This circular is to update members with feedback from a meeting between PCS and DCPU Management on 21st January 2009.
Senior Management informed us that the roll out was commencing as planned. They had taken steps to introduce a Summer Break to the roll out schedule therefore no team will be Leaned during July and August. We welcomed this positive application of planning and forethought which will hopefully ensure that Summer doesn’t come as a surprise!
Senior Management have now issued new turret allocations that should ensure a fair and equitable allocation of resources to the turrets bearing in mind the reductions that have taken place in some of the Lean teams – our view remains that if staffing is reduced by 20% at AO level then the turret schedule for that area should also be reduced by 20%. It would be useful for these reductions to be in place before the staff cuts rather than at some indeterminate time afterwards. Please let us know if you still have issues regarding turret allocations.
It is worth reiterating that members should not be pressured into making decisions on cases without the file being available. Senior Management have agreed that this should not be happening at all and that it was not acceptable. Any instances where staff are being told to make decisions without files when the files are needed should be reported to us immediately.
Finally, members will remember the ridiculous stories about active and inactive banana’s and black tape on desks showing where staff should put pens, staplers, keyboards etc. Sadly rumours have reached us that staff are being told that they will not be able to have personal items on desks and that desk tops will be standardised. There is no foundation to these rumours – Management at the highest levels of PDCS and DWP have given us assurances there is no intention to move towards depersonalising desk tops.
PCS will continue to speak to members in the areas that have rolled out to establish your views. Please also let Dean Rhodes, Jim Marsh or Grant McClure have any concerns as they arise.
