Work on government’s flagship IT project sent overseas

The Guardian is reporting that some of the work to develop the universal credit – the government’s new single benefit that will bring together systems from the two biggest civil service departments, HM Revenue and Customs and Department for Work and Pensions – is being offshored to Bangalore and Mumbai in India.

This appears to be at odds with an assurance given to MPs by employment minister Chris Grayling in November that it was “important that we do not see government-controlled employment move offshore”.

Referring to an attempt by Hewlett Packard to offshore DWP work last year, which Mr Grayling blocked after a PCS campaign, Mark SERWOTKA said: “We have a job to try to maximise employment in this country, and I pay tribute to all those involved in that workforce for drawing our attention to the issue and the challenge. It is by far the best option to see people investing in the UK.”

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

New E-action on Civil Service Compensation Scheme

This new e-action asks MPs to attend a drop-in briefing with representatives from PCS on Tuesday 12 October about the Superannuation bill, which is due to reach its report stage and third reading in October. The bill seeks to cap redundancy payments for civil servants so it is crucial that we continue to keep up the political pressure on MPs.

We all need to act now, and you can take part by emailing your MP and asking for them to attend on 12 October.

Send the message here: http://bit.ly/dfLdsS

Fixed Term Contracts – Ministers reply

Minister with responsibility for Departmental issues in DWP the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP has recognised the contribution made by Fixed Term Employee’s and the uncertainty about present contracts. Mr. Grayling told Local MP’s in response to constituents concerns over workloads, service delivery and retention of staff that any extension will ‘depend on local circumstances, and the possibility of extension to any individual cannot be guaranteed’.

It is clear from the Ministers letter that 16,000 staff were employed in Jobcentre Plus in response to the Economic Downturn. The reasons staff were recruited on Fixed-Term contracts was because “It was expected that the increased workloads in Jobcentre Plus would be temporary and that there would be a need to reduce numbers as the growth in unemployment slowed”. Evidence within offices in Stoke on Trent and elsewhere in the country shows that this decrease in workloads has not been the case. 

Customer-facing staff have been granted extensions in some areas, but the Minister advised that “Our need to keep other fixed-term appointments beyond their current end dates is currently being reviewed following the emergency budget”. The Government therefore seem unlikely to make any decisions until after the Comprehensive Spending Review to be concluded in October.

What do you think about the Ministers reply? How will you cope without FTA colleagues? Send them your support and solidarity, leave a comment!

Support our civil service compensation scheme campaign

PCS members and supporters are asked to support a new e-action on the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS) which asks MPs to participate supportively in the second reading debate of the Superannuation Bill that will take place on 7 September. It is crucial we get this message out to MPs as they’ll be coming back from the summer recess and considering a bill that will have a huge impact on PCS members. The bill seeks to cap redundancy payments for civil servants so it is crucial that we continue to keep up the political pressure on MPs.

Thousands of PCS members have already emailed their MP asking them to sign EDM 301 and so far 137 MPs have agreed to support us.

We all need to act now, and you can take part by emailing your MP and asking for their support on 7 September.
Please add your details on this link: http://www.pcs.org.uk/cscseaction

Shame of £22 million paid to senior civil servants

The press predictably made much of news this week that senior civil servants (above Grade 6) have got round the pay freeze by paying themselves bonuses of up to £12,000 instead out of their bonus pot of £22 million. Check out the Daily Express Report http://bit.ly/bf8Pe2  The Express Reports that Senior mandarins are receiving performance-related pay packages of up to £12,000 each. If management are to avoid a similar scandal in DWP, they should seek to pay the bonus money as fairly as possible to everybody. We have all done a great job – we all deserve a decent payment. PCS is pressing for all bonus money, including money used for Special Bonuses, to be distributed fairly to all members.

