Hope Not Hate

The Branch has recieved the following message from the Hope Not Hate campaign:

"The BNP's campaign launch on Monday showed just how desperate they are to deliver a seat for Nick Griffin - they are willing to freely and openly tell out and out lies.But we can fight back with the truth - and I know that our supporters are more than able to match them leaflet by leaflet, phone call by phone call and pound for pound. We will beat their politics of hate and division. This weekend thousands of anti-racist campaigners will be doing just this - and I need you to stand alongside them. You can help do your bit at a local event near you:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/eventsnearme

The BNP have shown how they plan on running their campaign. At their campaign launch Nick Griffin said that Unison members have been telling residents at old people's homes that they'll be thrown out on the streets if they vote BNP. It's clearly a lie - but it just shows how far they are willing to go to snatch victory in this campaign. We can beat them - we just need to make a concerted effort. Just imagine how you'll feel waking up on June 5th to a BNP victory - in the knowledge that you could have stopped them. I'm giving you the opportunity to do this - you just have to take it.We've got 1.1 million leaflets to deliver this weekend - will you give me two hours of your time to deliver a few hundred? By working together I know that we'll make this ambitious target - sign up now:

http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/eventsnearme

Our campaign's success over the past months has been built by people accross the length and breadth of Britain who believe in a tolerant society. It's all been about people willing to invest whatever time and effort they can afford to stop the BNP and that's how we will close this campaign out. Our supporters, giving their time, to secure a victory for a just and fair society.

Remember the deadline to register to vote or apply for a postal vote is 19 May.

If you're not registered or want a postal vote visit http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/

Please forward this information to your friends reminding them to register to vote.

Thank you for all you are doing."

Branch Mandating Meeting 2009

For PCS National and DWP Group Conference

Wednesday 13th May 2009
Warbreck House Canteen
2.00pm - 3.30pm

The purpose of this post is to remind members of a General Meeting to mandate (i.e. instruct) delegates to the forthcoming PCS National and DWP Group Conferences.

Obviously as the manner in which delegates vote can influence PCS policy on a range of issues from Pay Bargaining to the way the union is run, this is an important meeting. The motions booklets will be available at the Mandating Meeting, however, if you require an advance copy please contact the Branch Secretary, Duncan Griffiths by email or by phone on Ext: 63484.

The agenda for the meeting is:

1) Apologies
2) Announcements
3) Emergency Motions
4) Mandating of delegates to the PCS National and DWP Group Conferences.

1½ hours facility time, plus reasonable travelling time, has been applied for you to attend the meeting. Please make every effort to do so.

If you require any further details please do not hesitate to contact the Branch Secretary, please also contact him if you require a hard copy of the DWP Group or PCS National Conference Motions booklets.

The National Motions book can be found here in .pdf format, the Group Motions booklet is not yet available electronically due to the slightly different nominations and motions timescale of National Conference. We will publish it once it is.

Petition to Ban Members of Racist Organisations from being employed in the Department

Members of PCS Union in the Home Office and UKBA are campaigning for a ban on members of racist organisations from being employed in the Department.

Staff in the Home Office are employed amongst other things as Border Officers, Asylum caseworkers, and enforcement officers. It is incompatible for members of racist organisations to be employed in these sensitive roles.

Whilst there is a ban in the Prison and Police Services there are currently no restrictions on members of the BNP, Combat 18 or the National Front from being employed in the Home Office or UKBA.

If you support the campaign to instigate a ban then please sign the petition which can be found here. It is unacceptable for asylum and immigration policy to be implemented by members of racist organisations.

DCPU - More Work, Less Staff

Members’ Meeting
You may have seen details from the employer recently about the additional work coming to the DCPU from Manchester DBC.

You may have also seen the Branch and DWP Group circulars on the closures and the job cuts in the (P)DCS now (about LEAN) and in the near future and the impact of the job cuts on the staff left to do the work.

Staffing in the DCPU has been reducing due to the Civil Service and DWP job cuts, enabled by LEAN and other reviews. This is despite the DCPU taking on extra work. More work, less staff in other words.We have therefore arranged a members’ meeting to discuss the work situation and gauge members’ views as follows:

Wednesday 13th May 2009
The Canteen
Warbreck House
10:00 am

We will feedback the results to Senior Management to help us to tackle the erosion of jobs at Warbreck House.

Please note that if you have not yet joined PCS there is a membership form available to print and fill in on the right hand side of this website.

We look forward to seeing you on the 13th May 2009

Resolving DCPU Helpline Issues

Scheduled Breaks - Results of the ballot
You may have seen the earlier circular regarding the employer imposing fixed scheduled breaks from 26th May 2009. We indicated that we intended to continue to oppose this imposition and were considering what steps we need to take to try to persuade Senior Management to remove this imposition and would be asking for your views.

On Thursday 30th April 2009 the Branch undertook a ballot which was a snapshot of the members’ views that were in work at that point. The results of the ballot are as follows:

Q1: Do you believe that imposed scheduled breaks are a good idea? Yes = 77 No = 185
Q2: Are scheduled breaks compatible with your Health, Safety and Welfare at work? Yes = 79 No = 174

The employer has stated it intends to impose scheduled breaks on 26 May 2009. Members will receive details of their proposed scheduled breaks before that date. The employer has not withdrawn from the temporary arrangements we agreed with them whilst discussing this issue. PCS believes they still apply namely Management can suggest when they would prefer you to take a break but you were not obliged to comply with this. PCS are aware that some managers are threatening members with disciplinary action if they do not comply immediately. This is not acceptable. Please bring any instances where you are being forced to comply with scheduled breaks before 26 May to our attention.

We will now present the results to the employer and attempt to work with them to find an acceptable solution for all parties. PCS has reminded the employer that our recent experience suggests that we can work together to find acceptable ways forward given willingness on both sides. PCS has indicated we are willing to discuss further.

We hope that the above is useful. If you require any further details about these or any other points then please do not hesitate to contact the Branch Office on Ext: 61186.

Resolving DCPU Helpline Issues

Scheduled Breaks

PCS and the employer have been discussing a number of issues recently to try to improve working conditions in Helpline and to maximise use of the DWP’s resources. Part of this was around scheduled breaks and Senior Management’s proposals to enforce scheduled breaks.

At the Helpline Members Meetings on 26th March 2009 members told us they were opposed to having their 20 minute breaks scheduled at fixed times 4 weeks in advance. PCS raised this, and other issues at a meeting with Senior Management on 15th April 2009 and argued strongly that fixing scheduled breaks was not compatible with individual needs around comfort and welfare, would reduce flexibility and would engender a more controlling and rigid environment and could affect customer service. Members felt strongly that it was important that individual members should be able to determine their own breaks in accordance with their individual needs.

Senior Management understood this and proposed that staff would be able to state when they wanted to take their breaks but would have to do so in advance. They also proposed that if members wanted to split their break into two 10 minute breaks they would be able to do so. PCS welcomed these proposals.

It is therefore extremely disappointing that Senior Management have now withdrawn these proposals and have told us they will be imposing fixed scheduled breaks from 26th May 2009. Senior Management claim “the WFM Geneysis system cannot input 10 minute breaks instead of 20 minute breaks nor do their Performance Team have the resources to input preferred breaks”. They also stated that this means that if we were to go ahead with their proposals Team Leaders would have to manually input all preferred breaks (as a worse case scenario, for up to 14 staff) every week. According to the employer this was not a viable option.

PCS rejects this view. We do not believe allowing staff the flexibility to request when they want a break is particularly onerous given that it is for 14 staff at most once a week. This does not appear to be a particularly huge resource issue particularly when we are doing all we can to resolve the issues that staff are telling us are making their working lives intolerable.

