Dear Colleagues (and potential colleagues),

The purpose of this post is to inform members of the PCS strike action across the Civil Service on the 15th of October 2014. 

The action will be coordinated with unions representing workers in the health service which have announced action on Monday, 13th October, and with unions in local government which have announced a strike on 14th October so that there will be 3 consecutive days of strike action over pay in the public sector.

PCS has done everything possible to try and resolve the disputes over the extreme pay restraint yet again imposed by the employer. Unfortunately to date there has not been an acceptable outcome from the Government.

In the four years between 2010 and 2013, the cost of living rose faster than Civil Service pay each year. Figures released by the Civil Service show that average (median) pay increased by only 6 per cent during these four years. The cost of living, prices, housing and other costs rose by 16 per cent, meaning that the average Civil Servant is around £2,300 worse-off than in 2010. This doesn’t even take into account the Public Sector Workers’ tax.

PCS has submitted a pay claim for 2014 demanding:

• An end to the government imposed pay freeze/cap
• A Minimum 5% or £1,200 consolidated pay increase
• Short pay scales and pay progression as a right for all staff
• No discriminatory performance pay
• Closing the  pay gaps within and across departments
• The Living Wage to underpin all pay policies and contracts

We are not on our own taking action against the Government’s attacks on our Pay and living standards. On 10th July 2014 PCS members took co-ordinated strike action with union members in local government, education and the fire service over pay and our national campaign issues. The campaign continues with now local government workers and health service workers also taking strike action in October 2014.

Potential Members
If you have not yet joined your Union, please complete the form here to join.

Save our nurseries

The DWP is closing onsite nurseries and ending a childcare subsidy for its workers.

This move flies in the face of the family friendly policies the government claims to believe in and forces many parents to make difficult decisions about whether they can even afford to continue working.

Action
Please email your MP today asking them to take action now to save the nurseries and childcare subsidy.

For more see: www.pcs.org.uk/saveournurseries

BBC News Regarding October Industrial Action

The BBC have picked up the three days of action in October.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29336167

National strike on 15 October

The following has been supplied by PCS HQ

PCS to join 72 hours of action in public sector

PCS national executive met today to consider the next steps in our national dispute in the civil service and related bodies.

The NEC decided that a national strike will be called on Wednesday, 15 October. The action will be coordinated with unions representing workers in the health service which have announced action on Monday, 13 October, and with unions in local government which have announced a strike on 14 October so that there will be 3 consecutive days of strike action over pay in the public sector.

Strike action is a last resort, but the government introduced a 2-year pay freeze in 2010 and in recent years has imposed a 1% pay cap for all public sector workers.

The action on October 15 follows the successful day of action on 10 July when joint action took place with other public sector workers. Now we are stepping up the campaign with 72 hours of strike action in October aimed at securing a fair settlement.

The strike on October 15 will not include PCS members in Scotland working in bodies falling under the jurisdiction of Scottish Government ministers where we are working with colleagues in Unison Scotland to build for joint action aimed at tackling the Scottish pay gap.

More information will follow.

Support George Thompson

The PCS DWP London Regional Committee has set up a petition to support George Thompson. The petition calls upon DWP London Regional Management to withdraw the 2 year final written warning issued to George Thompson, PCS DWP North East London Branch Secretary for issuing a press release against job cuts.

The link is here.
 

Please support the petition. It only takes a minute to sign up. 

There is also a PCS petition and the latest branch briefing here.

Labour action pledge on tribunals and blacklisting

The following details have been supplied by the TUC:
A future Labour government will review the system of employment tribunal fees introduced by the current administration and is “open” to making blacklisting a criminal offence, the TUC’s Liverpool conference has heard.

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna told unions the “unfair” and “unsustainable” tribunal fees system – which means workers can be required to pay up to £1,200 for taking a tribunal complaint about issues including victimisation for workplace safety activities – locks people out of justice. “Affordability should not be a barrier to workplace justice,” he said.

Pressed by delegates, he was unclear whether the fees system would be scrapped entirely.

The shadow minister also said Labour would consider making blacklisting a criminal offence. “I am open to whether criminal liability applies to this,” he said, but added: “I don’t want to prejudge the inquiry I have promised.” He said if is elected next year Labour will hold a full inquiry into blacklisting and those hearings will be held “in public”.

UCATT general secretary Steve Murphy responded: “With every day that passes the construction companies that blacklisted workers and ruined their lives are seeing the net tighten around them. There will be no hiding place for blacklisters.”

