Sam Hall (Group Assistant Secretary) and Dave Wilklinson (Negotiations Officer) have provided the following information:PCS has written to Pensions, Disability & Carers Service (PDCS) management demanding urgent talks following today’s announcement that 1100 staff are to be transferred, permanently, to Jobcentre Plus.
Background
PCS has learned that the PDCS staff at Wembley and Manchester Disability Benefit Centres, along with all staff at Stockport Pension Centre, are to be moved to Jobcentre Plus because of the economic downturn and their urgent need to recruit more staff. There are also changes planned for staff at the Winter Fuel Payments Centre in Cardiff, Glasgow Disability Benefit Centre and both Walsall and National Pension Centres. However, staff on those sites will remain within the PDCS organisation. These moves will be phased over a 12 month period.
Current Situation
PCS recognises the pressures facing our members in Jobcentre Plus due to the current recession, however PCS firmly believes that the decision by management, nationally, to remove 1100 PDCS staff from their current work to be an act of folly. Experienced PCS representatives across the PDCS network report a picture of failing accuracy, arrears of work, incorrect issues of award and easements, which allow overpayments and underpayments to go on indefinitely. Moving 1100 staff out of the PDCS organisation will only make the situation worse.
Undue Pressure
Staff across the PDCS network will feel cheated by this latest management move. Volumes of work will, inevitably, increase, putting hard-working members under even more pressure in their efforts to deliver a service to the most vulnerable client groups that DWP provides for.
Consultation
Members will not be surprised to learn that there was no proper consultation around these proposed moves. Management have chosen to announce this without discussing with PCS the implications for our PDCS members. Following our request, management have now informed PCS that they are willing to meet with us for one hour on 9th. April 2009 to discuss our concerns. Their view appears to be one of complacency, and have even stated that this is good news for PDCS staff.
Alliance Groups
PCS shall be making The National Pensioners Convention aware of the latest attack on the service provision for the disabled and retired community. We are also seeking to meet with The National Disability Network Group. PCS is committed to working with the above groups to ensure that the needs of their client groups are not ignored because of pressures elsewhere across the DWP organisation. We also need to ensure that The Minister for Pensions, Rosie Winterton, is fully aware of the consequences the enforced changes bring to the client group she is expected to look after and have requested an urgent meeting with her.
Conclusion
As stated, PCS will be meeting with management later this week. We have many questions around these changes which have already been communicated to the employer. Hopefully our next publication will clearly reflect the outcomes of those talks.