Senior Management also state that the option they propose to use is to schedule 20 minute breaks for all staff (except DDA breaks) via the Geneysis system, which requires no manual intervention. However DDA breaks will still be offered and manually input by Team Leaders. This is the key to the issue. The DWP tells us that Geneysis is a tool and is not the be all and end all when it comes to scheduling cover. Geneysis is a computer software package that takes no account of individuals and their working lives and the pressures, stresses and strains that members face on an increasing basis day by day. Members as individuals know what affects them when they come to work and when the best time is for them to take their break. This continues to be the case.

All the evidence provided by Senior Management suggests that breaks taken throughout the day on the present basis are broadly in line with expected and actual call traffic therefore we do not see any problem. PCS has already agreed that Senior Management can suggest to staff when they would like them to take their break but this was not mandatory until now.

Senior Management even claim they are committed to using any available time that occurs, as a result of this more efficient use of resources, to provide all Helpline staff with more time allocated to them, in order to read their e-mails, discuss procedural changes, read information on the Intranet etc which is a bit rich given it was the same Management Team that slashed the amount of reading time have for staff to do just that.

We must remember that the PDCS has willingly relinquished the use of 1,100 staff on the basis that PDCS claims they will be able to cope with the same amount of work. The reality is they expect more work with less staff which is why Senior Management are introducing this much more rigid, inflexible and controlling environment.

PCS will continue to oppose this imposition. We will be considering what steps we need to take to try to persuade Senior Management to remove this imposition and will be asking for your views shortly. If members have any views or ideas they would like to contribute please let us know.

We hope that the above is useful. If you require any further details about these or any other points then please do not hesitate to contact the Branch Office.

Resolving DCPU Helpline Issues

Working on Flexible Working Hours

PCS and the employer have been discussing a number of issues recently to try to improve working conditions in Helpline and to maximise use of DWP’s resources. Part of this was around work done by full time FWH staff between 7.00 am and 7.30 am (7:30 am being when the phone lines open).

Senior Management were concerned that there could be difficulties finding work within Helpline to enable those staff who regularly work from 7.00 am without impacting on the work of staff who may not be able to go on the phones for whatever reason ie temporary adjustments etc. As part of these discussions Senior Management are proposing to offer to these staff work from an Operational area and will be writing to them directly to ascertain their personal view. Senior Management are proposing that for those full time FWH staff who want to continue to exercise their FWH hours from 7.00 am they will provide work, which is likely to be in an Ops Room

This proposal complies with the principle of the DCS FWH Agreement as Senior Management are finding work that allows members to continue to work their FWH from 7.00 am

PCS are generally supportive of the proposal. We would naturally expect that H&S considerations are taken into account when working in other areas.

We hope that the above is useful. If you require any further details about these or any other points then please do not hesitate to contact the Branch Office on Ext: 61186.

Hope Not Hate Report

BNP leader defends policy on race

Hope Not Hate, an organisation backed by PCS nationally has produced an article on the BNP defending defended a party leaflet which states that black Britons and Asian Britons "do not exist".

The article, which is sourced from the BBC, can be viewed here.

BNP says some members are oddballs and liars

Matthew Taylor from the The Guardian published an article on the BNP last month. It makes interesting reading and can be viewed here.

Asbestos Petition

The Greater Manchester Asbestos Victims Support Group have launched an on-line petition here.

The petition reads as follows:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Support the aims of the Daily Mirror's Asbestos Timebomb campaign.

"We urge the Prime Minister to work towards implementing the five campaign demands.

These are:

• A £10 million National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease to find better treatment, alleviate suffering and find a cure for mesothelioma.
• Compensation reinstated for victims of “pleural plaques” (scars on lungs caused by asbestos) after it was scrapped two years ago.
• Fair and equal compensation for asbestos disease sufferers who can’t trace the insurers of the boses who exposed them, through a new Employers’ Liability Insurance Bureau paid for by the insurance industry.
• A public register of all asbestos surveys carried out on public buildings.
• The Health and Safety Executive must be given the resources to meet its own targets for inspecting asbestos removal work."

Unite Against Facism - Regional Conference

Saturday 25th April
2pm-5pm (Doors open 1.30 pm)
Mechanics Institute,
103 Princess Street Manchester, M1 6DD
(Go to the Major Street entrance)

It is time for all of us to unite to stop the BNP. This Conference aims to bring together all those who wish to be part of the Campaign to stop the BNP in the European Elections on June the 4th.

“The world is a dangerous place to live in: not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” - Albert Einstein, Refugee to Britain from the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.

The Mechanics Institute is located here.

If you wish to attend, please complete email a registration form which can be found here.

Please email the form to Manchester UAF or contact them for more information and a list of speakers at the event.

PDCS Job Losses – Update

Following the recent announcement of 1100 jobs to go in PDCS (Pensions, Disability & Carers Service) senior PCS officials have now met with PDCS management. The main purpose of this meeting was to establish the future for our members transferring to Jobcentre Plus. However, we also wanted to seek assurances around workloads for those members remaining within the PDCS organisation.

PDCS Change Programme
Management appeared surprised at the reaction from PCS members and officials around their decision to axe 1100 jobs in PDCS. They stated that, under the PDCS Change Programme, it was always their intention to make a minimum of 1100 staff efficiency savings in this financial year. The offer from Jobcentre Plus, they said, to absorb the planned staff savings merely prevented them from going down the mass redundancy, wastage and early retirement route. Management made it clear that this would have been a possibility should Jobcentre Plus not have stepped in.

Sites Directly Impacted by Decision

Stockport & Wembley

Both Stockport Pension Centre and Wembley DBC will migrate to Jobcentre Plus. The migration of work will not commence until early summer. Staff will then be trained in Jobcentre Plus work, prior to any JC+ work coming in. Numbers released at any one time will be dependent on the ability of JC+ to deliver the relevant training.

Manchester DBC

The decision has been taken to close Manchester DBC by March 2010. The reason given by management was that the current estate is not fit for purpose and all staff can be redeployed to the Jobcentre Plus network, whilst still meeting the restrictions placed around mobility. PCS expressed concerns around the future for the AA members based there (36), however management have given an assurance that all AA’s will be relocated into the Benefit Delivery Centre network within the Manchester area. All AO’s and above will be expected to move to the Customer Services Directorate within the Jobcentre Plus network

Other Sites

There was good news for staff at National Pension Centre (NPC) who have now been given “Transformation” status and would appear to have their future secured. Similarly, whilst Winter Fuel Payments are moving to NPC, staff at Southgate House will transfer to Cardiff Disability Centre and be re-trained to carry out Disability Benefits work. Staff based at Glasgow DBC will be re-housed at the recently modernised Atlantic Quay, two minutes walk from their current location, and will expand in size to accommodate additional work.

Walsall

Management have confirmed that Walsall will remain open until Autumn 2010, at least, and retain its “Migration” status. PCS have made clear to management that it is totally unacceptable to continue treating members on the Walsall site in this cavalier fashion. With the current exodus off staff to Jobcentre Plus, PCS would have expected Walsall to be given “Transformation” status and allow the members there some certainty over their future.

Terms & Conditions

All members transferring across to Jobcentre Plus do so with their existing terms and conditions. This includes preferred working patterns, reasonable adjustments etc. Furthermore, PCS has been given an assurance from DWP management that those staff who do transfer will not be “locked-in” for any given period should they apply, and be successful, with any lateral transfer request to another Government department.

Conclusion

Whilst PCS accepts that there are huge pressures on our members within Jobcentre Plus which require immediate action, we cannot support the majority of the above decisions taken by PDCS management. In order to provide a lifeline to Jobcentre Plus, they have merely asset-stripped the PDCS network. We are already missing targets, shelving work and turning our back on the promise of improved accuracy. This helps neither our hard working members or the client groups which our members serve so well.

