27.6.14
DD-Day - Make the Switch
Dear colleague,
Important Information – Please take a
few minutes to read this.
PCS
is asking all of our members to sign up to pay their union subscriptions by Direct
Debit. Currently almost all of you have your union subs deducted from your
salary. This is called ‘check off’
OK but why do it now?
Because
the government is threatening to end check off and we have to be ready and not
caught on the hop. Because 97% of our 260,000 members pay their union subs by
check off it is how the union gets its money to represent and campaign for you.
If check off is stopped we must have a quick ready way of collecting your subs.
PCS must be financially independent and free to represent you.
PCS will keep your details
safe and secure
PCS
already holds a lot of personal details about you as part of your membership
records. We keep all personal data completely secure and confidential. PCS has
signed up to the legally binding Direct Debit Guarantee scheme to give you data
protection financial security. It is no different from any other Direct Debit
you have for insurance, gas or electric.
What will happen once I
have sign up to DD
PCS
HQ will upload your direct debit details onto the PCS computer system alongside
all of the other details we already hold for you. But your direct debit won’t
be activated until the removal of ‘check off’ is notified to us by the DWP or
PCS nationally decides. You will not have two deductions in one month; PCS will
ensure all payments are correct. You will be told when DD will begin.
Is it easy to do?
YES
you can do it quickly by going to the PCS website and doing it on line or if you want
help just complete the pledge tear off here and give it back to your PCS
rep or email us with the details on it.
Why should I stay in PCS
Because
being in the union means you are protected. If you
have to have an interview about your sick record PCS will help you. If you are
not happy about your appraisal report PCS will help you. The union offers legal
advice and an excellent personal injury compensation scheme in case you or a
member of your family has an accident at work or at home. But these benefits are only for union members.
DWP Visiting Centres in Glasgow and Cardiff to be transferred into Contact Centres
The following details have been supplied
by PCS DWP Group:
Last
month DWP wrote to staff in DWP Visiting Booking centres telling them that
Cardiff visits would be transferred to Pensions and Glasgow visits would go to
Universal Credit.
In the space of a month DWP have now changed their mind on this. They have announced today that both Cardiff and Glasgow Visiting booking centres will become contact centres instead. All the staff will remain on their current sites and will transfer into Contact Centre Services around Autumn 2014.
DWP only informed PCS that they were going to make this announcement late yesterday afternoon despite previously promising that they would share their communications timings with us. We believe they have rushed into this and not allowed time for proper discussion and consultation.
It is clear that priorities are shifting within DWP on virtually a daily basis and it appears that they have little idea what they are doing. It is a completely unacceptable way to treat staff to tell them one month that they are moving to Universal Credit or Pensions only to come back a few weeks later and tell them to forget that and instead say they are moving to contact centre work. This is not workforce management, it is chaos.
Members will be aware of the difficulties there have been in contact centres and the long-running contact centre dispute that was created by the TPIP transfer announcement. While PCS was able to secure significant improvements in the contact centres through the agreement that ended the dispute, problems and concerns among members in CCS do remain.
PCS therefore warned management that they needed to handle any announcement of further transfers into contact centres very carefully, if they wanted to avoid more difficulties. Regrettably they have chosen instead to rush into making this announcement.
PCS will be pressing management for urgent discussions to clarify what this announcement means for our members in Glasgow and Cardiff visiting, what work they will be doing for contact centres and what impact it may have on their working conditions.
In the space of a month DWP have now changed their mind on this. They have announced today that both Cardiff and Glasgow Visiting booking centres will become contact centres instead. All the staff will remain on their current sites and will transfer into Contact Centre Services around Autumn 2014.
DWP only informed PCS that they were going to make this announcement late yesterday afternoon despite previously promising that they would share their communications timings with us. We believe they have rushed into this and not allowed time for proper discussion and consultation.
It is clear that priorities are shifting within DWP on virtually a daily basis and it appears that they have little idea what they are doing. It is a completely unacceptable way to treat staff to tell them one month that they are moving to Universal Credit or Pensions only to come back a few weeks later and tell them to forget that and instead say they are moving to contact centre work. This is not workforce management, it is chaos.