People Survey Boycott 2014

PCS Conference Policy calls for members to take no part in staff surveys

National union policy
The NEC has met and confirmed that all PCS Groups must continue to campaign for non participation in ‘staff surveys’ as agreed by the 2013 national conference. This is because of:

• Widespread pressure on staff across the civil service to complete the People Survey with positive responses
• People Survey results are misquoted and misused against our members to justify the government’s civil service reform agenda to cut jobs, cap pay and introduce ever harsher civil service performance management procedures.

The GEC will take all necessary action to implement this PCS policy of non participation.  

PCS opposes pressure on members
Last year PCS branches and members in the DWP provided extensive evidence of how the DWP People Survey was discredited by pressure on staff to complete the staff survey with positive responses and a range of bad practices which included:

• Members being pressurised to complete it
• Inappropriate incentives
• Manipulating questions and response categories
• Influencing how people should respond
• Scaremongering about office closures

The GEC has forcefully raised all of these concerns with DWP. In response to the evidence produced by the GEC the DWP has produced new ‘Myth Busters’ guidance to stop these bad practices. This guidance is available on the DWP Intranet People Survey site.

It says: All of these undermine the integrity of the survey and evidence shows it creates cynicism and reduces people’s likelihood of participating in the future... don’t put pressure on people to complete the People Survey, don’t use incentives for completion, don’t try to change the questions, don’t influence how people use the response categories, don’t use the People Survey to threaten staff.

PCS opposes misuse of work objectives
DWP has also responded to evidence provided by the GEC of abuse where individual employees have been set work objectives or 'steps to achieve' requiring them as individuals to complete the People Survey or to answer questions in a particular way with achievement measured against the ‘staff engagement’ score.

DWP has issued guidance to the CSHR Casework Team and HR Business Partners which advises that:

This is not reasonable on three grounds:

1. Any such work objective would not satisfy the 'SMART' criteria for setting objectives because only the employee will know if they participated in the survey;

2. Any such work objective would not conform to the Myth Busting guidance on the People Survey website about not inappropriately incentivising or pressuring employees to participate in the People Survey which is voluntary and confidential.

3. The questions for staff engagement (B50 – B54) in the People Survey are to assess the emotional connection employees feel towards the Department and the score would not be a valid measure for the demonstration of behaviours competencies or values as it is the sum of multiple responses which cannot be linked back to any single individual.

The only appropriate way of promoting engagement at employee level is through behavioural standards for engaging people.... Overall guidance for ‘engaging people’ is provided in the Competency Framework on page 4 with, for example, more detailed guidance for ‘leading and communicating’ on pages 18 – 19.

Unfair objectives must be corrected
Members should dispute refusals to correct unfair work objectives and/or unfair behavioural indicators using the Grievance Procedures and PCS guidance.

Improvements not enough
The GEC welcomes the guidance on myth busting and work objectives issued by the DWP in response to the evidence of abuse produced by the GEC. However the GEC believes that much more effective action needs to be seen to be taken to end the pressure on staff to complete the People Survey in a positive manner and abolish the unacceptable bad practices at a local level. The GEC also believes that nationally the Civil Service People Survey responses continue to be misused to justify a civil service reform agenda to cut jobs, cap pay and introduce ever harsher performance management procedures.

The GEC will continue to take all necessary action to oppose these threats to PCS members in DWP by negotiation and by a boycott of the 2014 DWP People survey.

Guidance for members will be issued
Briefings for members in DWP will be issued calling for a boycott on the basis of

• Non participation is the democratically agreed policy of the Union
• PCS members have a right to boycott the Survey in support of PCS Policy
• People Survey responses are being misquoted and misused to justify attacks on civil service pay and conditions.

The following details have been supplied by the PCS DWP Group:
Mid-year Consistency Checking Discussions Unfair work objectives and unfair behavioural indictors must be revised 

People Performance Mid-year review action
As we approach the middle of the year, countersigning managers, line managers and employees must plan for October’s mid-year performance reviews. By the end of September 2014, all countersigning managers and line managers should have held consistency checking discussions.

Management action during September 
During September, all countersigning managers should get their line managers together for consistency checking discussions. The aim of the discussions is to ensure line managers have a shared understanding of performance expectations and do not underestimate or overestimate people’s performance.

Work objectives must be fair 
Consistency checking should help to ensure that objectives have been set fairly especially for those who are part time or where a reasonable adjustment is necessary for a disabled colleague. DWP ‘How to’ guidance on this was updated in January 2014. Additional guidance was issued to HR Business Partners and the CS HR Casework team, in August 2014, on inappropriate People Survey related work objectives and behavioural indicators.