Representatives Meeting

PCS has called a meeting of representatives across the PDCS organisation, along with both TPS and DCS trade union sides. We would expect reps attending to come armed with statistical information which makes a mockery of managements’ claim that the current state of work across PDCS has never been lower and also how the announcement affects their sites.

Group Executive Elections 2009

The purpose of this post is to inform members that from Thursday 23rd April 2009 onwards you should receive your DWP Group Executive Committee Election ballot paper.

The DWP Group Executive is an important body within PCS negotiating and campaigning on items such as:

- Departmental Pay
- Conditions of Service, Annual Leave, etc
- Health and Safety matters such as screens, risk assessments across the Department.

The Branch Executive Committee and the Annual General Meeting support the following list of candidates:

Group President: Jane Aitchison
Vice Presidents (5): Alan Brown, Martin Cavanagh, John McInally, Laura Martin, Katrine Williams
Assistant Secretaries (7): Paul Barton, David Burke, Christine Cuthbert, Sam Hall, Tom Penn, Dave Richards, Rob Williams
Organiser: Fran Heathcote
Treasurer: Bashir Chilwan
Group Journal Editor: Alan Smith

Committee (21): Dave Alston, Ian Pope, Alison Carass, Carol Revell, Jason Ferraby, Sarah Robinson, Helen Flanagan, Sian Ruddick, Jimmy Gill, Lesley Salt, Janice Godrich, Jagdeep Sandhu, Sharon Green, Nigel Sheahan, Gavin Hartley, Derek Thomson, Martin Jones, Yvonne Washbourne, Adam Khalif, Steve West, Dave Owens

The above candidates, if elected, will campaign for:

Pay
A return to national pay bargaining, a minimum wage in line with the European Decency Threshold and all staff to reach their maximum within 5 years. Opposition to Performance Pay. All pay awards must be equality proofed to ensure that they are not discriminatory.

Health & Safety
Full support for members’ Health and Safety rights of work. The above candidates support the Branches in ensuring safety is a key issue- issues such as windows falling out at Preston, ensuring the employer conducts proper Risk Assessments across a range of working environment issues and procedures, lighting (the ability of members to have some control over their environment) and for proper local consultation our Health and Safety issues.

Conditions of Service
The harmonisation of pay, grading and all conditions of service for all DWP members on the basis of the best terms from each Agency. For improved policies on Equal Opportunities and Domestic Violence, improved procedures on promotion vacancy filling and transfers and improvements to sick absence procedures.

Although there is a long way still to go these candidates have already succeeded in preventing the Department’s sick absence procedures from becoming even worse and are seeking to curtail the procedure of semi automatic warnings after only 8 days absence. A degree of common sense is now expected. Successfully achieved the abolition of the despised PDS Appraisal system.

Staffing
Against casualisation and for more permanent staff.

Industrial Relations
For improved industrial relations, adequate time off for PCS representatives and an insistence that PCS must remain an independent Trade Union with the explicit right to actively campaign against and fully oppose any of the employer’s proposals. In favour of fully open negotiations.

Privatisation
A high profile campaign to oppose any further privatisation of work and for the return of work already privatised back into the public sector.

Wider Issues
For a better and fairer benefits system which alleviates rather than perpetuating poverty.

We would encourage members to vote in the forthcoming elections and we hope that you will consider voting for the above candidates.

National Elections 2009

Election of the National Executive Committee

From 16th April 2009 members should begin to receive their ballot papers for the forthcoming PCS National Elections, for the National Executive Committee.

The last few years have made a big difference at the top of the union, and we have no hesitation in calling on members to re-elect the current National Executive Committee majority.

A few years ago members from disparate points of view from the Left Unity Group and the PCS Democrats Group came together to form a broad ‘Democracy’ coalition in order to undo years of damage done by the Right Wing and misnamed ‘National Moderate Group’ whose control of the former CPSA, and for one year in PCS resulted in the unlawful attempt at a “coup” and the attempt to sack the Elected General Secretary Mark Serwotka. They also tried to frustrate both Conference decisions and Membership ballot decisions. To hide their shameful past they have changed their name to “4 the members”. Do not be fooled, they haven’t changed much and still have not put forward a single proposal to improve your pay and conditions.

The antics of Barry Reamsbottom’s acolytes should never be forgotten, but the Union must now look forward.

This is why the Branch Annual General Meeting and Branch Executive Committee recommend that you vote for the list of candidates for the following reasons:

Working Together For Members
The National Executive Committee has worked together for PCS Members. Thanks to this work, change has begun at all levels of the union:

Pay is being taken forward as a National issue by Mark Serwotka and Janice Godrich. We need to negotiate and campaign on pay with one National voice rather than 200 separate voices, to prevent decimation of our pay and pay progression – particularly in DWP. The NEC is leading this campaign. Negotiations were stalled as the Government dragged talks out. Due to this the leadership asked members to back up the negotiations with action, and this has secured fresh substantive negotiations for the first time in over 10 years.

The Pensions Campaign across the entire Public Sector was led by our President, General Secretary and NEC. The Victory on protecting members Pensions would not have been achieved without the leadership of these candidates. Millions of Public Sector workers have reason to be thankful.

Campaigns against privatisation and the Civil Service job cuts, have been launched, and despite setbacks, will continue.

The National Executive Committee in five years, has done far more than was done in predecessor Unions in the previous two decades.

Senior Officials Elections
Over the past period the President Janice Godrich, the Deputy General Secretary Hugh Lanning and Assistant General Secretary Chris Baugh, along with the General Secretary Mark Serwotka have worked together to re-establish PCS as a campaigning union and have:

• put a return to national civil service pay, and an end to low and unequal pay, at the top of the union’s work and forced the employer to concede talks Nationally


• led a real fight to defend jobs, pensions, pay, conditions and public services, protected the final salary pension scheme and the right to retire at 60 for existing staff. Negotiated a new Pensions scheme for new entrants with faster accrual rates


• united 14 major unions in a National campaign against privatisation


• stopped the cuts in civil service paid sick leave


• secured a commitment from the Government to end the Two Tier workforce (an outcome of privatisation)


• raised the profile of the union with Ministers, employers, the TUC, other unions, opinion formers, and within the membership and used television, radio and press to advance members’ interests

Let’s show our support and re-elect Janice and her team!

Building On The Progress Made
There is a need to continue to unite all those in the union who are committed to implementing the policies of the union and defend the union's democracy.

The Branches ask for support based on the record of the candidates on the list during the last year and on the following important basic principles:

• Implementation of PCS Policies as agreed by Conference and Membership ballots and concentration on delivering on members’ priority issues, particularly on Pay, Pensions and Privatisation.


• Implementing improvements to the way PCS is organised and run.

The recommended list is as follows:

Deputy General Secretary: Hugh Lanning
Asst Gen Secretary: Chris Baugh
President: Janice Godrich
Deputy/Vice Presidents (4): Dave Bean, John McInally, Sue Bond, Glenys Morris

National Executive Committee (30): Ian Albert, Cheryl Gedling, Dominic McFadden, Mark Baker, Kevin Greenway, Kevin McHugh, Alan Brown, Sam Hall, Chris Morrison, Paula Brown, Zita Holbourne, Andy Reid, Steve Comer, Jon Jamieson, Dave Richards, Tony Conway, Emily Kelly, Victoria Steeples, Alan Dennis, Adam Khalif, Hector Wesley, Mike Derbyshire, Neil License, Paul Williams, Joy Dunn, Marion Lloyd, Rob Williams, Mary Ferguson, Lorna Merry, Gary Winder.

The newly re-named ‘4 members’ i.e. the old National Moderate Group (Barry Reamsbottom's ex-followers) only want to look after one set of members, themselves! The former ultra left “Socialist Caucus” (who have newly re-named themselves the “Independent Left”) talk as if the revolution is tomorrow and what’s more all their policies are based upon this premise!

