Civil Service Compensation Scheme

Members vote 'Yes' for action

All out on 8th and 9th of March

A majority of members voting in the national ballot have voted in favour of strike action by 63.4% to 36.6%, and in favour of action short of a strike by 81.4% to 18.6%.

The ballot result sends a clear message to the employer that PCS members will not accept cuts in their accrued rights to fair redundancy compensation at a time when all the main political parties are planning deep public spending cuts.

The national executive (NEC) would like to thank all reps and members for their work in delivering a successful ballot result.

It was agreed to write to the minister for the civil service, making clear our aim of reaching a negotiated settlement and calling on the government to return to talks.

The NEC agreed that notice will be given of a two day national strike on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 March, and a national overtime ban.

The following Branch Briefing has been issued by PCS HQ:

A majority of members voting in the national ballot have voted in favour of a programme of industrial action:

Question 1: strike action

Number of ballot papers returned 83,126
Number voting YES 51,948 (63.4%)
Number voting NO 29,941 (36.6%)
Invalid ballot papers 1,237

Question 2: action short of a strike:

Number of ballot papers returned 83,126
Number voting YES 66,457 (81.4%)
Number voting NO 15,231 (18.6%)
Invalid ballot papers 1,438

The turnout was 31.6%.

We have had a democratic ballot. All relevant members had the opportunity to vote. A clear majority of members who cast their vote, voted in favour of the action.

The ballot result sends a clear message to the employer that PCS members will not accept changes that would mean:

• Everyone’s job under greater threat than ever before
• For many people with longer service, the loss of a third of their entitlements, possibly tens of thousands of pounds
• People currently over 50 losing access to an enhanced pension other than on compulsory redundancy
• People reaching 50 in the future losing access to an enhanced pension Voluntary severance packages becoming less generous and will be at employer discretion
• People with reserved rights (pre-1987) losing more than half of their entitlements
• People facing privatisation transferring with far less protection – therefore making privatisation more likely

Lobbying for an agreement
As ever, PCS will do all it can to proceed by discussion and negotiation. Letters are being sent to Ministers urging them to negotiate with us to address our demands. Lobbying of MPs will take place in Westminster on 3 March. Branches are being urged to lobby local MPs in constituencies on the weekends of 27/28 February and 6/7 March. Further information is available from your regional office.

Industrial action
The National Executive Committee met on 25 February to receive the ballot result and, in the continuing absence of a positive response from the employer, to decide on the timing of strike action and action short of a strike.

Our aim is to bring about an agreement to improve the amendments to the scheme which the government is taking through Parliament. We need to bring industrial and political pressure to bear in the run up to a general election. The NEC has therefore agreed plans for a sustained industrial programme action in March, coupled with pressure from the legal action we are pursuing (a hearing is likely during March).

Strike action
The NEC agreed that notice will be given of a two day national strike on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 March.

Regional strike rallies will take place on 8 March. Please contact your branch office for details. A rally will take place in London on 9 March with national speakers.

National overtime ban
The national strike action will be followed by a national action short of a strike which will consist of an overtime ban. The ban will immediately follow the national strike action and run until 6 April in the first instance. It will be kept under review by the national executive committee.

If we are to defend entitlements under the CSCS, and defend our jobs, it is important we do not allow our strike action to be undermined by the employer getting people to work overtime to clear backlogs created by the action.

View further guidance on the national overtime ban

Further action
We will await the response of the employer to the letter being sent to Ministers calling for a negotiated settlement. The NEC will meet on 2 March and, in the absence of a positive response, will finalise plans for a further national one day strike in the week beginning 15 March. In the continuing absence of a positive response, further action in the weeks beginning 22 and 29 March would be held. The NEC will decide on the precise form and date of the action in these weeks at a meeting on 10 March. The aim of the programme of action would be maximise the effect and profile of the action over the key pre-election period whilst minimising the financial loss to individual members as far as possible.

Regional Committees and Town Committees are also being urged to meet to organise meetings of reps to discuss building the action.

Conclusion
On behalf of the NEC we wish to thanks all members and reps for their hard work in achieving this ballot result. We must now go forward united and determined to secure a fair settlement for members.

• Build support for industrial action amongst members and non-members who should be encouraged to join PCS to fight the changes and ensure them protection during the industrial action.
  