Members will be aware of the difficulties there have been in contact centres and the long-running contact centre dispute that was created by the TPIP transfer announcement. While PCS was able to secure significant improvements in the contact centres through the agreement that ended the dispute, problems and concerns among members in CCS do remain.
PCS therefore warned management that they needed to handle any announcement of further transfers into contact centres very carefully, if they wanted to avoid more difficulties. Regrettably they have chosen instead to rush into making this announcement.
PCS will be pressing management for urgent discussions to clarify what this announcement means for our members in Glasgow and Cardiff visiting, what work they will be doing for contact centres and what impact it may have on their working conditions.
26.6.14
Cast Your Vote Today
How to vote
Members are able to cast their ballot in 1 of 3 different
ways:
Post - Use the envelope in your ballot pack
Online - www.votebyinternet.com/pcs2014
Phone - 0800
197 4625 (free).
To cast a vote electronically members need a security
code, which is on the reverse of the ballot paper. It comes in 2 parts, and
both parts are needed.
Members do not need their membership number or NI number
to cast their vote, just the security code. However they will need either or of
these to request a replacement paper.
Read more about the campaign here.
Pay squeeze calculator
shows scale of losses
We have launched a new pay squeeze calculator which shows
members what their level of pay would be if it had kept pace with inflation.
The calculator (click here)
shows the effect of the government's pay and pension policies on the value of
civil servants' salaries.
Branches have already started running pay surgeries using
the calculator and members have been shocked by what they've learnt.
One rep Rachel said: "I did the calculation and was
shocked to find out that I have lost abour £6,000 over the last 4 years."
We would like reps and members to send their calculations
to davidt@pcs.org.uk
25.6.14
War on Want - National Tour
Gaynelle Samuel the PCS International Officer has provided the following:
PCS is supporting and promoting the national tour involving War on Want and other partners, to raise awareness and take action against Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
PCS is supporting and promoting the national tour involving War on Want and other partners, to raise awareness and take action against Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).
As you'll see via the
following link, events are taking place in Birmingham (July
8), Manchester (July 9) and London (July 10). PCS Branches are being asked to publicise the
events and encourage members to attend?
Details are being uploaded
on the PCS internationalweb pages.
Relevant links:
20.6.14
Vote yes to join 1.5m in action over pay
The following has been supplied by PCS HQ:
Our members are facing the tightest living standards squeeze for nearly a century so we are asking them to take action over pay.
We are holding a consultative ballot until 30 June asking members to back our 'We all need a pay rise campaign,' which calls for a concerted campaign of joint action with other public sector unions, starting with a 1-day strike on 10 July. Action is aimed at breaking the pay freeze, and winning a fair settlement on pay, jobs, pensions, outsourcing, and terms and conditions such as performance management.
Across the UK pay cuts have damaged the economy and caused real hardship for millions of people.
If pay had kept pace with inflation, average civil service pay would be £2,300 higher than it is now. But the government has announced that the pay cap will continue in 2014 and 2015 and possibly beyond.
We have submitted a pay claim to the Cabinet Office, which seeks a:
£1,200 or 5% pay increase.
Mass walkout
About 1.5 million local government employees could walk out of work for 24 hours on 10 July, supported by up to 500,000 civil servants and teachers.
Unite began balloting its local government members today while Unison is also currently balloting its members. The GMB has notified the Local Government Association (LGA) that it is to hold a similar ballot.
The unions demanded that the LGA pay all workers an extra £1 an hour, saying typical local government workers have seen their pay reduced by 20% in real terms since the coalition came to power in 2010.
The national executive of the National Union of Teachers decided in May against taking action during the week of 23 June to allow time to see if progress is possible in the talks with government. If there is no progress they will be taking action on 10 July.
Back our campaign
We have sought central talks on our claim. We must force the government to end the pay cap, to succeed. We have an existing industrial action mandate but our annual delegate conference in Brighton last month agreed to ask our members to vote 'yes' in the consultative ballot on our national campaign.
