Pics from the Picket

Want to see what happened on the PCS picket lines in North Staffordshire on 30/6/11?  Check out all our photos on the PCS DWP North Staffs flickr page.

 

A Day on the Pickets

The 30th of June is drawing to an end.  This has been a day of nationwide action by PCS members alongside the NUT, UCU & ATL.  In North Staffordshire reps on the picket line were joined by PCS members and members from several groups including the Communication Worker’s Union, North Staffordshire Trades Council, National Shop Stewards Network, Youth Fight for Jobs, Socialist Party and Socialist Workers Party.

There was plenty of media interest in our picket lines.  The Sentinel and 3 local radio stations came by for interviews and photographs.  If you caught BBC Midlands Today you might have glimpsed our group marching over to Reardons for a solidarity meeting after the picket.

Thank you to all the PCS members who supported the action today and to all those fellow trade unionists and members of the public who offered their support.  Our action today has made a huge impact and we have shown the government that we are not going to let them rob us of the terms and conditions that we have worked so hard for.

Strike for the Alternative

The PCS ballot for a national strike over jobs, pensions and pay has now opened and will run until 15th June.

It is clear that the government intend to use the current economic climate as cover to destroy the terms & conditions which PCS members have earned over the years.  This crisis was not caused by us and we should not be expected to pay for the mess caused by bankers. PCS are now calling for members to vote ‘yes’ for both strike action and action short of a strike to clearly show the government that we are prepared to defend our rights.

Free I.T. Taster Courses

9 hour ‘Taster in IT’

This 3 day course (9 hours over 3 evenings) will give you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills and have the confidence to progress and further your IT skills:

• Introducing you to basic Microsoft Word, how to create a document to professional standard
• Look at creating an Excel spreadsheet and its importance and use
• Accessing the internet, using the World Wide Web to find, save and print, use a search engine and book marking

There will be opportunities to progress onto more advanced courses should you wish to do so.  Interested?  It’s fully funded so it won’t cost you anything.

Courses will run 6 to 9 on on Wednesday 8th, 15th and 22nd June 2011 in the TUC Trade Union Studies Unit at 40, Trinity Street Hanley.

To reserve your place call 01782 227663

PCS Hustings

Prior to full city council elections, PCS organised a candidates question time event on 28/4/11. The leaders of all the main political parties (excluding the far right) were invited to attend. On the night the panel consisted of Cllr Mohammad Pervez (Labour), Nick Gore (Liberal Democrats) and Andy Bentley (Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition). The meeting was chaired by PCS Regional Secretary, Andrew Lloyd.

Fifty people, including trade unionists, campaign groups and members of the public, turned out to hear what the candidates had to say. As part of a documentary on Stoke-on-Trent city council a BBC4 film crew were also in attendance. After opening statements were given the chair opened the floor to questions. The meeting was lively, with candidates being grilled on a range of subjects including public sector jobs, saving public services, tackling the far right in Stoke-on-Trent and regeneration.

In their closing statements the candidates were asked to sign up to the five PCS public service pledges. Andy Bentley stated that he would have no problem signing up to all of the pledges. Cllr Mohammad Pervez also stated that he would support the pledges, stating that having had the value of his pension slashed by half this year he could sympathise with PCS’ fight to protect public sector pensions and would campaign/lobby as best he could on our behalf on this issue. While Nick Gore stated that he believes in universal entitlement to welfare services, he stated he felt unable to fully support the other pledges as they are in opposition to the governments policies.

In closing his closing remarks Andrew Lloyd urged people to continue the fight against the right in Stoke-on-Trent and to make their vote count on May 5^th.

Public Meeting – 28th April

Public Hustings - Thursday 28th April 2011 – 7:30pm

Potteries Museum Forum Theatre, Bethesda Street, ST1 3DW

Admission: FREE

Refreshments available from  museum bar

Full City Council Elections will take place on May 5th in Stoke-on-Trent.  In anticipation of this PCS have organised a public hustings to give you the chance to hear local candidates speak & ask the questions that matter to you.  The leaders of all the major parties (with the exception of the far right) have been invited to attend the event.

With local councillors expected to deliver the governments cuts agenda it has never been more important to Make Your Vote Count in local elections.   This event will give you the chance to  question how the candidates intend to protect jobs and public services in Stoke-on-Trent.  If you wish to ask the candidates a question you can submit them in advance to pcsdwp.nstaffs@gmail.com

A Day on the March for the Alternative

On 26^th March a group of North Staffordshire PCS members, friends and family set off from Hanley and headed down to London for the March for the Alternative organised by the TUC. Most people on the bus had never been to a protest before but were now determined to stand in opposition to the coalitions brutal programme of cuts. According to Radio Stoke ours was one of nine coaches heading from Stoke to the demonstration but even so we didn’t realise just how big it was going to be until we stopped at the motorway services. The place was full of coaches, all loaded with people heading down to the march. Everyone was in great spirits as we realised this was going to be a huge event.

Our coach joined hundreds of others and parked up at Wembley Stadium.  The march was easy to find.  We just followed the steady stream of people towards the back of the march.  The branch banner got an airing as well as our PCS flags as we made our way along the banks of the Thames. It’s hard to describe how many people were there. We marched for an hour before we finally reached the official start of the march at Embankment.

The atmosphere was incredible. With the marching bands, drummers, balloons and banners it was like being at a carnival. We passed by a couple of banks which had some paint on them but didn’t see any trouble. The police and stewards were friendly, helpful and kept the whole march moving smoothly. Everyone made it back to the coach safely and we returned to Stoke in high spirits, sharing our experiences of the day.  The best chant (no bias at all here): We won’t pay for the banker’s mess – WE ARE THE PCS!

Don’t believe everything you read in the popular press.  500 people went to cause trouble. 500,000 civil servants, nurses, teachers, fire fighters, police officers, postal workers, speech therapists, musicians, actors, students, pensioners, community groups and individuals went to peacefully demonstrate that we will not accept these public sector cuts.  There is an alternative.  Visit the PCS website for more information:  http://tinyurl.com/387yesx

March for the alternative

Jobs • Growth • Justice
Saturday 26 March 2011
Assemble at 11 am at Victoria Embankment,
between Temple Place and Blackfriars,
to march to a rally in Hyde Park

DO YOU WANT TO ATTEND THIS EVENT?
PCS is gauging interest in organising transport from Stoke

Please Contact: PCS Site Reps, leave a message on our blog or contact 
Branch Secretary Peter.Rofe@Jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk
Branch Organiser Jane.Fowler@Jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk

March with us for the alternative
SAY NO TO CUTS TO PUBLIC SERVICES

Black Members Newsletter

Check out the DWP Group Black Members Advisory Committee newsletter for November/December 2010.  Contains reports of recent Black Members seminars, an article about Black History Month and details of an upcoming survey.  Click the link below for more.

Group Black Members Advisory Committee Newsletter

Civil Service Compensation Scheme – PCS to ballot for rejection on Government Proposals

Our national executive has decided we should ballot members on the government’s proposals with a recommendation to reject them. The ballot will start on 7 December and end on 14 January.

We are continuing to lobby MPs, to campaign widely with other unions against these changes and to press Ministers to reopen talks. We are also taking further legal action to defend members’ rights, under the Human Rights Act. Further industrial action would be considered as a last resort.

Make sure you attend your office local ballot meeting.

For more see: http://bit.ly/bixkHK