator would also like to add their own thanks to all of you who took part in the demo in Cleveleys. Well done everyone!!!

Please also see below regarding a protest outside the BBC studios, and if you haven’t already, please consider joining UAF with the form found here.

Thanks

"Dear All, I'd Just like to say a huge well done, and thank you, to all of you for your part in the hugely successful demo against the Fascist BNP in Cleveleys the other night.

We clearly showed the Nazis that they are not welcome and that anti-fascists are the majority.

Their behaviour towards black and Asian members of the public is a clear example of their real racist politics, and something which we will be highlighting in our campaign to expose the Fascists.

See Fleetwood Today here for a full report.

Thanks to all from Unite Against Fascism; Blackpool, Flyde & Wyre Trades Council; FBU; members of UNISON, USDAW, UCU; Labour Party members, Councillors; members of the local community and local youth; and everyone else who was there to join the protest.

Unite Against Fascism would encourage everyone from the protest to join UAF so that we can continue to build as strong an anti-fascist movement as possible to beat the BNP in the future. We are also asking people to come to the national protest against BNP Leader Nick Griffin when he tries to appear on Question Time on 22nd October."

Keep the Nazi BNP off Question Time

Protest at the BBC headquarters
Thursday 22 October
Called by Unite Against Fascism

Pickets from 9am.

Main demo from 5pm outside the BBC Centre, Wood Lane, London W12 7RJ
(nearest Tube White City or Wood Lane)

The protest will be followed by a Love Music Hate Racism social event featuring live music and an 'Alternative Question Time'

Venue: Ginglik, 1 Shepherds Bush Green, W12.

Doors open at 7.30pm starts 8pm.

Artists include South London singer Mpho and DJ Rugrat Entry £6/3
Supported by: BECTU, Anne Frank Trust , PCS, CWU, TSSA, Musicians Union, ASLEF and Love Music Hate Racism

The BBC has invited Nick Griffin, leader of the fascist BNP and a man with a criminal conviction for denying Hitler ’s Holocaust, onto its flagship Question Time programme on Thursday 22 October in London. The BBC says the BNP should be treated as if it were a democratic party. But there is nothing democratic about the BNP. It is a racist and fascist organisation dedicated to kicking every single black and Asian person out of this country.

Griffin himself wrote: “When the crunch comes power is the product of force and will, not of rational debate.” He isn’t interested in impressing people with his arguments — he wants to back up the BNP’s slogans with “well-directed boots and fists”.

The BBC has chosen to roll out the red carpet to racists and fascists. More airtime for the BNP will lead to more racist attacks on the streets.

If you’re disgusted, come along to the demonstration outside Question Time. Please bring family, friends and banners welcome.

http://www.uaf.org.uk/

unite@ucu.org.uk

Make a Donation to Unite Against Fascism
You can make a one-off donation via nochex by going to www.tinyurl.com/UAFdonate. Follow the onscreen instructions and type ‘Appeal Donation’ in the message box.

Also, what we really need is the regular monthly income that comes from standing orders. To make your contribution, please complete the membership form and return it to us at UAF, PO Box 36871, London WC1X 9XT.

Make cheques payable to Unite Against Fascism.

Fleetwood Weekly News BNP Meeting Report.

The Fleetwood Weekly News have issued an article reporting on the happenings inside and outside the Frank Townend centre in Cleveleys where the BNP held their recent local rally.

The following is verbatim, all credits to the Fleetwood Weekly News:

"Published Date: 15 October 2009

Inside view on the BNP

BURLY security staff in heavy, black coats guard the door while police pace outside the Frank Townend Centre in Cleveleys. It's not the usual midweek sight outside the Beach Road community centre where children go for dance classes and ladies meet for art and craft sessions.
But it's not every night the BNP holds a rally in the quaint seaside town. And it's certainly not often the press get invited to see what goes on behind those well guarded doors. So when Clive Jefferson, North West BNP regional organiser, ushered me into their meeting room, I was quite taken aback.

Going inside, I pass a passionate group of anti-fascist protesters waving placards and shouting.

One protester, Jane from Blackpool Trades Union Council told me: "We will fight wherever the BNP stand. If we stand together, we will oppose them quicker."

Then there's an army of bouncers, wearing BNP badges, to negotiate. I join around 40 people – BNP members and invitees – who have turned up to listen to the party's policies and their plans to form a branch in Wyre.