The campaign includes a co-ordinated 1-day strike on 10 July with other public sector workers and setting up a fighting fund to support targeted action.
How to vote
Members are able to cast their ballot in 1 of 3 different ways:
- Post - Use the envelope in your ballot pack
- Online - www.votebyinternet.com/pcs2014
- Phone - 0800 197 4625 (free)
To cast a vote electronically members need a security code, which is on the reverse of the ballot paper. It comes in 2 parts, and both parts are needed.
Members do not need their membership number or NI number to cast their vote, just the security code. However they will need either or of these to request a replacement paper.
Claimants - know your rights on sanctions
PCS are supporting Unite in their campaign to support people who have been subjected to benefit sanctions.
The full leaflet and advice on what to do can be found here.
Keep Safety Critical Conductors On The Train
The Branch has received the following through Blackpool Trades Council:
Dear Friends,
I just signed the petition "Keep Safety Critical Conductors On The Train at Northern Rail" and wanted to ask if you could add your name too.
This campaign means a lot to me and the more support we can get behind it, the better chance we have of succeeding. You can read more and sign the petition here:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-safety-critical-conductors-on-the-train-at-northern-rail
Thank you!
P.S. Can you also take a moment to share the petition with others? It's really easy – all you need to do is forward this email or share this link on Facebook or Twitter:
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-safety-critical-conductors-on-the-train-at-northern-rail
Kevin Morrison - RMT Council of Executives member for Manchester and North West England
Changes to Child maintenance
PCS is campaigning against the changes to the Child maintenance system which are being implemented shortly. The changes include a charging system to apply for child maintenance and charges throughout the process and a deduction of 4% of the total amount payable to the child which will go to the Government, previously the whole sum of money went to the child PCS are concerned that the changes will deter people in need of financial support and that it will increase child poverty.
http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/may/21/child-maintenance-single-parents-face-fees
Reconstruction after the crisis: A manifesto for collective bargaining
Prof Keith Ewing and John Hendy QC in the pamphlet "Reconstruction after the crisis: A manifesto for collective bargaining", trace the historical background to the current economic crisis - including the dismantling of trade union rights by successive governments since 1980 - and set out a viable alternative for economic growth based on international law and best European practices.
The end result is a considered and fully evidence-based policy recommendation summed up in a succinct ten point manifesto for collective bargaining, which has already attracted the support of nine major unions including PCS.
You can read more about the pamphlet here.
Personal Independent Payment (PIP) backlogs lead to staff transfers
The following details have been supplied by PCS DWP Group:
This article provides an update on PIP delivery following the recent announcements regarding transfer of staff to PIP and the publication of PIP statistics
Pip Statistics show large backlogs
DWP have recently published statistics for the first year of PIP live running. These show that 349,000 new PIP claims have been received but only 83,900 claims have had a decision made. This backlog of claims has understandably received much public criticism, with stories of many claimants having to wait months for a decision to be made on their PIP claim and then wait even longer if they seek a reconsideration or appeal. These delays are unacceptable and are causing real suffering for claimants.
Regrettably there was no prior consultation with DTUS about this latest transfer of staff. Management have conceded that this was an oversight on their part. Management have now informed PCS that the transfer of Leeds BC to PIP work will mean that:
PCS welcomes this additional staffing for PIP but believes these measures are too little too late. It is becoming ever more essential that Ministers end the ban on permanent recruitment of new staff in DWP. They must urgently embark on a large scale recruitment exercise to ensure that the PIP backlog can be brought under control. The decision to allow so many experienced EO decision makers and AA admin staff to leave this year on VES schemes now appears extremely short sighted when PIP is crying out for both EO decision-makers and AA admin staff.
Transfer of Leeds BC
PCS has been pressing management for additional staff to deal with these large backlogs of PIP cases. Management have now announced that all the staff in Leeds Benefit Centre (Hume House) will be transferring to PIP to handle new claims work. This is addition to the 70 Decision Makers transferring to PIP work in Newport. In total 232.99 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) are moving to PIP.