Performance standards must be fair 
Consistency checking activity should help line managers to ensure that the distribution of individual ratings between the boxes 1, 2 and 3 is justified on the basis of performance evidence and a consistent application of standards.

Managers may also reflect on whether standards are set at the right level by comparing their employees’ proposed interim performance ratings against the distribution range of up to 25 per cent rated as 'Exceeded', 65 per cent as 'Achieved' and 10 per cent as 'Must Improve'. The purpose of ‘guided distribution’ is to support standard setting at the start and mid-year stages of the People Performance process and must not be misused as quotas for ratings. Ratings must not be changed or forced simply to fit the distribution.

WHO and TUC call for action on e-ciggies

The following has been supplied by the TUC:
Unions should negotiate the same controls on electronic cigarettes as on smoking at work, the TUC has said.

The union body repeated its call after the World Health Organisation (WHO) called for a ban on the use of ‘e-cigarettes’ indoors – a move rejected immediately by the UK government - as well as a range of other restrictions on their sale and marketing.

The TUC says the sale of these products is unregulated and there is very little evidence as to their safety. It adds the ingredients and quality of electronic cigarettes can vary considerably.

BBC’s Inside Out reported this week that one out of four liquid refills tested in a laboratory contained diacetyl, the chemical responsible for the potentially deadly condition ‘popcorn lung’, or bronchiolitis obliterans.

TUC head of safety Hugh Robertson, writing in the union body’s Stronger Unions blog, noted: “The TUC strongly recommends that unions should negotiate that electronic cigarettes are subject to the same general restrictions in the workplace as tobacco. They should not be used in any indoor place. This is not just because the risk to others is unknown, but also because it can be confusing if people are seen to be ‘smoking’ what can look like a cigarette. This undermines the smoking ban.”

He said unions should welcome properly negotiated smoking cessation efforts by employers. “A pragmatic approach like this should hopefully satisfy those who do not want their colleagues ‘vaping’ next to them, and also hopefully support those who want to use e-cigarettes to help them kick tobacco,” he said.

DWP People Performance Must Improve

The following details have been supplied by the PCS DWP Group, please note the links will only work on the DWP network:

PCS opposes unfair behavioural indicators and unfair box mark quotas

Oppose unfair behavioural indicators

DWP has responded to PCS evidence of the use of unfair behavioural indicators where individual employees have been set work objectives, or 'steps to achieve' requiring them as individuals, to complete the People Survey or to answer questions in a particular way with achievement measured against the ‘staff engagement’ score. DWP has issued guidance to the CSHR Casework Team and HR Business Partners which advises that:

“This is not reasonable on three grounds:

1. Any such work objective would not satisfy the 'SMART' criteria for setting objectives because only the employee will know if they participated in the survey;

2. Any such work objective would not conform to the MythBusting guidance on the People Survey website about not inappropriately incentivising or pressuring employees to participate in the People Survey which is voluntary and confidential.

3. The questions for staff engagement (B50 – B54) in the People Survey are to assess the emotional connection employees feel towards the Department and the score would not be a valid measure for the demonstration of behaviours, competencies or values as it is the sum of multiple responses which cannot be linked back to any single individual.

The only appropriate way of promoting engagement at employee level is through behavioural standards for engaging people  - e.g. encouraging employees to contribute their opinions, provide constructive challenge, participate in change activity, etc. These are practicable ways employees can demonstrate engagement and having a stake in DWP

Overall guidance for ‘engaging people’ is provided in the Competency Framework on page 4 with, for example, more detailed guidance for ‘leading and communicating’ on pages 18 – 19.”

Competency Framework indicators

The Competency Framework is a Civil Service Reform product which has not been agreed with PCS and needs to be revised in consultation with civil service trade unions.

However, there are behavioural indicators in the Competency Framework which may be used to replace any unfair locally invented indicators. The Competency Framework gives three examples, on page 19, of more appropriate behavioural indicators at Level 2 for EO / Band C, which are:

·    Listen to, understand, respect and accept the value of different views, ideas and ways of working 

·        Express ideas effectively, both orally and in writing, and with sensitivity and respect for others

·        Confront and deal promptly with inappropriate language or behaviours, including bullying, harassment or discrimination

PCS will provide further guidance for opposition to unfair behavioural indicators. 

Dispute unfair decisions

Members should dispute refusals to correct unfair behavioural indicators or unfair ratings using the DWP Grievance Procedures and the DWP guidance quoted in this Briefing.

PCS will provide further guidance and support to help achieve our aim to end the misuse of guided distribution as box mark quotas.