Stood in front of a large banner proclaiming "British jobs for British workers" with a Union Jack flag beside him Mr Jefferson said: "We are a legitimate party, we have a right to hold a meeting here. We want British jobs for British workers. We want the troops out of Iraq."

The audience – a few women but mainly men in their 50s and 60s – burst into applause. But what about their ideas for Cleveleys? James Clayton, candidate for next week's Jubilee ward by-election, said: "The major problems are anti-social behaviour and drug use in Cleveleys, needles being found on the Promenade, mess in the roads, grass cuttings and street lighting.

"A lot of people have shown interest in our party and this is our chance to show ourselves for who we are, which isn't the skinhead or thugs and yob image."

One member offers me a drink as he says: "We're not intimidating are we? We get a lot of bad press but we're not thugs." But I don't like what I hear next as around six people put their hands up to request an application form to become a BNP member. One convert shouts: "I'll have an application form, but not a coloured one!" It was greeted with laughter by most in the audience, and was a deeply unpleasant reminder of where I was. I had a distinctly uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.

While inside the building the recruitment drive was in full flow, it was a different story outside as four people got turned away. All were either black or Asian. There were no members of the ethnic minorities inside.

As I left a security guard told me: "After a while it was getting full up so we decided it had to be members only." Strange that, as I was given a seat all to myself and I'm not a member. And I swear there was plenty of space.

Madhvi Chabba-Moudgil, 35, from St Annes, was one of those turned away, along with partner Vishal Moudgil and brother SK Chabba. She said: "Allowing a party that only allows certain people to join only goes towards a breakdown of relationships between all sections of the community and further leads to spoil the good work of people who work towards integration and good relations between different communities and classes of society. In this day and age, for a society of this kind to require police presence at a community centre, is a very sad statement in humanity. What hope is there for integration of society?"

Stephen Howard, 32, who is black and from Cleveleys, who was also turned away, said: "When I asked why, they said: 'what does BNP stand for?"

The refusals put Bernie Naughton off from going inside. The 42-year-old from Poulton said: "I came down to hear their opinions but then I saw they were not letting Stephen in I changed my mind."

Around seven police officers were outside to make sure the rally and protest passed off peacefully. Supt Richard Spedding said officers would be looking into the circumstances surrounding people being refused entry. He then praised protesters, including those from Unite Against Fascism, Lancaster Unity and Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Trades Union Council, for how they behaved during their demonstration.

Anti-fascist campaigners are planning a protest in London against the BNP leader's presence on BBC One's Question Time on October 22. Black writer Bonnie Greer will take part in a televised debate with far right party leader Nick Griffin. They will be joined by Justice Secretary Jack Straw – the first senior Labour politician to say that he was willing to appear on the show with Mr Griffin.

* The other candidates for the Jubilee by-election are: Roy Hopwood representing the UK Independence Party, Wayne Martin for Labour and Tory David Walmsley"

European H&S Week Stalls

PCS are holding events on the major Fylde sites for European H&S Week. There will be information on the stalls on various workplace health and safety issues.

The stalls will be staffed by trained PCS H&S Representatives so you can feel free to pop along and discuss any issues you have in the workplace relating to health, safety and welfare.

The venues, dates and times are detailed below:

Norcross Canteen (Block 5)

Monday 19th October 2009

11.45 am to 1.30pm

Tomlinson House Canteen

Monday 19th October 2009

11.45 am to 1.30pm

Warbreck House (Outside Canteen)

Tuesday 20th October 2009

11.45 am to 1:30pm

Peel Park (Deli Bar Phase 2)

Thursday 22nd October 2009

11.45am to 1.30pm

We hope to see you at one of the events!

LEAN - An Update

The purpose of this post is to provide an update on the roll-out of Lean across DCPU Ops and the planned roll-out of Lean into the Support Unit and Helpline. PCS met with Senior Management on 13th October 2009 to discuss the issues and concerns we had and of those raised by members.

DCPU Ops
The final stages of the Lean roll-out are approaching and Senior Management state that all DCPU Ops areas should have ‘gone live’ by 30th November 2009. Senior Management stated that they were currently looking to share ‘good practices’ across the Units with a view to standardising the work flow. We advised that we had received reports of areas scrapping the Lean processes and reverting back to the ‘old’ ways of working. We have concerns that this implies that Lean is not working as well as the employer would have us believe.

