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.