• Lobby your local MPs

Mark Serwotka, General Secretary
Janice Godrich, President

A Message from the President

A message to members from the PCS President:

"This is the last week of the ballot which closes on Thursday.

A reminder postcard was sent to all members last week to remind them to vote. Please do all you can in branches and offices to ensure any last ballot papers are posted by Tuesday.

The NEC meets Thursday afternoon to consider the ballot result and decide the next stage of the campaign.

Thanks to all reps and members for your hard work so far.

Janice (on behalf of the NEC)."

DWP Young Members News

Young Members Training Event a Big Success
There were 50 DWP young members at the day and a half training event in Manchester on 26th and 27th November. The focus was firmly on campaigning and organising, with lively debate on how to take key issues forward. The attendees highlighted areas that mattered most to them: low pay and pay progression, CSCS proposals, career progression and job security (the casualisation of staff through FTAs), call centre conditions and the current Contact Centre Campaign. 27 attendees were just ordinary members and not union reps but have now indicated an enthusiasm become active to help PCS campaigns

CSCS proposals: An Attack on Young Members
In the last few months thousands of young members have attended workplace consultation meetings about the attack by the government on the (CSCS) Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

The government’s proposals mean that all our jobs would be cheaper to cut, and at increased risk of privatisation. Young members with less years service are often more likely to be selected for redundancy. PCS nationally and Young members are also demanding that those covered by the Nuvos scheme (entrants after July 2007) should be covered by CSCS. All young union members should fully supporting PCS in our fight for a fair system for all.

Fixed Term Appointments want Permanent jobs
Currently there are nearly 12,000 PCS members on Fixed Term Appointments in Jobcentre Plus. These union members are angry at the lack of job security and are demanding a change.

Our union opposed the decision by management to recruit on this basis, and challenged their reasoning that the recession would be over in 18 months. Our union has consistently raised these concerns in meetings with national Jobcentre Plus management and with the Secretary of State.

PCS recently successfully stopped JCP management from terminating the contracts of hundreds of casual staff from January 2010. The Young Members Advisory Committee (YMAC) along with GEC will continue to push for permanency for the thousands of JCP FTAs remaining.

Contact Centre Campaign
Benefit processing sites and contact centres have a higher proportion of young workers in comparison to other DWP workplaces, often 10–15% more. PCS Young members have made clear that telephone centres with rigid targets and computerised monitoring does not mean a good service to the public.

Young members working in these environments are active in the Contact Centre campaign calling for major improvements in their working conditions and working life.

PCS supports Youth Fight for Jobs
PCS annual conference gave unanimous support to the Youth Fight for Jobs (YfJ) campaign in May 2009. The organisation is striving to improve the conditions of young people in society. It campaigns for an expansion of secure, fairly-paid jobs and apprenticeships for those out of work or in insecure agency or temporary jobs.

The YfJ demands are:

• The right to a decent job for all.
• We won't pay for the bosses' crisis!
• No to job losses. Open the account books to let workers see where the profits have gone.
• Bail out workers not bosses. Nationalise big industries threatening closure or large-scale job losses.
• For fighting trade unions, involving young workers and the unemployed.
• For training linked to decent jobs.
• No to cheap labour apprenticeships! For all apprenticeships to pay at least the minimum wage, with a job guaranteed at the end.
• No to university fees. Support the campaign to defeat fees.
• No to bullying management. For decent working conditions.
• For a living minimum wage of at least £8 an hour for all. No youth exemptions.
• Share out the work. For a 35 hour working week with no loss of pay.
• For government investment in socially useful jobs. For a massive public programme of house building, renovation and infrastructure projects. No to profiteering private companies running these projects.

The PCS young members’ network is actively involved with campaigning alongside YfJ in their local area, including linking up with young people from other trade unions and community organisations and playing a key role on the national YfJ steering committee. YfJ organise events in various locations, often involving jobcentres. PCS activists involved in YfJ have raised concerns that these may be perceived as aggressive towards PCS members. YfJ has made clear to PCS that the demonstrations are not against PCS members, and JCP customers are not antagonised in any way.

Latest DWP Union News

The latest edition of the DWP Union News can be found here.