We reiterated our concerns in respect of the Health & Safety implications of the low level racking used. Despite PCS continually raising this concern with Senior Management since the start of Lean approx 18 months ago, the matter has still to be resolved to our satisfaction. The Senior Manager responsible for Lean, stated that no member of staff should be forced to use low level racking if they had any concerns about doing so, and that alternative arrangements should be made. However PCS want to remove the Health & Safety risk for all members, not just individuals.

Given that low level racking has resulted in a number of serious accidents (some of which are being taken forward as legal claims), and is also No1 on the Employer’s Top 10 list for Health & Safety risks associated with Lean, we do not believe that this is an acceptable resolution.

We do not believe Senior Management are taking the matter of low level racking seriously. We will continue to pursue this matter through the appropriate Health & Safety channels, as PCS do not believe that Health & Safety risks should be purposely built into working practices. However if Senior Management’s suggestion of using alternative arrangements is helpful to you then you should speak to your line manager to establish what alternative arrangements you can utilise.

DCPU Support Units
We discussed Lean being rolled-out into the Support Unit, in respect of the intention to roll out the Lean processes at the same time as the Lean awareness sessions were being run. Obviously we were concerned by this. Senior Management assured us that Lean roll-out would not take place until after staff have had the Lean awareness sessions. Senior Management also agreed to meet with PCS again after those sessions had taken place so that we could discuss any proposals they had with them.

Helpline
Roll-out of Lean into Helpline is still in the planning stages but Senior Management expect it to take place sometime between now and March 2010. Senior Management explained that some Helpline staff had been assisting the Lean Core Team by giving details regarding the type of calls/work Helpline staff do on a day-to-day basis. They stated that they would also be involving turret staff in this process. Senior Management assured us that any Lean processes implemented in Helpline would not be about cutting the call length by being less helpful to customers/ claimants; but that Lean was about making processes more efficient and therefore could result in the call length being increased, if that did in fact increase efficiency.

I hope that the above is useful. If you have any issues or concerns about Lean then please do not hesitate to contact the Branch Office on ext 61186.

Equality News

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued it's latest "newsletter".

This edition covers their finance inquiry, their action against the BNP, an update on our Strategic Funding Programme and more.

Click here to open the site in a new window.

PCS Women's Introductory Course

PCS in conjunction with Preston TUC Education Unit are running a Women's Introductory Course.

It takes place over three days, the 3rd, 4th & 5th November 2009 at Preston College, Trade Union Education Unit, 5th Floor Buckingham House, Glovers Court, Preston, PR1 3LS.

The course runs from 9.30am to 4.30pm each day and is designed for for new women reps.

The course aims to:

• Encourage the involvement of women
• Build skills and confidence
• Familiarise you with the policies of PCS

If you would like to attend this course, please complete and send an application form (these are available from Katya Lawder in Room C122A, Warbreck House) by Tuesday, 20th October 2009.

2009 PCS Proud Seminar - Glasgow

The 2009 PCS Proud seminar for members has been announced.

It is being held over the weekend commencing 20th November in Glasgow and you don't have to be a Proud member to apply, however, you must identify as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

More information can be found on the PCS Proud website here.

The required application forms can be found on the PCS HQ website here.

Application forms must be received by the Equality, Health and Safety Department by midday on Thursday 29th October 2009.

Protest Against the BNP - Cleveleys

PROTEST AGAINST THE BNP

Date: 6pm Tuesday 13th October
Location: Outside the Frank Townend Community Centre, Kensington Road, Cleveleys.

The BNP are holding a private meeting/rally in Cleveleys Jubilee ward in the run up to the local by-election.

Their event has been approved by Wyre Borough Council despite much opposition from Labour Councillors, local UAF and others.

The BNP meeting is being held at The Frank Townend Community Centre on Kensington Road, just off Beach Road at 7pm on Tuesday 13th October.

A protest demonstration is therefore planned for the same time outside the community centre.

Please pass this on to as many people as you can.

Let's have a large number of people outside protesting about this.

The BNP are a racist organisation who wish to divide the community, and a community centre is no such place for them to be holding a race hate meeting.

Please arrive early and in groups if possible.

Stay safe!