Representation of those who choose to cross PCS Picket Lines

Changes 

To all members and potential members of the PCS Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch

Dear Colleagues

The Branch plays a full role in PCS’s campaign for jobs not unemployment, for fair pensions, not poverty in old age and for fair pay, not pay freezes for the Public Sector workers. This is the key priority work for PCS.

Sometimes there is a democratic decision to take Campaigning action and this involves the Branch organising picket lines. Campaigning action is not something that PCS takes lightly and is always the last resort. When members democratically vote to take action then there is an expectation on the members who are involved in that dispute to honour the democratic decision.

PCS Policy about representation
Unfortunately not everyone appears to understand the need to follow democratic decisions; this appears to be a societal aspect emanating from the days when rampant individualism was promoted as a virtue.

PCS collectively has discussed long and hard what to do if ongoing members who have been receiving personal case representation cross picket lines or members who cross picket lines and then subsequently request representation in a personal case.

This discussion resulted in a policy being formulated which agreed that if Branch representatives (i.e. the Branch volunteers who do the vast bulk of the representation of members in personal cases) did not want to continue to (or take on representation cases of members) who choose to cross a picket line then they didn’t have to and alternative arrangements are put in place.

The details of the PCS policy is at the foot of this circular.

Choices
Please note that the above doesn’t mean that the member concerned no longer has a right to representation; however it does mean that a representative of the Branch locally may choose not represent the person who chose not to back the democratic decision.

Until recently for various reasons the Branch has not chosen to invoke PCS policy.

The Branch Executive Committee decides to invoke PCS policy.
The Branch Executive Committee met on Wednesday 3rd September 2014, and following a discussion at an Officers’ meeting on Tuesday 15th July 2014, decided to invoke PCS policy regarding local representation.

We have informed PCS Leeds Office (PCS DWP Group) of our decision.

Arrangements being implemented
From 8th September 2014 onwards if there is Campaigning action the Branch representatives will no longer continue to represent members in personal cases who have crossed the picket line.

Also we will check for a period of three full calendar months after the Campaigning action (i.e. if the action is on 15th September, the period of checking would conclude on 31st December of that year) to ensure that the member requesting representation was either:

• on strike,
• on leave, 
• on sick leave,
• on special leave,
• not involved in the dispute

The arrangements in the above two circumstances is that the member will be informed to contact PCS Leeds Office via phone on 0113 2005301 e-mail leeds@pcs.org.uk. If it is a case then the Branch representative who was dealing with case will hand the case papers back to the member, in advance of their new representative contacting them.

Please note that the Branch will not chase the Leeds Office to ascertain who may have been allocated to the case, this would then be a matter between the member who has chosen this option and the PCS Leeds Office.

Yours sincerely

Duncan Griffiths
Branch Secretary
A148 was passed by PCS Annual Delegate Conference in 2006

“This Conference applauds PCS members who followed the democratic will of the union by taking action as part of the job cuts campaign.

However, Conference also notes that a number of members chose not to participate. These people could have jeopardised our very successful actions and may have undermined the efforts of colleagues by attending work.

Conference recognises that as paying members of PCS these people still have the same rights as colleagues who took action.

Conference further recognises the moral conundrum branch officials have when these members wish to avail themselves of our services, notably direct representation in personal cases.

Conference therefore agrees that no lay official is obliged to represent any member who crosses a picket line and that such cases are passed to a paid employee of PCS to deal with in the most appropriate manner”.

Benefits Justice Day - 11 September 2014

The following has been supplied by PCS DWP Group: 

Policy agreed at DWP Group and Annual Delegate Conference has instructed the union to campaign for a fairer social security system and to oppose welfare reform attacks including the sanction regime, work capability assessments and bedroom tax.

This policy has been set at Conference for the last three years; each member is given the opportunity to instruct their delegates to Conference every May on what position their branch should take.

PCS members tell us that you would much rather be giving more positive help and assistance to jobseekers rather than Conditionality being the main focus. That is why PCS is working with organisations that oppose the government’s benefit cuts and sanctioning, where they hold shared views and objectives. This allows us the opportunity to influence their actions and build the broadest possible campaign against the regime being forced on members and claimants.

In the past two years we have built good alliances with campaigning groups like Disabled People Against Cuts, the Unemployed Workers Centre, and Unite Community. The joint leaflet advising claimants of their rights has been well received by activists and jobcentre workers alike.

We have issued support and advice to PCS members to resist the pressure they feel every day at work. PCS do not believe or accept that jobcentre workers are responsible for the Government’s draconian policies which see benefit claimants demonized and demeaned.