Pay talks started in earnest last week in DWP and PCS have written formally now to management in CMEC to request the urgent start of pay talks for CMEC members. It is clear that there is enough money to pay everyone that earns under £21K at least £250. PCS is arguing for bigger pay increases for those members. But as dictated by the government’s pay freeze, there is no money at all for a pay increase for members earning over £21K. PCS are still demanding that we should all still get a progression payment. In a week that saw new definitions (Check the Touchstone blog http://bit.ly/9IpcKF) from the Deputy Prime Minister of  a “Fairer Society” and “Social Mobility”, let us ‘be clear’ Mr Clegg, it is grossly unfair to treat PCS members differently to other public sector workers. Fairness is sometimes about a ‘numerical’ point of view, particularly when that distribution discriminates.

DWP Grievance and Issue Resolution Policy, Procedures and Advice 2010

Members may not be aware that DWP has introduced revised guidance for employees raising a grievance, or harassment, discrimination or bullying complaint, from 6 July 2010. The guidance was introduced following consultation, but not agreement, with the Departmental Trade Union Side (DTUS).

DWP believes that employees should now attempt to resolve their issues using the Issue Resolution Policy and Procedures.  Issue Resolution is described by DWP as “an informal way of resolving work place issues in a speedier way, with a minimum of fuss and stress on those involved whilst achieving the same outcomes as making a formal complaint.”

DWP Policy has always supported an informal approach to resolve grievances. The new Issue Resolution Policy, Procedures and Advice now provide extensive guidance for managers and employees on putting an informal approach into practice. Under the Issue Resolution Procedure (2.2) employees are encouraged to seek advice and support from their TU rep and/or a work colleague before the discussion, but they have no right to representation at the discussion.

Grievance Policy, Procedures & Advice

DWP Grievance Policy, Procedure and Advice have also been revised. Under Grievance Policy (5) employees have the right to raise grievances in accordance with the DWP formal grievance policy without having used the Issue Resolution Procedures. Employees have the right to Trade Union advice support and representation under the grievance and appeal procedures.

Grievance rights have been placed within the new Issue Resolution intranet site on the Problems at Work page of the Department and You.

The HDB (Harassment, Discrimination and Bullying) Policy, Procedures and Advice are also listed under the Formal Complaints Home Page.

North Staffordshire Branch advice to members is to see your Local representative should any issue arise that requires resolution. Reps details are on our contacts page.

Let us know what you think about the new procedures?

DWP Pay Talks re-start

Pay talks have started again in DWP and are expected to start shortly in CMEC. DWP management has been taking advice about our entitlement to progression. PCS is arguing that we must get our progression payment just as other public sector workers like council workers are still getting theirs. We have also argued that if progression is frozen and members cannot progress from min to max within five years we will challenge this under the age discrimination laws.

PCS will be focusing on ending the disgrace of low pay in the DWP. Our Secretary of State has written a great deal about poverty including in work poverty and poverty pay. It is a scandal that over half of all staff in DWP earn poverty pay rates of £18K or less. Reports this week indicated a fourfold increase in people using pay day loans – at shocking interest rates of up to 2500%. These loans only worsen an individual’s ability to make ends meet. Many of our members are now being forced to turn to such desperate measures. These members desperately need to be paid the living wage PCS is campaigning for.

PCS knows that the only way to end low pay in the DWP is to ensure that we all get a decent pay rise and good pay rates to progress onto. PCS will be arguing that every single penny of money that management has available must be used to improve our pay rates.

PCS Argues for FTA Contracts to be extended

PCS met Senior Jobcentre Plus management last Friday to discuss the future of FTA staff in Jobcentre Plus. It is clear to everyone that with unemployment still high they remain essential to Jobcentre Plus’s ability to keep doing the fantastic job we have been doing. Management was unable to commit to making any of the FTA staff permanent at present because of uncertainty caused by the autumn spending review. PCS pressed management hard to extend all of the FTA contracts by at least another six months as an interim measure and is awaiting management’s response to our demand. PCS is also pursuing the retention of FTAs throughout the DWP.