Stop the BNP meeting in Cleveleys

It has been brought to our attention that the BNP are holding a meeting (invite only as far as we are aware, although rumours have been heard that it is to be a public meeting) in the Frank Townend Community Centre in Cleveleys which is owned by Wyre Borough Council.

The meeting is taking place on 13th October 2009.

You are all urged to complain to Wyre Borough Council on 01253 891000 or by email and The Frank Townend Community Centre on 01253 863369.

The BNP is an extremist racist organisation that seeks to divide the community, and as such we feel that a community centre (especially a council owned one) that is supposed to serve the needs of the whole community is not the place for such a group to hold a meeting.

Please phone/email and ask them to cancel this meeting on the grounds that a community centre should be there to serve the whole community, and not to promote a group that seeks to divide and alienate whole sectors of the community.

If they do not cancel the meeting then the UAF will be arranging a demo outside the building.

Low Level Racking - LEAN “designs in” Problems

Negotiations To Resolve The Matter – Compensation Claims

Over the years we have witnessed problems with filing at Warbreck, particularly with staff filing in the “corridors” within the rooms. Unfortunately although the Department has a policy to “design out” Health and Safety risks, this is only a theory.

Since the introduction of LEAN techniques at Warbreck we have seen a proliferation of low level racking at Warbreck. This has resulted in serious accidents. According to the employer’s top ten list of Health and Safety risks associated with LEAN; low level racking appears at number 1.

We have tried at every turn over the past year to get the employer to see sense collectively and for them to restore proper racking and eliminate the low level racking. At the Warbreck Safety Committee on 30th September 2009 the employer acknowledged the scale of the problems and agreed to issue a statement to try and resolve the issues (or at least to start to take steps to improve matters).

Although the problems may be resolved in the near future, members who have suffered a medical detriment are now pursuing the issue through the legal channels.

Detriments to Health and Legal cases
So far it appears that there have only been half a dozen accidents associated with low level racking. This may be the tip of the iceberg.

Two of the members’ cases are being actively taken forward by the Lawyers. However there may be other members who have suffered a medical detriment as a result of the low level racking who would be interested in joining in a “group” action of claims through the Lawyers.

If you feel that you have suffered detriments that you may have been subjected to as a result of the low level racking then please contact me as soon as possible, in order that any claims can be considered by the Lawyers.

European H&S Week Stalls

PCS are holding events on the major Fylde sites for European H&S Week. There will be information on the stalls on various workplace health and safety issues.

The stalls will be staffed by trained PCS H&S Representatives so you can feel free to pop along and discuss any issues you have in the workplace relating to health, safety and welfare.

The venues, dates and times are detailed below:

Norcross Canteen (Block 5)

Monday 19th October 2009

11.45 am to 1.30pm

Tomlinson House Canteen

Monday 19th October 2009

11.45 am to 1.30pm

Warbreck House (Outside Canteen)

Tuesday 20th October 2009

11.45 am to 1:30pm

Peel Park (Deli Bar Phase 2)

Thursday 22nd October 2009

11.45am to 1.30pm

We hope to see you at one of the events!

Attacks On The Civil Service Compensation Scheme 2

It’s Time To Write To Your MP!
Members will have seen the ridiculously entitled document from the Cabinet Office “Fairness for All, Proposals for reform of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme”. The word fairness is a gross misrepresentation of the true facts. The proposals include the following attacks:

• Slashed. The amount of compensation paid if you are made compulsory redundant.
• Chopped. The amount of money that may be offered on any exit scheme (including compulsory redundancy on voluntary basis)
• Axed. All the enhancements to any early retirement schemes that may be offered in the future.

And of course this does not bode well for the future of job security in the area. We have already witnessed well over one thousand five hundred jobs being lost in the Fylde area over the past 5 years. Once the worst of the bankers created recession is over then there will undoubtedly be a purge on Civil Service jobs. Cutting the compensation makes it cheaper to get rid of people.

Make them Bulge
You may wish to write to your MP about the proposals (the Branch has already done so however it’s best if MPs get many letters from their constituents). There is a template letter here if you wish to use one, alternatively you could draft your own views. There may still be time to also write to the Cabinet Office at pensionspr@cabinet-office.x.gsigov.uk. Please copy at the same time to cscs@pcs.org.uk.

If you require any further details then please contact your site Branch Office.

Time off for Branch Extraordinary Meeting

Time off for Branch Extraordinary Meetings to Nominate for General Secretary Post of PCS has been agreed by the DWP.