Vote Wisely.

Several leaflets have been distributed to branches by the Democracy Alliance, most of the information is contained in this post. However the originals can be viewed here:

Recommendation for Branches

National Poster

National Elections

Transfer of Work To Warbreck

More Work Less Staff

Members will by now have heard the announcement that Manchester and Wembley DBC’s are to be closed and that the Manchester DLA work is to be moved to Warbreck.

Members will be rightly annoyed about the worrying times ahead for their colleagues in Manchester and Wembley DBCs. This bad news has been dressed up as good news by the employer who have indicated that this measure somehow secures jobs. We did not create the current economic downturn and banking crisis however 1,100 PDCS staff are to be moved lock stock and barrel to Job Centre Plus to help out with the impact of the economic crisis.

More work and more uncertainty
Not only does this announcement mean more uncertainty in terms of the members directly affected, it also means that there will be more work and less staff for the members remaining in the PDCS. This is not about job security, its all about measures to try and cope with ever increasing problems following the job cuts. The employer claims that Lean and other “enablers” will mean the staff remaining can do the same (or actually increasing!) amount of work. We are hugely sceptical of this. The reality of the cuts is already here with the unpopular LEAN job cuts already beginning to bite and plans to cut further staff from the DCPU staffing budget by next year.

This announcement simply means that there will be more work and less staff. Whilst staff may seemingly have more “secure” jobs at the moment, and who really can trust our employer on that point, those who are left in PDCS will see their workloads soar with all the consequent pressures on their individual working life, restrictions on access to flexi and leave, being forced to work to targets.

Meetings with MPs
The Branch has a meeting arranged with two of the local MPs for Friday 17th April 2009, and has meetings in the pipeline with the other local MPs. The issue of the pressures on the members will be raised at those meetings and you may wish to contact your MP if you are concerned about them.

Hopefully the above is useful. If you require any further details about these or any other points then please do not hesitate to contact the Branch Office.

1,100 jobs to go in PDCS - PCS demands urgent talks

Sam Hall (Group Assistant Secretary) and Dave Wilklinson (Negotiations Officer) have provided the following information:

PCS has written to Pensions, Disability & Carers Service (PDCS) management demanding urgent talks following today’s announcement that 1100 staff are to be transferred, permanently, to Jobcentre Plus.

Background
PCS has learned that the PDCS staff at Wembley and Manchester Disability Benefit Centres, along with all staff at Stockport Pension Centre, are to be moved to Jobcentre Plus because of the economic downturn and their urgent need to recruit more staff. There are also changes planned for staff at the Winter Fuel Payments Centre in Cardiff, Glasgow Disability Benefit Centre and both Walsall and National Pension Centres. However, staff on those sites will remain within the PDCS organisation. These moves will be phased over a 12 month period.

Current Situation
PCS recognises the pressures facing our members in Jobcentre Plus due to the current recession, however PCS firmly believes that the decision by management, nationally, to remove 1100 PDCS staff from their current work to be an act of folly. Experienced PCS representatives across the PDCS network report a picture of failing accuracy, arrears of work, incorrect issues of award and easements, which allow overpayments and underpayments to go on indefinitely. Moving 1100 staff out of the PDCS organisation will only make the situation worse.

Undue Pressure
Staff across the PDCS network will feel cheated by this latest management move. Volumes of work will, inevitably, increase, putting hard-working members under even more pressure in their efforts to deliver a service to the most vulnerable client groups that DWP provides for.

Consultation
Members will not be surprised to learn that there was no proper consultation around these proposed moves. Management have chosen to announce this without discussing with PCS the implications for our PDCS members. Following our request, management have now informed PCS that they are willing to meet with us for one hour on 9th. April 2009 to discuss our concerns. Their view appears to be one of complacency, and have even stated that this is good news for PDCS staff.

Alliance Groups
PCS shall be making The National Pensioners Convention aware of the latest attack on the service provision for the disabled and retired community. We are also seeking to meet with The National Disability Network Group. PCS is committed to working with the above groups to ensure that the needs of their client groups are not ignored because of pressures elsewhere across the DWP organisation. We also need to ensure that The Minister for Pensions, Rosie Winterton, is fully aware of the consequences the enforced changes bring to the client group she is expected to look after and have requested an urgent meeting with her.

Conclusion
As stated, PCS will be meeting with management later this week. We have many questions around these changes which have already been communicated to the employer. Hopefully our next publication will clearly reflect the outcomes of those talks.

DWP People Performance Starts April 2009

Objectives, Competencies and Discussions

Start of the Year
People Performance replaces the Performance and Development System (PDS) for members in DWP from 1 April 2009.

People Performance Policy, Procedure and Advice are published on the DWP Intranet Human Resources site.

At the initial performance discussion, the manager and the employee should:

• Agree objectives and competencies
• Agree the personal development needs of the employee and update the development plan
• Agree the number and timing of performance discussions that will take place throughout the year, these must be quarterly as a minimum
• Record what has been agreed on appropriate forms.

Managers should also explain what the “Wholly Exceptional” criteria (Procedure 7.3) will mean in the employee’s own work context.

SSMART Objectives
The employee and their manager will agree who will be responsible for preparing the first draft of objectives. If employees choose not to, then managers should set appropriate objectives for the employee. The manager will be responsible for ensuring that the objectives are relevant to the job role, SSMART (Stretching, Specific, Measurable, Achievable & Agreed, Relevant, Timebound), and written using simple language about what is expected. A “SSMART Checklist” is provided for further help on this area. ( Procedure 2.1)

No more than six SSMART objectives (and a minimum of two) will be recorded at any one time, as these are to be reviewed at each performance discussion and updated whenever significant changes occur (Procedure 2.3).

Competencies
There are six competency areas in the DWP competency framework. One of these is Delivering a Professional Service which is broken down into different professional areas. The manager and employee will agree which competencies are most relevant to the employee’s job role. (Procedure 2.4 – 2.7)

Performance Discussions
Performance discussions are vital to ensure that employees are aware of how they are performing against their objectives and competencies. There is no laid down structure for the performance discussion, they can be as long or short as necessary. They may take the form of a conversation about work matters where new plans are made, objectives reviewed and feedback given on past work. (Procedure 3.3)

Generic Objectives
DWP targets or generic objectives should not be automatically set as work objectives. Individual factors such as experience, knowledge, any reasonable adjustments needed and working pattern must be taken into account ( Procedure 2.8 & 2.9).

Stretching but Achievable
Stretching objectives are qualified by the SSMART criteria expectation for all objectives to be achievable and agreed.

Numerical Targets
Numerical targets which are not within the employee’s personal control should be opposed. Objectives must be within the employee’s capability.

Attendance Objectives
DWP has accepted that numeric targets for attendance are not within the active control of the individual and are therefore not necessarily achievable. An attendance objective should, if used, only expect compliance with processes, application of policy and an understanding and commitment to overall business targets.

Team Work
Numerical targets should be qualified by the need for team work and recognise the individual is expected to make a contribution towards the achievement of a target. An example of an acceptable work objective would be: to accurately determine entitlement to new claims to benefit and to make an effective contribution towards the new claims clearance times of X days, as in the unit business plan.

Disability and Objectives
Disabled people must have objectives set which provide the same opportunity to meet or exceed objectives as any other employee. Reasonable adjustments must be made for their disability if that affects their performance (Procedure 2.11 & Advice 5).

Part Time Workers
Part time staff must have the time taken for learning, reading and keeping up to date etc. taken into account, for example, a member of staff working half the hours of a full time member of staff should expect to have objectives set at less than half that of the full timer to allow for these activitities (Procedure 2.12 & Advice 5).