Swine flu: Reinstatement of DWP Procedures

The Departmental Trade Union Side has been informed that DWP has decided to reinstate the normal Sick Leave and Attendance Management procedures for swine flu related absences for all new cases reported on, or after, 23 February 2010:

The DWP decision is based on the latest data provided by the NHS and the Health Protection Agency which shows that the number of swine flu cases continues to fall and the number of people currently receiving antiviral drugs is the lowest since the National Pandemic Flu Service was activated.

The Government has also announced the closure of the National Pandemic Flu Service, for assessment and treatment of swine flu cases, from 11 February 2010. Health care professionals (GPs, etc.) will now assess cases and issue antiviral drugs when appropriate.

Uganda: Rights Not Repression

The following has been supplied by Avaaz - the world in action:

Gay Ugandans may be sentenced to death if legislation being debated right now passes.

High level international condemnation has just pushed the President to send the bill for review, but Ugandan allies say only a worldwide outcry could tip Parliamentarians away from discrimination, alarming them with global isolation.

You can sign the petition here to oppose Uganda's anti-gay law. There is much more information available on the Avaaz site here.

Cabinet Office Myths

The following has been received from PCS HQ:

Members may have recently received a circular from the Cabinet Office alleging to be the “real story” about the changes to the civil service compensation scheme (CSCS) to correct “well-known myths”.

Ironically, it is the Cabinet Office's statement that contains the myths. We correct them here:

Myth 1:
The CSCS is “out of date” and “had been challenged under age discrimination law”

CSCS could have been reformed to meet age discrimination legislation, without it being cut. The Cabinet Office is simply attempting to make civil servants cheaper to sack and easier to privatise.

Myth 2:
The CSCS created “perverse incentives” where “it could be in someone’s interests to try and leave rather than stay”

Management approves redundancies so it is only a “perverse incentive” if management allows it!

Myth 3:
“Many of the 46 per cent of workers in the Civil Service who earn £20,000 or less will be relatively untouched by the reforms”

Almost every member will be potentially worse off in the event of voluntary redundancy because management will have almost complete discretion.

Myth 4:
“we have introduced special protection for the lower paid – and those earning less than £30,000 can get a different deal”

See above for the reality behind this “special protection”. For those earning over £20,000 but less than £30,000 there is a “different deal” . . . it’s worse.

Myth 5:
“a long-serving civil servant earning £20,000 or less can get up to £60,000 – the same as now”

All staff currently aged under 50 will lose the entitlement to enhanced pension under FER/CER terms once they reach the age of 50. So under this scheme, future long-serving civil servants will be worse off than now

Myth 6:
“all but one of the six Civil Service unions believe the new scheme is fair and balanced and a good deal”

PCS is the largest civil service union, with three times as many civil service members as the others unions combined. It is PCS members who would be most at risk from cuts in the future. Also, NIPSA, the civil service union in Northern Ireland, has not agreed these terms and is taking a judicial review with PCS of the new scheme

Myth 7:
“Unfortunately some of the information contained in the union’s communication is not accurate and this has been raised with the PCS by the Cabinet Office”

We responded to this allegation within 24 hours. We categorically refute the Cabinet Office’s claims and to date we have not heard anything further from the Cabinet Office on this issue.

We urge everyone to vote yes as everyone would be more vulnerable to redundancy under government proposals. Together we can build the pressure to achieve a negotiated settlement that protects all members.

Election for the Posts of BEC Members at Warbreck

To all Members of PCS Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch at Warbreck

The purpose of this circular is to advise of the details of procedures under Rules 27 and 28 to elect BEC members at Warbreck for the 2010/2011 period.

The following valid nominations were received by the cut-off point on 3rd February 2010.

Craig Barrett, Victor Carman, Simon Clapham, Carl Erwin, Gregg Fothergill,
Deborah Jones, Tony Manning, Alistair Mitchell, Clark Nuttall, Malcolm Phair,
Tracey Pierce, Dave Ray, Garry Wild, Darryl Wolstencroft.

There are the election addresses submitted by the candidates and these can be found here. It will be available at the AGM and a copy can be forwarded on request.

The ballot opens on 17th February 2010 and closes at a time that will be advised during and at the Annual General Meeting on 25th February 2010.

