Our union has agreed to campaign to fight against the Governments plans to sweep away the protection you get from the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS). The CSCS sets out the terms and levels of payment made to employees who are declared redundant. It is very important that PCS members in the DWP support our campaign.
Attack On Our Conditions
The key changes proposed by the Government would make things worse by
capping your redundancy payment entitlement at a maximum of two years pay.
removing your entitlement to additional or enhanced early payment of pension and lump sum from the Flexible Early Severance and Compulsory Early Severance schemes.
Allowing Departments to withdraw from the national scheme and set up their own voluntary redundancy schemes subject to a two year cap on the level of payments.
DWP Members Particularly Vulnerable To This Attack
Remember until the current recession DWP was at the forefront of attacks on jobs across the Civil Service. Some 30,000 full time equivalent posts in DWP were cut between 2004 and 2008. There is little doubt whichever party wins the next General Election that DWP will again be at the forefront of job cuts in Government Departments.
Against this background PCS members in DWP are particularly vulnerable to this attack on CSCS terms and conditions. If the Government force through the changes it will:
- slash the level of compensation payments in scheme and only encourage Ministers to drive forward with future plans to reduce staff numbers in DWP.
- reduce the numbers of staff who volunteer for redundancy when jobs are cut therefore increasing the likelihood that compulsory redundancy will be used to reduce staff numbers.
- make redundancy more likely for Fixed Term Contract staff making it harder for PCS to get them made permanent.
CMEC Members Affected
Members working in CSA/CMEC were faced with potential redundancy following the closure of a number of satellite processing centres. Most of these staff were re-deployed but some chose voluntary redundancy under the terms of the current scheme. They would have been much worse off under the proposed changes to the CSCS.
With the new maintenance scheme being put out to tender by private companies the threat of redundancy may again be an issue in CMEC. If the proposed government changes are brought in then compulsory redundancy may be a threat.
Getting Rid Of Staff Who Are Sick On The Cheap
Finally, if the Government gets its own way on the changes currently proposed, there is little doubt they will attack other parts of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. Such as your right to compensation if you are one of the many staff in the DWP dismissed because of the Managing Attendance policy and performance targets.
Your Support Is Vital
Our national campaign includes pressing our case with Government Ministers and exploring options for a legal challenge. Your support is vital and you can help by:
Sending and email to – pensionspr@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk to insist that the government honours existing contracts and negotiates a good scheme for new entrants.
encouraging other members to do the same. Copy your emails to PCS at cscs@pcs.org.uk ensuring your Branch also raises concerns with Management at local level
Attend one of the union members’ meetings which will be organised between 25 September and the end of October. Ask your local PCS site office for details.
We Can Win This Campaign
The CSCS is at the very heart of our contractual terms and conditions. The scheme has provided important protection for thousands of union members. It has helped avoid the use of compulsory redundancies and has underpinned arrangements to help ensure that any job losses have been done on an orderly, fair basis and by agreement with our Union.
We cannot allow the government to impose changes that are a massive detriment to the vast majority of our members. If we don’t fight this attack it would give the government a green light to other key terms and conditions such as our pensions.
If we stick together we will win.