30 minutes plus reasonable travelling time for members to attend their branch meeting will be allowed.

This time off has also been agreed by CMEC/CSA management.

The Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch meeting is scheduled for:

Wednesday 7th October

Warbreck House Canteen

10.00am to 10.30am

The agenda will be as follows:

• Announcements and apologies
• Nominations for the post of PCS General Secretary
• Motions to amend the Branch Constitution
• Motion about the attacks on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

The CSCS Motion is copied below:

This General Meeting rejects the attempts by the Government/ Cabinet Office to dramatically cut the amount of payment made to members through the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. We note that this is just a precursor to attacks on jobs; making it cheaper to make people redundant.

We note that the proposals, dressed up in disingenuous spin, contained in a document laughably entitled “Fairness for All” are not about fairness at all. What “Fairness for All” really does is to:

• Slash. The amount of compensation paid if you are made compulsory redundant.
• Chop. The amount of money that may be offered on any exit scheme (including compulsory redundancy on voluntary basis)
• Axe. All the enhancements to any early retirement schemes that may be offered in the future.

This General Meeting instructs the Branch Executive Committee to actively campaign, in line with the direction from the PCS National Executive Committee, to oppose the cuts.

Women's Introductory Course

PCS and the TUC Education unit in Preston are running a Women's Introductory Course on the 4th, 5th and 6th of November 2009.

The course is free for PCS members/activists to attend, further details can be obtained from Katya Lawder or Gloria Hodgkinson on Ext: 61186.

The course aims to:

• Encourage the involvement of women
• Build skills and confidence
• Familiarise you with the policies of PCS

Applications need to be completed and sent by Tuesday the 20th of October 2009.

DCPU Turrets PCS Policy And Achievements

The purpose of this post is to provide members with an update on the PCS policy (as democratically endorsed at the Annual General meeting) about the principles of Turrets working and the achievement to date of our policy objectives.

AGM Policy
The Branch Annual General Meeting on 26th February 2009 carried a motion by a large majority which was directed to the PCS DWP Group Executive Committee to carry out the following (the following text being the conclusion of the motion):

“Conference therefore instructs the incoming GEC to continue to work with the Branch concerned with an aim to campaign, if still required, for the following:

• That there is adequate staffing in the DCPU and that this increase in staffing is not by stripping other areas of their staffing
• That the terms of the pilot on preference and availability are honoured by the employer
• That there is removal of extensions of the Turrets working i.e. earlier than 10 am or later than 4 pm.
• That there is an agreed maximum number of hours per week/ month that anyone can work on the Turrets.”

Preference and Availability
The Branch has undertaken a further round of desk top ballots and the results of which have been forwarded to the negotiators to raise with the employer and have been published to the members. We intend to undertake another round of desk top ballots in September.

The latest round of members’ ballots in May 2009 showed that there had been a slide away from compliance with the Joint Statements on the Turrets, surrounding the Preference and Availability aspects.

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.” Therefore, if a slot cannot be filled through availability (or preference), then it should be reported to Helpline as being ‘unfilled’. This has been agreed by Senior Management.

Return to the 80% to 20% split between Helpline and Ops.

Part of the agreed joint statements was the statement of intent from the employer to return to the previous percentage level of calls between Helpline and DCPU Ops. This is known as the 80/20 split. As explained at meetings this is important in terms of trying to resolve some of the other points above including the staffing levels in Helpline and also the 4pm to 5pm working and also the maximum number of hours per week/month that anyone can work on the Turrets.

We have been pressing for the 80/20 split to return and have monitored the figures supplied by the employer which indeed have been positive with this being achieved in every week since May 2009 except for one week in August when it hit 21%. Taken from where we began with around a third of calls, and up to half at some times, being taken by Turrets staff this is a significant achievement particularly given the jobs cuts around the Department.

We are still pressing for resolution on the 4pm to 5pm and the maximum number of hours.

There was a meeting on Wednesday 9th September 2009 to look at the items above and hopefully progress them. We considered the 4pm to 5pm slot and although Senior Management were reluctant to withdraw their requirement for cover at this time they did recognise that they wouldn’t always need as many staff as they do now and at some times they would not need any. With this in mind they are looking to reduce the present requirement of 44 staff to 22 staff with a view to reducing further if call traffic allows. They did say that it is unlikely they would be able to reduce from 44 staff on Mondays in recognition that this had the highest levels of call traffic. We welcomed this movement towards our stated aim.