In order to vote in the election there are several ways to do so:

• ballot papers will be available at the AGM on Thursday, 25th February 2010, commencing at 10:15 am at The Cliffs Hotel;


• by a postal vote. Please email Duncan Griffiths from your work email account requesting a ballot paper if you cannot attend the AGM (you will also automatically receive the election addresses);

If you require any further details do not hesitate to contact Duncan by email or on Ext: 63484.

PCS response to Sir Gus O' Donnell

Sir Gus O’Donnell, Head of the Civil Service, has called on PCS members not to vote ‘yes’ in the national ballot on action over the compensation scheme and has stated that other unions have accepted the changes to the scheme proposed by the government.

Despite previously saying that it had reached its ‘final position’, the government has, as Sir Gus says, moved from its original draconian proposals and offered some degree of protection to some existing civil and public servants. These concessions have been won by the resolute opposition of PCS members over 18,000 of whom emailed the Cabinet Office opposing the government’s plans to slash their entitlement to redundancy payments and by the lobbying amongst MPs carried out by the union, 138 of whom have signed an early day motion calling on the government to change course. The concessions would still leave many thousands of PCS members unprotected, however.

PCS represents almost three times the number of civil and public servants than the other unions combined. It is no surprise that the other unions have accepted the proposals. Some of them would have accepted even the original proposals and have since then argued for each new proposal to be accepted despite the detrimental effect on the majority of staff.

But the latest proposals leave a very large proportion of PCS members unprotected. The details will be available on the PCS website. As a union which stands for fairness and solidarity, we have decided that we must continue to try to find a settlement which covers all our members, not just some.

Moreover, accepting such divisive cuts in so many people’s entitlements, as the other unions have done, would weaken the whole union and make job losses and compulsory redundancy much more likely at a time when we know that the major political parties are planning such cuts.

The latest proposals made by Cabinet Office were, in fact, conditional on PCS giving up its right to seek legal protection in the courts. We cannot accept that and we will press ahead this week with a judicial review along with NIPSA, a sister union.

We must continue to build pressure on the government to come to a fair agreement. PCS has identified ways the government could save money while also protecting members’ entitlements. Sir Gus says he has moved a considerable way from the original proposals made last summer. If we are united we can move him further towards a settlement that will protect all PCS members from redundancy.

We urge you to vote `yes’ to both questions in the ballot and ensure that Sir Gus sits down with PCS and talks about how to avoid a dispute, without crude attempts to divide us.
Yours sincerely,

Mark Serwotka Janice Godrich
General Secretary President

Vote Yes to save our Compensation Scheme 2 February 2010

PCS has done everything possible to get a negotiated agreement to protect our rights under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

We are taking legal action in the high court to challenge the government. Over 130 MP’s have signed a motion in Parliament supporting our campaign.

Industrial action is a last resort because the government is being unreasonable.

We believe that a negotiated settlement is achievable with good will on both sides but we need to put pressure on the government to see sense.
All PCS members across the civil service are being balloted for action.

A massive YES vote will put pressure on the government to come back to the negotiating table, so make sure you vote and vote YES.

Vote Yes to save our jobs:
Despite the big increase in our workloads caused by the recession, all of our jobs will be at risk over the next few years because all political parties are committed to job cuts.

The Government wants to rip up your contractual rights under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS).

If they get away with it the vast majority of PCS members in the DWP and CMEC will be worse off. It will become easier and cheaper for them to cut jobs and privatise work in DWP and CMEC, putting even greater pressure on the staff left to deliver our services.

The value of voluntary packages will be cut and become less attractive increasing the likelihood of more compulsory redundancies as fewer people volunteer.

This affects us all:
For long serving staff this would mean a cut by one third of your money if you are threatened with redundancy. Staff over 50 would lose their right to an enhanced pension.

For thousands of staff recently recruited this also affects you. PCS is committed to getting the best possible scheme for all staff. Any improvements we get will benefit you as well.

For temporary staff PCS is fighting for you to be made permanent. We have a good record of success and have just stopped hundreds of casuals being sacked in Jobcentre Plus. Any improvements will also benefit you.

Protect your job security by getting involved in the PCS campaign now.

Vote YES to both questions for industrial action to stop job cuts on the cheap and defend the civil service compensation scheme.