Use Grievance Rights
Use the DWP Grievance Procedures to oppose unacceptable Objectives / People Performance problems or decisions which give cause for concern (Procedure 8.28).

Employees have a right to a grievance hearing and the right to be accompanied by a Trade Union Representative.

Further PCS guidance for People Performance will be issued first on the PCS HQ website.

PDS-CMEC Performance Plans 2009 - Oppose Unacceptable Work Objectives

Achievable and Agreed Requirements
The CMEC PDS procedures require at least three and no more than six work objectives to be set which conform to the “SSMART” model. Objectives should be achievable and agreed and relevant. They need to be reviewed when they have become unachievable or irrelevant.

Joint agreement between line managers and employees should be the aim. Where agreement cannot be reached line managers will set objectives. However, line managers decisions are subject to the decision making standards required under the HR Decision Makers Guide (para 2).

Fair And Reasonable Requirements
PDS decisions need to meet the principles of natural justice (PDS policy para 7). All PDS decisions need to be reasonable, fair, unbiased and properly explained. Employees have the right to use the Grievance Procedures for redress when unreasonable objectives are set.

Grievance Rights Apply
Unagreed work objectives which do not conform to the SSMART criteria and/or are unfair, unreasonable, biased or not properly explained should be resisted by using the grievance procedures. Line managers and employees should avoid disputes wherever
possible. The PDS policy for setting objectives puts an emphasis on agreement:

Work objectives should conform to the SSMART criteria: Stretching, Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Agreed, Relevant, Timely (PDS Procedure para 2.2)

Agreement of objectives between line manager and employee is emphasised under the PDS procedures. A = Achievable and Agreed.

Individual factors such as time in the job, experience, knowledge and part time hours must be taken into account (para 2.2).

Oppose Unacceptable Objectives
All PCS members should oppose unacceptable work objectives. CMEC targets or generic objectives should not be automatically set as work objectives. Adjustments must be made to ensure equality of opportunity to achieve all performance levels.

New or more stretching objectives should not be backdated when objective setting takes place later in the year. Line managers and employees should agree objectives which support team work, are consistent with the SSMART criteria, and are fair and reasonable, unbiased and properly explained.

Stretching But Achievable
Stretching objectives are also qualified by the need to be achievable and agreed.

Numerical Targets
Numerical targets which are not within the employee’s personal control should be opposed. Objectives must be within the employee’s capability.

Attendance Objectives
PCS has argued against Attendance Management objectives being used, especially the use of numeric attendance targets. PDS Advice recognises that numeric targets are not within the active control of the individual and are therefore not necessarily achievable.

The recommended approach is to set objectives which require compliance with processes, application of policy and an understanding and commitment to meeting the overall targets (PDS Advice paras 7 and 8).

Team Work
Numerical targets should be qualified by the need for team work and recognise the individual is expected to make a contribution towards the achievement of a target. An example of an acceptable work objective would be: to accurately determine entitlement to new claims to benefit and to make an effective contribution towards the new claims clearance times of X days, as in the unit business plan.

Disability And Objectives
Disabled people must have objectives set which provide the same opportunity to meet or exceed objectives as any other employee. Reasonable adjustments must be made for their disability if that affects their performance (PDS Advice para 6).

Part Time Workers
Part time staff must have the time taken for learning, reading and keeping up to date etc. taken into account, for example, a member of staff working half the hours of a full time member of staff should expect to have objectives set at less than half that of the full timer to allow for these activities (PDS Advice para 4).

Individual Circumstances
Objectives must take into account levels of experience and knowledge, the possible effect of a recent job change or return from a lengthy absence from work (PDS Advice para 5).

Use Grievance Rights
Use the CMEC Grievance Procedures to oppose unacceptable work objectives (PDS Procedure 7.28).

Employees have a right to a grievance hearing and the right to be accompanied by a Trade Union Representative.

Grievances may include problems with objectives which are unachievable, not relevant, unfair or unreasonable

Changes to DWP Reasonable Adjustments Procedures

Pilots
Following the evaluation of pilots in the Yorkshire and the Humber Region and the London Head Office Estate the procedures for managing the assessment and provision of reasonable adjustments for staff with disabilities have changed from 1 April 2009. This bulletin summarises the changes and detailed guidance can be found on the DWP intranet under HR, Diversity and Equality, Reasonable Adjustments.

Problems with RA provision
Disabled staff and PCS reps will be aware of the difficulties experienced over the years where the procedures and contracts have been an obstacle to providing staff with acceptable, appropriate assessment and adjustments in a timely manner. PCS has often resorted to using employment tribunals in order to enable the provision of reasonable adjustments and the tribunals have been critical of DWP policies as an employer. This has put pressure on DWP in particular as it is the public body changed with enabling employers to help keep and get disabled staff into work. Managers have also expressed concern at the amount of special leave with pay they have had to fund during these unacceptable delays.

Reasonable Adjustments Specialist Team (RAST) service
All reasonable adjustment requests will now be managed by a central DWP team based in Sheffield. Line managers will be responsible for identifying those staff with disabilities that require adjustments but will now pass these (except where simple adjustments can be made by the manager) onto the RAST service to manage the process. This is a significant and welcome change as it removes all the restrictive criteria used in the pilots where for example only “severe, chronic and progressive cases” were passed onto the RAST service.

No changes to contracts
PCS have been consulted on these changes and hope to see an improvement in the provision of reasonable adjustments. However there are no changes to the contracting out of assessments (ATOS) and provision of furniture/equipment (Trillium) and IT equipment following the pilot. PCS are concerned about reports that the changes made to the ATOS/Trillium contracts last year, on how and who conducts workplace assessments have increased assessment and delivery times leading to yet further delays in provision. We are firmly committed to pursuing a policy of provision either by, or as good as our own (in house) staff from the Access to Work Teams in line with conference 2007 motion A227.

The changes to the management of RA provision outlined above will allow the RAST teams to progress and monitor provision in order to give them a clear picture on a national scale and feed this back into contract management in order to achieve any contractual changes required.

Advice for reps
These changes will impact on how PCS represent members going through this process, at present local mangers know who representatives are and can easily verify they have the authority to access documents on the members’ behalf. As the process will be managed remotely reps may have to get written authority from members in order to obtain this information, in particular internal notes not automatically given to members.

Reps should feed back any problems and requests for advice through their PCS branch equality rep or branch H&S officer who will in turn pass this to regional or group officers as appropriate.

National Pay – Treasury Pay Guidance Finally Issued.

The PCS DWP Group Executive Committee (GEC) has supplied the following information:

National Pay – Treasury Pay Guidance Finally Issued.

There have been serious delays by the Government in issuing new guidance on pay for this year, and PCS exerted maximum pressure about this over several weeks. The guidance was issued on 31st March 2009, but is unacceptable in not taking account of cuts in living standards that our members experienced in recent years. However, the guidance does conform to the agreement reached with the Government last December, by including the use of efficiency savings to improve pay awards. We can now test whether this results in more money reaching our members pay packets.

MP’s Get 2.3% Rise

Members will also have noticed that MP’s have voted themselves a 2.3% pay rise this year. We believe that if a 2.3% pay rise, on top of their generous allowances, is good enough for highly paid MP’s then it is the very least that hard working low paid civil servants deserve.

Fair Pay for All
More evidence continues to emerge to show how badly members in DWP fare compared to pay rises in other organisations. Even staff in Lloyds bank are being awarded an inflation busting pay increase, despite being one of the banks bailed out by the taxpayer.

PCS don’t begrudge anyone an inflation proof rise – it’s what we are fighting for. We just believe this is further evidence of how justified we are in continuing to argue for decent pay rises for all DWP members.