We also discussed the maximum number of hours staff should work on Turrets. The employer’s experience suggests that staff don’t work more than 20% of their time available on the turrets except in periods of peak leave or other unexpected staff absences. Senior Management indicated that there will be some staff who are content to work more on the turrets and whilst Senior Management would not consider a maximum number of hours at this time we agreed that there was a prospect of an agreed joint statement reflecting the percentage of time spent on turrets during different times of the year.

If you have any issues surrounding the Turrets hours, the agreements and preference and availability then please contact Emma Haslehurst (Deputy Secretary) or Dean Rhodes (Assistant Secretary).

Say no to the fascist BNP on Question Time

The following has been supplied by UAF:

We are appalled by the BBC's decision to invite Nick Griffin, leader of the fascist British National Party, onto its flagship Question Time programme. Griffin is a noxious racist and neo-Nazi. He has a criminal conviction for incitement to racial hatred for publishing an antisemitic magazine that denied the Holocaust.

The BBC justifies its actions by claiming that the BNP should be treated just like any other party. But no other party has a "whites only" membership policy. No other party burns golliwogs at its "family festivals". No other party has a history of deep involvement in Nazi politics and supporters with a record of organising racist violence against minorities.

The BNP is not a democratic political party. It is a fascist organisation that should be shunned by wider civil society. As a publicly funded body, the BBC in particular has a duty to oppose racism. Black, Asian, Jewish and LGBT people pay the licence fee too. It is their rights to live free of hate that the BBC should be protecting, not those of BNP bigots.

Like all fascist organisations the BNP craves respectability and pretends to be democratic in order to further its real agenda of attacking democracy and spreading bigotry. By inviting Griffin onto Question Time the BBC is playing into the BNP's hands and thereby, however unintentionally, aiding the fascists.

We call on the BBC to stop rolling out the red carpet to racists and stop giving succour to the BNP by inviting its bigots on to our airwaves. The BBC should reverse its decision to invite Griffin onto Question Time – and start taking a robust stand against racism and fascism.

What Can You Do?

• Sign this statement by sending an email marked "Question Time" to unite@ucu.org.uk
• Complain to the BBC by phoning 03700 100 222 or online at http://bit.ly/bbccomplaints
• Join the Facebook group protesting at the BBC decision at http://bit.ly/0909uaffb
• Take the UAF petition round your workplace or community: http://bit.ly/0909uafqt
• Make a donation to Unite Against Fascism at http://bit.ly/uafdonate

Meeting between DCPU Management and PCS

The purpose of this post is to give feedback to members from a meeting on 26th August 2009 between the Grade 6 DCPU Managers and PCS.

Firstly we raised the welcome negotiated improvements to Conditions Of Service as agreed between DWP and PCS and published on 3rd August 2009. Amongst these was a commitment to improve Industrial Relations between all levels of Management and PCS and we expected DCPU Management to meet their responsibilities under these arrangements. Senior Management agreed that this was important and would always aim to do so.

Christmas Cover and Annual Leave
PCS noted Senior Management’s proposals about staffing levels for Christmas 2009 which represented a slight improvement in some areas on previous years. We have concerns about the fact that turret schedules are unlikely to be altered for these days meaning it is likely that turret staff working on those days will be on turrets. Senior Management want to provide a “seamless” service to claimants who contact by phone. However it was agreed that it was important that the spirit of the turrets working arrangements are still complied with.

As regards Annual Leave we welcomed the recent improvements agreed between DWP and PCS and noted the fact that the Department had returned to the position already agreed with DCPU Management that all staff are entitled to 2 weeks leave in the Summer. We also confirmed with the Grade 6’s that there should be no arbitrary levels set of numbers of staff allowed off ie 25%. This is not compliant with the Departmental Policy. If there are any instances of staff being refused time off solely on the basis of set numbers please let us know.

DM Targets
In response to a number of concerns raised by members we asked whether there were DM targets in DCPU. Senior Management assured us there were no DM targets in terms of each DM must do x amount of cases. However they would expect teams to have a level of productivity and accepted that this could be misinterpreted to individual DMs.

We are aware that some Line Managers seek to “challenge” their DMs about their productivity ie asking why they haven’t cleared enough in one day or asking DMs to justify why they have not cleared all their work. This is not acceptable if it is done in an intimidatory or harassing manner.