Regrettably there was no prior consultation with DTUS about this latest transfer of staff. Management have conceded that this was an oversight on their part. Management have now informed PCS that the transfer of Leeds BC to PIP work will mean that:
- All Benefits Directorate staff in Leeds BC will be reallocated to PIP along with 70 Decision Makers at Newport Contact Centre.
- All the BC staff in Hume House will continue to work from that site
- That these staff will be rebadged to PIP from the date they start PIP training. The full details of training content are still being worked through, but the broad outline of current training is 5 weeks for EO Case Managers, 2 weeks for AO Case Workers, and 1 week for AAs.
- There are very clear EO, AO and AA job roles in PIP, and plenty of work in all grades at the current time. Where skills match, there may be some opportunity to TDA into the higher grade.
- Pre authorised leave will be honoured and the normal DWP approach to additional leave requests will be followed. Staff may be asked if they can change leave to complete training activities but that will be on a voluntary basis. All current Part Time working patterns will be honoured and reviewed in the normal cycle.
PCS welcomes this additional staffing for PIP but believes these measures are too little too late. It is becoming ever more essential that Ministers end the ban on permanent recruitment of new staff in DWP. They must urgently embark on a large scale recruitment exercise to ensure that the PIP backlog can be brought under control. The decision to allow so many experienced EO decision makers and AA admin staff to leave this year on VES schemes now appears extremely short sighted when PIP is crying out for both EO decision-makers and AA admin staff.
Public Scrutiny
PIP is coming under intense public scrutiny as a result of these problems. Recent parliamentary reports identified:
DWP is receiving a lot of criticism for these problems with PIP. However most of the blame lies with the failure of the private sector companies (Atos and Capita) to perform the PIP medical assessments. While DWP staff can clear the front end and the back end of the PIP new claim process in reasonable timescales, it is taking the private sector contractors months, in the middle of the process, to do the medical assessments. It is this private sector failure that is the primary cause of the huge backlogs and delays in PIP claims that have arisen.
PCS believes that the experiment of using private companies to conduct the PIP medical assessment has been a massive failure. Rather than let the situation get worse, PCS believes that these contracts should be terminated as soon as possible and the assessment work should be brought back in-house. It is a scandalous waste of taxpayers’ money for these failing contractors to continue to get paid for their shockingly poor performance while PIP customers have to wait months for their claim to be dealt with as a result.
Raising Members’ Concerns
There was a meeting of PCS reps working on PIP and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) earlier this year. This was a productive meeting and a number of members’ concerns were identified. These included problems with the IT and inadequate training. Management have acknowledged that there have been problems with the IT and are looking to resolve them.
PCS has also been raising our concerns over PIP with MP’s through the PCS parliamentary group. PIP was the subject of a question to the Prime Minister at a recent Prime Minister’s Question Time. PCS will continue to meet with PIP management and to continue to press for the additional staff we need.
- that claimants were suffering long delays in receiving their awards, mainly as a result of the failure of the private contractors, Atos and Capita, to perform the medical assessments within reasonable timescales.
- As a result DWP was unable to tell claimants how long they would wait for their award to be made.
- That DWP had been forced to delay the reassessment of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) cases onto PIP
- That DWP had failed to meet the expected savings from the switch from DLA to PIP in the current spending round
- There were even delays in the most urgent cases when claimants were terminally ill.
DWP is receiving a lot of criticism for these problems with PIP. However most of the blame lies with the failure of the private sector companies (Atos and Capita) to perform the PIP medical assessments. While DWP staff can clear the front end and the back end of the PIP new claim process in reasonable timescales, it is taking the private sector contractors months, in the middle of the process, to do the medical assessments. It is this private sector failure that is the primary cause of the huge backlogs and delays in PIP claims that have arisen.
PCS believes that the experiment of using private companies to conduct the PIP medical assessment has been a massive failure. Rather than let the situation get worse, PCS believes that these contracts should be terminated as soon as possible and the assessment work should be brought back in-house. It is a scandalous waste of taxpayers’ money for these failing contractors to continue to get paid for their shockingly poor performance while PIP customers have to wait months for their claim to be dealt with as a result.