GEC Secures Early Pay Talks
Immediately after the pay remit was published, The GEC met with DWP management and secured agreement from them to hold meetings at the earliest possible time to discuss how we apply the pay remit guidance in DWP.

We have pressed for full access to the information on potential and actual efficiency savings in DWP that can be used to improve members’ pay. We have made it clear to management that we expect them to move ahead rapidly with this work.

PCS are currently working on the detail of the guidance to ensure that we are best placed to secure every single additional penny we can to improve members pay. While in those talks yesterday the BBC revealed another 3,000 job losses in the economy – emphasising how crucial DWP staff are at present.

As we approach the third year of the imposed three year pay offer, DWP management will have to work hard with us to secure the maximum amount of extra money from efficiency savings in order to get members the pay we all deserve.

Together we will win.

CMEC/CSA – Contract Breakers

The following has been supplied by PCS DWP Group:

Members working in CMEC/CSA will by now have been informed of the plans to break up contracts and impose new working patterns on individuals. This, as always, is being dressed up as ‘improving client service’.

Working Day Project
We have kept members up to date on this issue with management claiming the benchmarking exercise confirmed they had insufficient staff to cover after 5pm weekdays and on Saturdays. Recruitment exercises have not been successful in filling the gaps, particularly in the evening.

Proposal
Under the title ‘Proposed Business Change’ management want to impose changes on those members who have contracts outwith the management’s definition of the working day. This equates to roughly 1400 staff. They state they will “review” the contracts of people who are currently contracted to work outwith 8am – 8pm (Monday – Friday) and 8.36am to 5pm (Saturday) and then following this ‘review’ they propose to change contracts by 14 December 2009.

The Process
If your contract falls outside the ‘working day’ you are being offered continuous employment but on new terms. When PCS asked what if members failed to comply would they be sacked? We were informed CMEC didn’t want to get into that space.

That statement is an absolute outrage and must be treated with the contempt it deserves.

You will be invited to a 1:1 consultation where potentially pressure will be applied to members to change their contracts. Under no circumstances agree to consultation without a trade union representative and under no circumstances agree to any changes until further advice is given.

To our members who are managers involved in this process the same advice applies and that is that you should not be pressured to force members to agree to changes.

PCS Response
PCS has urged management not to follow this path. There are implications for members who receive Extended Working Hours Allowance which could result in a loss of pay. There are potential pension implications if members lose some hours and this also extends to EWHA which is pensionable. Many members work their current hours due to management request and/or round their domestic circumstances and this could lead to extra care costs and again potential loss of hours/salary.

Our initial legal advice is that contract changes must be agreed, either by the employee and employer or through collective bargaining. PCS has not reached a collective agreement. Further legal advice is being sought.

Once again CMEC/CSA management are trying to change terms and conditions with little thought for the impact this has on our members.

It will also raise a concern for many other members that CMEC may look to change contracts whenever they dream up a new business requirement.

As stated earlier members are advised to agree nothing until further advice is produced. This affects members in Corporate Services and CSA.

Pay Update

The following has been received from PCS Group:

The NEC has called a meeting of negotiators from all of the delegated bargaining units across the civil service about PCS actions in relation to our serious concern about the delays and difficulties in implementing our national agreement reached in December. This has been set for 26 March, and will follow a special NEC meeting the same day, at which the action to take will be discussed.

The meeting will consider an update on the talks with treasury and the cabinet office as well as feedback on negotiations with departments, agencies and other bodies. A full report of the outcome of the meeting will be issued shortly afterwards.

Minister highlights great work of DWP staff
Employment minister Tony McNulty this week highlighted the “great work” being done by DWP staff in response to the record levels of unemployment announced on Tuesday.

The minister pointed out that staff are on top of targets and were delivering 45,000 interviews and 60,000 phone calls every working day.

Fine words butter no parsnips
PCS believes that the minister should ensure that staff are properly rewarded and should agree that all efficiency savings made over the past year should be directed into basic pay. The scandal of low pay in DWP should also urgently be addressed.

This years review and the long-awaited, new treasury guidance provide an opportunity to address these real concerns.

DWP management to reconsider offer
PCS negotiators met with management this week to discuss an expected offer on improving employee relations, managing attendance, PDS, family friendly policies and job security.

On many issues it was clear that an acceptable offer was achievable. However the management team was unable to make an acceptable offer in all of these areas and after a prolonged meeting they have agreed to reconsider the offer and the possibility of improvments.

Whilst PCS are bitterly disappointed by this further delay it was agreed that a further meeting would be arranged in the next 2 weeks to consider a better offer.

The group executive committee will meet as soon as a revised offer is received and consider what action is appropriate.

DCPU Helpline Members’ Meetings

We have been meeting with Senior DCPU Helpline Management regarding proposed changes. You may have seen some of the circulars recently issued from the Branch.

We are very interested in gauging feedback from the members with regards to some of the issues and therefore have arranged meetings as follows.

Members Meetings
Thursday 26th March 2009
Warbreck House Canteen
10:00 am and 2:00 Pm.

Agenda/Topics to cover:

• Scheduled Breaks
• Removal/Reduction in Flexi for those on FWH
• Benchmarks
• First Class and Flexible
• Pressures on Helpline members

Time has been granted from the employer for you to attend. Please make every effort to do so.

Only PCS members can attend the meeting. Please fill print out, complete and return the membership form here if you wish to join and attend.

We look forward to seeing you at one of the meetings.

Stop the BNP in the North West

This message has been sent out by the PCS NW Regional Committee:

PCS is an independent democratic trade union, and opposition to all forms of discrimination is enshrined in the union rule book.

We are not affiliated to any political party, but as a union we campaign on all issues that affect our members. We are affiliated to Unite Against Fascism which campaigns against the election of racist parties such as the British National Party (BNP).

The BNP campaigns under the slogan “Rights for Whites” and says it is only standing up for ordinary white workers. As union members we know from experience, that the only way to stand up for our rights as workers is to stick together and deal with issues collectively. If the BNP was elected this would be impossible, because they will shut down independent trade unions and round up anyone who tries to organise them.

The BNP has stated that if elected to government they would introduce a policy of deporting all non white UK residents – this policy is called “voluntary repatriation”. This would presumably involve rounding up anyone the BNP determined not to be white and detaining them indefinitely.

You may be aware that the BNP has tried to involve itself in the recent disputes in refineries and power stations. It has latched on to the slogan “British jobs for British workers”. This is not because it supports collective action but because it will hijack any argument involving nationality or ethnicity to try to spread its racist message.

Four years ago the British National Party came within a whisker of winning a seat in the European Parliament for the North West. The vote is on the basis of proportional representation, so they only need a relatively small number of votes to achieve this. This year their leader, Nick Griffin, is standing to represent the North West constituency in the European Parliament and has a good chance of getting elected. This will raise the BNP’s profile both nationally and across Europe and would also lead to them being given tens of thousands of pounds of tax payers money to fund their activities.

We ask all members to make sure you vote in the European elections in order to reduce the percentage of the vote for the BNP.

Lean Roll out in DCPU

This is the latest post to update members with feedback from the latest correspondence with Senior DCPU Management on 4th March 2009. The "missing points" are the ones that Senior Management declined to respond to.