Attendance Management
We welcomed the improvements to the Attendance Management Policy in particular the abolition of the “must give a warning” clause. We asked Senior Management to ensure that all staff were aware of these improvements. Senior Management assured us that they had briefed their SEOs who should have told their staff. It is important that all members are aware of the improvements to the Policy and how it affects them. Let us know if you haven’t been told about this.

We discussed adjustments to trigger points if staff have a DDA condition. PCS were aware that many Line Managers, particularly in the Helpline, appear to have adopted a 4 days covers all conditions policy. This is not compliant with either the DWP Guidance or the legislation. If members have been affected by this erroneous application please contact Carl Erwin (Branch Executive Committee member at Warbreck) in Room C122A and we will raise with Senior Management.

We also discussed the interpretation of OHS reports as it is clear that OHS do not provide clear guidance or advice to Managers. Both PCS (and Senior Management) urge members (and Line Managers) to challenge OHS if they believe incorrect, poor or vague advice is given.

Turrets
We had been made aware that some Units were forcing staff to work 2 hour shifts at lunch time leading to members stating they were not available from 12 to 2pm. This has been resolved by insisting that staff should have access to a lunch break and that shifts should be managed accordingly. This was understood and agreed by Senior Management.

Promotion Boards
PCS pressed for an AA to AO promotion board particularly in light of the AO lateral transfer exercise that was ongoing. Senior Management argued that they wanted to allow staff on Helpline to transfer and whilst we understand this desire we believe there is no career progression path for AAs except into Helpline which means giving up flexible working which many members find difficult. Senior Management were not prepared to consider an Ops AA to AO promotion board at this time which is disappointing.

Overtime and ETM Machines
PCS raised this issue that some Line Managers had been insisting that staff working on overtime had to swipe in and out on the ETM machines. This has not been subject to consultation with PCS and had not been agreed with us. Senior Management were keen to introduce this but accepted that further thought needs to be given to it and agreed to consider their position before consulting PCS on any proposals. Until that consultation takes place they agreed that there was no obligation on members to use ETM machines for overtime. Members can still choose to use the old method of signing in sheets if they wish when working on overtime.

Hopefully the above is useful. If you require any further details about these or any other points then please do not hesitate to contact the Branch Office.

CSA Contract Breakers - Update

Following further legal opinion from PCS CMEC/CSA Management withdrew letters it was intending to send out to those staff who were unable to agree to change their hours to within the new CMEC/CSA business hours of 8am to 8pm.

PCS had agreed at earlier meetings that what management was proposing to do – imposing new contracts on staff was illegal, but it was their failure to consult under Section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA) that stopped management from giving notice of dismissal.

Formal Consultation
Management have now written to PCS to open formal consultation under TULRCA and a meeting has been arranged for Tuesday 8th September.

TULRCA
Section 188 Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA) places a duty on an employer to consult with recognised independent trade unions where it proposes to dismiss as redundant 20 or more employees at one establishment within a period of 90 days. “Dismiss as redundant” is widely defined to include any dismissals for a reason “not related to the individual concerned”. Dismissals in order to impose new terms and conditions are covered by this section.

Consultation should begin in good time and in any event 90 days before the date the first dismissals take effect where the employer is proposing to dismiss 100 or more employees.

TULRCA states that consultation shall include consultation about ways of:

• Avoiding Dismissals
• Reducing the number of employees to be dismissed
• Mitigating the consequences of the dismissal.

PCS Campaign
PCS is campaigning for staff not to be worse off as a result of management’s desire to change contracts. This can be achieved and the staff affected could then offer to change their hours without suffering detriment.

Members Meetings
PCS branches have been asked to organise all members meetings to discuss this unprecedented attack on our terms and conditions. It isn’t just a matter for those directly affected. If management get away with changing contracts without agreement for staff, what is to stop them changing your contract when it suits them. Ask your rep when your meeting is on Ext: 88209 or Ext: 88622.

CMEC has the opportunity to become an employer of choice a place where staff committed to lifting children out of poverty can be pleased to work. In threatening to rip up contracts CMEC has not made a good start.

PCS is continuing to raise the matter nationally within PCS and is asking for the matter to be raised by the PCS Parliamentary group.

PCS will update you further following the consultation meeting.