NEC Unanimously Reject Government Proposals
The NEC met yesterday to consider the government’s proposals to change the civil service compensation scheme (CSCS). The CSCS is the redundancy and early retirement payment scheme for the civil service and many other public bodies.
The proposals if implemented will leave many PCS members tens of thousands of pounds worse off in the event of voluntary or compulsory redundancy and are a cynical attempt to cut jobs on the cheap at a time when we know thousands of jobs are at risk over the next few years.
The NEC agreed to formally reject the proposals and to launch a high profile campaign to defend our members entitlements under the scheme.
We have produced a circular here which will be sent to all members. Further circulars will also be issued in the coming weeks and a national campaigns liaison group meeting will be held on the 7 September.
Regional briefing sessions for branch reps will commence on 14 September after which members’ consultation meetings will take place. These will need to be organised by branches with the assistance of groups.
Tearing up our terms and conditions
We believe that members have entitlements under the scheme which are accrued rights and that the government’s intention to remove those rights is unlawful.
We will therefore be mounting a legal challenge which may involve us in a judicial review. In the meantime we are writing to the employer rejecting their proposals and are seeking to meet cabinet ministers to make clear our objections to the proposals.
We want members to also submit their own objections to the proposals by emailing the employer at pensionspr@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk and demanding that the government honour existing contracts and negotiate a good scheme for new entrants in the way they did for pensions in 2005.
Can reps please encourage all members to do this and to copy their objections to us at cscs@pcs.org.uk.
This is just the start of a campaign to defend our rights under the CSCS. The more pressure we put on the employer now the greater our chances of defending members’ terms and conditions.
This is why it is vital that reps encourage as many members as possible to email the employer with their objections. At the same time Groups and branches need to ensure that preparations start now for the process of consulting members.
Consulting members
Groups will assist branches in the organisation of the consultation meetings.
These will need to take place as soon as possible after the regional briefing sessions to ensure we can take necessary steps to defend the CSCS prior to any imposition by the government.
The purpose of the meetings is therefore to ensure that we are in the best possible position to take whatever action may be necessary in the event that the government refuse to reach an agreement that we find acceptable.
We are currently seeking agreement to facility time for the consultation meetings and when we have a response on this branches will be advised.
Branches can start preparations for the process of these consultation meetings by ensuring that a rep from each branch is identified to attend the regional briefings which are currently being arranged.
Details of where and when your regional briefing will take place will be sent in a further branch briefing, as will information regarding provision of speakers for members’ consultation meetings.
We cannot let the government get away with imposing changes to the CSCS which will lead to detriment to the vast majority of our members.
If we allow that to happen we can be certain that they will return for our pensions, again.
A special NEC meeting will be held to consider the feedback from the consultation meetings and how we take forward our demands for no detrimental changes to the scheme.
At that meeting, if the government have not withdrawn their proposals the NEC will consider, in the light of feedback from branches and the progress of our legal challenge, what would be an appropriate response, including whether any ballots of members should take place.
Mark Serwotka, General Secretary