Protest Day 11 September

A grassroots organisation called Benefits Justice is organising events across the UK on 11th September. A Day of Action is being organised to bring workers and the unemployed together to protest against the government’s policies of benefit cuts, the bedroom tax and sanctions.

Events so far have been arranged in London, Leeds, Birmingham, Huddersfield, Milton Keynes and Brighton. PCS is supporting this day of protest and has been invited to send a GEC speaker to these rallies. Other rallies may also be organised in other towns and cities. For details of the day’s events please see this link.

These protests are not targeted at jobcentre workers though they may be held outside or near to a jobcentre or DWP office. Where this is planned, PCS will ask the campaigners to confirm to PCS that the protest is not aimed at DWP staff but at the policies of the Government.

Other campaign groups may also be organising events on 11th September. The union wants to avoid any conflict with these organisations and welcomes contact with them before the day so we can work together. PCS does not condone any organisation that is hostile to our members.

PCS NATIONAL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER (LGBT) MEMBERS’ SEMINAR, 1-2 NOVEMBER 2014:

‘Magna Carter to Proud LGBT Charter: Aspiration, Attitudes and Action'

 
Please bring the information in this briefing to the attention of all branch members; some may not be ‘out’ at work but wish to apply. Alternative formats are available on request.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Equality Department on 020 7801 2683. Alternatively you can email at equality@pcs.org.uk. 

Who can apply?
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender members, whether ‘out’ at work or not.

The seminar seeks to encourage greater participation from all LGBT members and is aimed particularly at members who are newly active or who would like to become more active in PCS.

Applications are positively welcomed from women, disabled, Black* and young members who are often under-represented at union events. (*Black is used in the political context to apply to people from African and Asian Diasporas, including people of dual heritage.)

Seminar details
The PCS National LGBT Members’ Seminar will be held at the Novotel in Manchester on 1-2 November.

Registration will open at 12 noon on Saturday, with the seminar starting at 1 pm. The seminar will finish no later than 1 pm on Sunday.

The programme will integrate the PCS national campaign and organising priorities of the union alongside those of PCS Proud, with the particular challenges faced by LGBT members.

A variety of speakers, workshops and discussion group sessions will be spread across the weekend.

The evenings will provide an opportunity, in a supportive environment, to network with other PCS LGBT members from across the UK, and the many different departments, agencies and employers where our members work. 

Please note that all successful applicants are required to attend for the entire duration of the seminar.

What is included?
PCS will meet the costs of accommodation, meals* and reasonable travel, including those for carers. Access requirements will be met as far as possible. *Please note lunch is not provided on Saturday.  A buffet lunch is available on Sunday, or a packed lunch can be ordered instead.

Childcare facilities are available for children between 6 months and 14 years of age, however places are limited. Delegates are encouraged to make alternative arrangements where possible and PCS will cover the costs of reasonable childcare claims on production of a receipt from a registered carer.

How to apply
Members can nominate themselves and an application form can be found here.

Further copies are available by contacting the Equality Department on 020 7801 2683. Alternatively you can email requests for application forms to equality@pcs.org.uk. 

Applicants must submit a supporting statement explaining why they wish to attend. This information forms part of the selection criteria.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 5 pm on Thursday 25 September 2014. 

Faxes will be accepted on fax number 0207 801 2763 until 5 pm on this date.

Please note that all seminar correspondence will be sent by email to both home and work email addresses unless applicants notify us otherwise.

Say No to PubCo - Early Day Motion 241

The following has been supplied by PCS NW Regional Office:

Colleagues,

PCS Highways Agency (Department for Transport) have an Early Day Motion 241 which calls on the Government to keep them as an Executive Agency and to reject the PubCo.

As a member of the HA’s Anti-PubCo Committee Graham Woodhouse has asked if we would circulate this message to branches so and get as many members as possible to contact their MP asking them to sign EDM 241.

The link to the e-action is here.

Please do all that you can to raise this issue within your branch and across workplaces.

Thanking you in advance

Paula Wood
PCS North West Regional Secretary

Note: more about the changes to the Highway Agency can be found here.

Britain Needs a Payrise - Support the national demo - #18October

The TUC is organising a national Britain Needs A Pay Rise demonstration in central London on Saturday 18 October.

People are currently facing the biggest squeeze on their incomes since Victorian times, and wages have fallen in real terms every year since 2010. We believe that as growth returns to the UK economy, everyone should get a fairer share in the recovery.

The attached flyer here now available promoting the event.

Regional offices are booking transport, please contact your branch office for more information.