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
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”.