Raising Members’ Concerns
There was a meeting of PCS reps working on PIP and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) earlier this year. This was a productive meeting and a number of members’ concerns were identified. These included problems with the IT and inadequate training. Management have acknowledged that there have been problems with the IT and are looking to resolve them.
PCS has also been raising our concerns over PIP with MP’s through the PCS parliamentary group. PIP was the subject of a question to the Prime Minister at a recent Prime Minister’s Question Time. PCS will continue to meet with PIP management and to continue to press for the additional staff we need.
Check off or Checkmate?
The following is in reply to the Branch correspondence concerning the threat from some within the coalition Government to attack Trade Unions by removing the check off facility from PCS:
“Thank you for your email to Nick Clegg MP concerning “check-off.” I am replying on his behalf and would like to apologise for the delay in responding.
I can confirm that there is no cross-government agreement to end the process of check-off. Nick is unconvinced of the merits of doing so, and accepts that check-off can have a legitimate role to play in facilitating the positive and welcome role Trade Unions play in representing their members. Furthermore, Nick recognises that there is no reason whatsoever as a result of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act for any government department, or indeed any business, to end the process of check-off.
Each government department will need to make its own decision as ultimately the decision to end check-off lies with each Secretary of State and their Permanent Secretary - you may therefore wish to make representations at a department level. I can, however, clarify that no Liberal Democrat-led department will be ending check-off and, in other departments, Liberal Democrat Ministers will argue against any proposal to do so.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Simpson
Direct Communications Manager
Office of Nick Clegg MP”
“Thank you for your email to Nick Clegg MP concerning “check-off.” I am replying on his behalf and would like to apologise for the delay in responding.
I can confirm that there is no cross-government agreement to end the process of check-off. Nick is unconvinced of the merits of doing so, and accepts that check-off can have a legitimate role to play in facilitating the positive and welcome role Trade Unions play in representing their members. Furthermore, Nick recognises that there is no reason whatsoever as a result of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act for any government department, or indeed any business, to end the process of check-off.
Each government department will need to make its own decision as ultimately the decision to end check-off lies with each Secretary of State and their Permanent Secretary - you may therefore wish to make representations at a department level. I can, however, clarify that no Liberal Democrat-led department will be ending check-off and, in other departments, Liberal Democrat Ministers will argue against any proposal to do so.
Yours sincerely,
Edward Simpson
Direct Communications Manager
Office of Nick Clegg MP”
Heroism Bill is really blame-the-worker ‘gobbledygook’
The following has been supplied by the TUC:
A new law the government says will protect ‘good Samaritans and community heroes’ could be just another ‘sinister’ attack on workers suffering occupational injuries and diseases, the TUC has warned.
Announcing the planned law, which is due to take effect next year and which the government says is necessary “to tackle the growth of compensation culture”, justice secretary Chris Grayling said: “I don’t want us to be a society where people feel that they can’t do the right thing for fear of breaking regulations or becoming liable if something goes wrong. I don’t want us to be a society where a responsible employer gets the blame for someone doing something stupid. I want a society where common sense is the order of the day, and I believe this measure will help us get there.”
But TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson, commenting on the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill (SARAH) which was included in the Queen’s Speech on 4 June, countered: “Of course this is complete gobbledygook. There is not a shred of evidence that there is a problem. The police, fire and ambulance unions have worked closely with their employers and the HSE to develop guidance which ensures that health and safety protection is compatible with emergency situations, which is why the government changed its mind about exempting the police from the Health and Safety at Work Act (the one mention of health and safety in the Coalition agreement). There are no cases of anyone being prosecuted for trying to save someone in an emergency situation.”
He warned: “There is however the possibility that this Bill will have a much more sinister application, which is shifting the blame to workers when they are injured, with employers claiming the worker was acting ‘irresponsibly’. If that is the case, this is not a Heroism Bill, it is a Blame Bill.”