Senior Management’s response is as follows:

“I have attached a response to the points that you raised following your meeting with staff. I have not answered any points which I felt were not directly related to Lean……

Having now looked at the points raised during the meeting you held with staff from C222 and B307 on the 18th February 09 regarding Lean, I am now in a position to respond to the Lean specific points from my area.

a) Team Leaders are under no additional pressure as a result of Lean although they are understandably very busy getting to grips with the Lean tools and techniques. Team Leaders are not undertaking AO work however I can confirm in my area they were assisting AOs in a BF trawl as a one off exercise as WARS had been missed at the start of Lean.

c) DMs have not been told they have to do X number of decisions per day, what has taken place is a discussion around expectations which we would hold for any member of staff.

d) Staff are not being taken into rooms by the HEO because they have expressed their negative views, there was an incident where a member of staff had used inappropriate language during a training session and this was dealt with by the HEO.

e) Information centres are designed to take approx 10 mins each morning; any ideas/concerns raised are taken outside of the information area each day and progressed by a designated member of staff until resolved.

f) We do have a rota in place for staff to attend the Information Centre each morning; this is to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to get involved. Staff are also encouraged to pop into the information centre throughout the day at their own convenience.

k) What the SEO said to staff during a meeting prior to Lean was that anyone who was still unsure or had negative feelings about Lean that they were to raise their concerns with the managers so we could help.

m) There is no change to the way DMs are managed in Lean in terms of outputs, what we have recognised is that whilst staff are in a learning curve and still consolidating their training that their outputs will be lower for a period of time.

o) Concern strips are a means of staff being able to raise any concerns they have in an anonymous way if they prefer, by having the concern on a strip it is absolutely guaranteed to be taken forward and progressed until resolved. Discussions do take place once the concern is taken outside of the information centre.

w) The reason we advised not mentioning the word Lean to the public is because this would have no meaning to the majority of customers and could confuse them, Lean is not a new process in terms of how we decide on benefit merely a way of controlling the flow of work and improving the way we deliver our business.

y) The workstep manual has been formulated following all the Lean training and the best practices being highlighted by staff within the Lean rooms. It is the work in progress that can be amended should it prove beneficial. Pending trays are not required because we do not expect staff to be taking work in such big numbers that they would be leaving cases on their desks unactioned. This process was designed following the staff feedback to ensure that they do not feel overloaded, and that T/Ls are able to monitor the flow of work more clearly.

aa) Lean works on a two tray system i.e. in and out and therefore staff should not have any additional trays on their desks.

hh & ii) A/L and how it is managed has not changed with Lean, as with any area it is dependant on business needs, with Lean the system however is more visual.

ll) In terms of staff accessing the racking, staff have all been advised that if there are any problems with people accessing the racking that it must be flagged up with their manager and the normal procedures in terms of Health and Safety will be followed.”

We will continue to meet Senior DCS Management on Lean and raise the issues you raise with us.

We have no intention of stopping raising points regardless of whether or not an individual manager believes that points are or are not relevant. (They did say that some of the Health and Safety points we raised were “petty” in the meeting, we do not agree).

PCS will continue to speak to members in the areas that have rolled out to establish your views.

Please also let Dean Rhodes, Jim Marsh or Grant McClure have any concerns as they arise.

If you have not yet joined PCS then please print, complete return the application form here.

Your New Representatives Post AGM of The Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch

The purpose of this post is to advise members of your new team of representatives for the forthcoming period following the Branch Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 26th February 2009.

The following are the details of those recently elected (or re-elected) to serve the Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch:

BRANCH OFFICERS
Martin Jones - Chair, 7130A NX, Ext: 63505
Grant McClure - Deputy Chair, C122A WH, Ext: 67400
Fred Claber - Vice Chair, PP18 Peel Park, Ext: 88127
Charlie Kingston - Vice Chair, 7143 NX, Ext: 62448
Duncan Griffiths - Secretary, 7233 NX, Ext: 63484
Emma Haslehurst - Deputy Secretary, C122A WH, Ext: 61186
Patricia Spencer - Deputy Secretary, PP23 Peel Park, Ext: 88292
Lee Wallace-Dand - Deputy Secretary, 7233 NX, Ext: 62796
Charles Hancock - Asst. Secretary (Dept. Directorates), 7233 NX, Ext: 63385
Dean Rhodes - Asst. Secretary (DCS), C122A WH, Ext: 61186
Bill Robison - Asst. Secretary (CSA), PP23 Peel Park, Ext: 88205
Jacqui Dunkerley - Treasurer, 7233 NX, Ext: 62882
Chris Wade - Asst. Treasurer, C122A WH, Ext: 67309
Michelle Kenyon - Organiser, C122A WH, Ext: 67424
Janice Gibbons - Deputy Organiser (Peel Park), PP03 Peel Park, Ext: 88622
Jon Colgan - Deputy Organiser (Norcross), 7143 NX, Ext: 63274
Katya Lawder - Deputy Organiser (Warbreck), C122A WH, Ext: 61186
Mick Daniels - Membership Officer, 7233 NX, Ext: 62881
Gloria Hodgkinson - Equal Opportunities’ Officer, C122A WH, Ext: 67714

BEC MEMBERS
Craig Barrett, Clare Bat Or, Andy Bates, Bridget Bottomley, Scott Burrows, Victor Carman, Julie Dare, Carl Erwin, Peter Hitchen, Dave Kearsley, Paul King, Graham Lyndhurst, Alistair Mitchell, Alison Morris, Clark Nuttall, Kevin O’Grady, Malcolm Phair, Tracey Pierce, Ian Powell, Dave Ray, Lloyd Williams.

LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES (NOT ON BEC)
Simon Clapham, Gregg Fothergill, Deborah Jones, Tony Manning, Jim Marsh, Joyce Mellor, David Nutter, Margaret Sykes, Sally Taylor-Hughes.

MEMBERS’ PERSONAL CASES
Emma Haslehurst and Michelle Kenyon (primarily Warbreck)
Jon Colgan (primarily Norcross and non CSA areas at Peel Park)
Fred Claber (primarily CSA)

Annual General Meeting Ballots

The purpose of this post is to inform members of the outcome of the ballots that took place up to and at the Branch Annual General Meeting on Thursday 26th February 2009 at the Cliffs Hotel Blackpool.

The votes were as follows, as counted by the tellers and verified by the auditors, and announced to the AGM were as follows:

Branch Officers

Chair
Martin Jones: 215 (of which 76 were postal votes)

Dave Kearsley: 84 (of which 14 were postal votes)

Martin Jones was therefore elected as Chair.

Deputy Chair
Victor Carman: 60 (of which 11 were postal votes)

Grant McClure: 238 (of which 82 were postal votes)

Grant McClure was therefore elected as Deputy Chair.

Secretary
Julie Dare: 81 (of which 10 were postal votes)

Duncan Griffiths: 217 (of which 81 were postal votes)

Duncan Griffiths was therefore elected as Branch Secretary

Deputy Organiser (Warbreck)

Katya Lawder: 212 (of which 80 were postal votes)

Malcolm Phair: 83 (of which 11 were postal votes)

Katya Lawder is therefore elected as Deputy Organiser for Warbreck.

Membership Officer

Mick Daniels was elected unopposed part way through the election as Denise MacCallum withdrew.

Equal Opportunities Officer

Julie Dare: 83 (of which 16 were postal votes)

Gloria Hodgkinson: 214 (of which 76 were postal votes)

Gloria Hodgkinson is therefore elected as Equal Opportunities.

Branch Executive Committee at Warbreck

Please note that the results for Mick Daniels (elected as Membership Officer), Katya Lawder (elected as Deputy Organiser) and Grant McClure (elected as Deputy Chair) are not included here, as they were elected as Officers.

