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The CSCS is “out of date” and “had been challenged under age discrimination law”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