A new law the government says will protect ‘good Samaritans and community heroes’ could be just another ‘sinister’ attack on workers suffering occupational injuries and diseases, the TUC has warned.
Announcing the planned law, which is due to take effect next year and which the government says is necessary “to tackle the growth of compensation culture”, justice secretary Chris Grayling said: “I don’t want us to be a society where people feel that they can’t do the right thing for fear of breaking regulations or becoming liable if something goes wrong. I don’t want us to be a society where a responsible employer gets the blame for someone doing something stupid. I want a society where common sense is the order of the day, and I believe this measure will help us get there.”
But TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson, commenting on the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Bill (SARAH) which was included in the Queen’s Speech on 4 June, countered: “Of course this is complete gobbledygook. There is not a shred of evidence that there is a problem. The police, fire and ambulance unions have worked closely with their employers and the HSE to develop guidance which ensures that health and safety protection is compatible with emergency situations, which is why the government changed its mind about exempting the police from the Health and Safety at Work Act (the one mention of health and safety in the Coalition agreement). There are no cases of anyone being prosecuted for trying to save someone in an emergency situation.”
He warned: “There is however the possibility that this Bill will have a much more sinister application, which is shifting the blame to workers when they are injured, with employers claiming the worker was acting ‘irresponsibly’. If that is the case, this is not a Heroism Bill, it is a Blame Bill.”
TUC calls for safety reps to be “eyes and ears”
The following has been supplied by the TUC:
The HSE is depending more on complaints and “whistle-blowers” to compensate for the collapse in proactive inspections forced on it by the coalition government.
According to figures obtained by law firm Pinsent Masons after making a freedom of information request to the HSE, more than 4,000 inspections were carried out by the Health and Safety Executive officers as the result of tip-offs and other intelligence gathering in the year to March 2014.
The figures is up by 18 per cent on the previous 12 months and up by 70 per cent since 2012. This however in no way compensates for the 11,000 net fall in the number of inspections caused by the wider changes in inspection policy.
The HSE said “These are intelligence-prompted inspections where we have reason to suspect unsatisfactory health and safety standards.”
However the number of complaints have been falling over recent years as people find it harder to contact the HSE with local contact numbers being removed from websites.
The TUC’s head of Health and Safety, Hugh Robertson said “The fall in inspection numbers and the increased reliance on complaints shows that the only people who can expose what is going on it the workplace is union health and safety representatives. While they must raise problems with the employer first, as a last resort they should be prepared to let the HSE know what is happening before someone is killed and injured. We cannot replace HSE inspectors, but we can act as eyes and ears”.
He said that unions had been in discussions with the HSE about setting up a process to allow union health and safety representatives to give intelligence to the HSE and that was likely to be announced in the next few weeks.
The HSE is depending more on complaints and “whistle-blowers” to compensate for the collapse in proactive inspections forced on it by the coalition government.
According to figures obtained by law firm Pinsent Masons after making a freedom of information request to the HSE, more than 4,000 inspections were carried out by the Health and Safety Executive officers as the result of tip-offs and other intelligence gathering in the year to March 2014.
The figures is up by 18 per cent on the previous 12 months and up by 70 per cent since 2012. This however in no way compensates for the 11,000 net fall in the number of inspections caused by the wider changes in inspection policy.
The HSE said “These are intelligence-prompted inspections where we have reason to suspect unsatisfactory health and safety standards.”
However the number of complaints have been falling over recent years as people find it harder to contact the HSE with local contact numbers being removed from websites.
The TUC’s head of Health and Safety, Hugh Robertson said “The fall in inspection numbers and the increased reliance on complaints shows that the only people who can expose what is going on it the workplace is union health and safety representatives. While they must raise problems with the employer first, as a last resort they should be prepared to let the HSE know what is happening before someone is killed and injured. We cannot replace HSE inspectors, but we can act as eyes and ears”.
He said that unions had been in discussions with the HSE about setting up a process to allow union health and safety representatives to give intelligence to the HSE and that was likely to be announced in the next few weeks.
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