BEC Elected
Craig Barrett = 108 (of which 21 were postal votes)

Dave Kearsley = 106 (of which 16 were postal votes)

Julie Dare = 102 (of which 17 were postal votes)

Graham Lyndhurst = 98 (of which 20 were postal votes)

Clark Nuttall = 97 (of which 17 were postal votes)

Malcolm Phair = 79 (of which 13 were postal votes)

Bridget Bottomley = 74 (of which 15 were postal votes)

Tracey Pierce = 71 (of which 12 were postal votes)

Alistair Mitchell = 67 (of which 6 were postal votes)

Dave Ray = 65 (of which 16 were postal votes)

Victor Carman = 63 (of which 7 were postal votes)

Carl Erwin = 61 (of which 12 were postal votes)

Not Elected

Denise MacCallum = 58 (of which 6 were postal votes)

Peter Windle = 54 (of which 9 were postal votes)

Sally Taylor – Hughes = 49 (of which 6 were postal votes)

Deborah Jones = 31 (of which 3 were postal votes)

National Conference Delegates

Elected

Grant McClure = 202

Martin Jones = 166

Chris Wade = 156

Emma Haslehurst = 118

Dave Kearsley = 117

Not elected

Michelle Kenyon = 113

Clare Bat Or = 84

DWP Group Conference Delegates

Elected

Grant McClure = 188

Gloria Hodgkinson = 161

Chris Wade = 147

Emma Haslehurst = 146

Michelle Kenyon = 138

Not Elected

Dave Kearley = 113
Clare Bat Or = 88

Mandating Meeting – For PCS National and DWP Group Conferences

The purpose of this post is to advise members of a General Meeting to mandate (i.e. instruct) delegates to the forthcoming PCS National and DWP Group Conferences.

Obviously as the manner in which delegates vote can influence PCS policy on a range of issues from Pay Bargaining to the way the union is run, this is an important meeting.

The details of the meeting are as follows:

Wednesday 13th May 2009
Warbreck Canteen
2.00pm

1½ hours facility time, plus reasonable travelling time, have been applied for you to attend the meeting. Please make every effort to do so.

If you require any further details please do not hesitate to Duncan Griffiths by email or on 01253 333484.

National Lobby of Parliament against the Welfare Reform Bill

Together with other unions, the TUC, and campaign groups like Unemployed Workers Centres and the Child Poverty Action Group, PCS is organising a lobby of Parliament and public meeting on 3rd of March.

James Purnell's proposals for reform of the welfare state represent an attack on much that our movement holds dear.

The bill if implemented will allow cuts of up to 40% of benefit payments for vulnerable people including lone parents with children. People with disabilities and long-term illnesses are already finding themselves on reduced benefits, and face increased pressure to seek work - even though many employers will not take on such workers. They will oblige the long-term unemployed to work for their benefits, something that even Margaret Thatcher's Cabinet rejected. They will get an effective hourly rate of pay of only £1.74, massively undercutting the minimum wage.

They plan to put the Social Fund, last port of call for the desperately poor; in private or charitable hands, taking us back to the Victorian era and they will privatise more of the functions currently performed by our members in Jobcentres, forcing many of the most vulnerable into the hands of private companies interested only in how much they can milk from the state.

I am proud of the role that PCS has already played in campaigning against these proposals, but now we must step up the fight. The Welfare Reform Bill is making rapid progress through parliament, and we are determined to make sure that MPs understand how backward the proposals are - especially when so many jobs are being lost, and people need assistance, not bullying.

We are organising a lobby of parliament on the 3rd of March, beginning with a rally at 12.30 pm in Room 14 at the House of Commons, Westminster.

This is not only a struggle to defend jobs and public services, it is a defence of the welfare state upon which any of us, or our friends, or our families may rely on in the future.

Please make every effort to attend and lobby your local or workplace MP.

Please contact our campaigns staff by email or on 0207 801 2820
or 020 7801 2773 to let us know who will be attending and which MPs you have contacted prior to the event. Travel and subsistence will be paid for one attendee per constituency.

Further details, including leaflets and a briefing will be made available on the PCS website here.

Put People First

March For jobs, Justice and Climate

Join the national Put People First march for jobs, justice and climate and call for decent jobs and public services for all, an end to global poverty and inequality, and a green economy.
Thousands of people will march through London on 28 March, as the leaders of 20 of the world's economic powers prepare to meet on 2 April for a G20 Summit in an attempt to tackle the recession and global financial crisis.

Global problems, public solutions
The last year has made us appreciate even more so than before that crises in one part of the world impact on other areas of the globe. Solutions must therefore be truly global and not just designed to protect the interests of the most economically developed countries and the wealthy elites within them. The leaders of the G20 countries must not be allowed to just tinker with a global economic system that has failed people across the world and continues to endanger our environment.

To get this message across, PCS has joined a broad 'Put People First' (PPF) coalition, including the TUC and many others who were part of Make Poverty History. This also fits in with PCS and War on Want's 'Global Problems, Public Solutions' campaign, calling for a clampdown on the overseas tax­dodging activities of UK multinational companies.

March for jobs, justice and climate
PPF is organising a mobilisation on 28 March in advance of the G20 summit; a march will start at 11 am from Victoria Embankment to Hyde Park.

The campaign has three key messages:

- decent jobs and public services for all
- end global poverty and inequality
- build a green economy

There can be no going back to business as usual, with poor regulation encouraging shoddy business practices, short-term profits, and an inadequate commitment to protecting our environment. The only sustainable way to build a truly global economy is through fair distribution of wealth that provides decent jobs and public services for all, ends global inequality and builds a low-carbon future.

Get involved
Materials to promote the march will be sent to branches and regional offices. More information, including downloadable flyers and posters, are available at the Put People First Website here.

We need volunteer stewards - contact Hannah Charnock in the PCS campaigns unit to volunteer by email or on 0207 801 2749.

Lean Roll Out in DCPU

This is the latest post to update members with feedback from a meeting between PCS and DCPU Management on 19th February 2009.

Senior Management informed us that the roll out was commencing as planned and the roll out was still on track. They were in the process of restructuring the core Lean Team so they could assess the impact of Lean by looking back at various ways of working introduced such as trays etc.

PCS raised a number of issues that arose from the most recent members meetings including lack of staffing, pressures to hit targets, work piling up and staff being labelled as negative or troublemakers if they raise concerns. Senior Management agreed to look at the issues they had control over but would not take away the points we raised over staffing. It is probably Managements view that they have enough staff – we do not agree and this is reflected time and time again when we ask members what they think of Lean.

Senior Management did say they welcome all views and they were concerned to hear that staff were not able to give their views freely. If you have any concerns that you are not able to raise your concerns then let us know.

We again raised the issue of the 10 Minute Meetings arguing most members found them a waste of time. Senior Management did not agree with this point of view and said that staff could choose not to attend if they did not find them useful.

We will continue to meet Senior Management on Lean and raise the issues you raise with us.

PCS will continue to speak to members in the areas that have rolled out to establish your views.

Please let Dean Rhodes, Jim Marsh or Grant McClure have any concerns if any arise.

Turrets Update – Results of The Desk Top Members’ Ballot

The purpose of this post is to provide an update from the desk top ballot of the members on Friday 20th February 2009 to re-measure the outcome of the roll out of the Turrets pilot and any recent changes (due to the LEAN job cuts at AO level or other factors). Thanks to all the members who gave their views.

The question put to the members in the ballot on 20th February 2009 was whether or not members were (at present) able to state their preference as to starting/ finishing times and availability to work the Turrets without coercion.

214 people said yes they were able to state preference as to starting/ finishing times and availability to work the Turrets without coercion.

• 64 said no they weren’t.
• 10 replied by saying sometimes (or something similar).

There were two notable rooms, B309 and C222 where the room response was in the negative and we will ensure that we pick up these with the employer and also any other areas of concern.

We will also continue the ongoing negotiations to try and reduce to a minimum (if not eliminate) the 4 Pm to 5 Pm Turret slot; to ensure that there is a reasonable maximum numbers of hours that someone can work on the Turrets (pro rata for part time staff) and to ensure that the commitment to increase Helpline staffing levels is honoured.

As ever; if you are aware of any breaches to the agreed Joint statements (in word and spirit) then please do not hesitate to contact Dean Rhodes, Emma Haslehurst or Duncan Griffiths.