Cuts to local police fund London force

 WIGAN’S police force has been hit by a shock £6.4m policing cut – partly to fund security in London’s banking district.

Greater Manchester Police chiefs have expressed fury at the “outrageous” figure, which is enough to pay for 145 officers.
Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy has warned it will spark more job losses and called for the Home Secretary to think again.
And police and crime commissioner Tony Lloyd said GMP was losing out to government “pet projects”.
More than £100,000 of the figure will go straight to City of London police who are said to need more money to deal with events of major national interest in the capital’s financial district, including Old Bailey court trials.

Continue reading here...
http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/cuts-to-local-police-fund-london-force-1-6342157

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Christmas Raffle - are you a winner?

Hi ALL,

Please find list of Winning tickets below.

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TUC Domestic Violence Survey

PCS is supporting the TUC survey on domestic violence.  The survey closes on the 1 February 2014. Please encourage as many fellow members as possible to click on  
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/domesticviolenceTUC

Domestic violence has far reaching consequences and a terrible impact on the lives of those living with an abusive partner.

The TUC is conducting a survey to find out more about how domestic violence affects working life and the role that employers, colleagues, and union reps can play in supporting those experiencing domestic abuse. 

TUC would like to hear from anyone who has either experienced domestic violence themselves or has a friend or colleague who has experienced domestic violence.

The survey is entirely anonymous. You will not be asked for your name, contact details or any information which could be used to identify you or your employer.

Please ask fellow members to take a few minutes to complete the survey.

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Pickets' petition to be delivered

Campaigners trying to overturn 40-year-old convictions against 24 pickets will today deliver a 100,000-signature petition to the Government under moves to raise the issue in Parliament.

The Shrewsbury 24 Campaign reverted to a paper petition after claiming that its e-petition was failing to register everyone signing it.

The e-petition attracted 37,000 names, while the paper version has now been signed by 70,000 people in towns and cities across the country as well as at union and other conferences.

The petition will be handed in to 10 Downing Street by union leaders and Royle Family actor Ricky Tomlinson, one of the 24.

The pickets were arrested five months after the 1972 building workers' strike and charged under the 1875 Conspiracy Act, with six sent to prison, including Tomlinson.

The campaign group wants all documents relating to the case to be released, claiming they would prove that a "massive miscarriage of justice" was handed out.

Eileen Turnbull, the group's researcher, said: "We are delighted with the progress we are making and we are convinced that the unjust convictions will be overturned."

Steve Murphy, general secretary of construction union Ucatt, said: "The Shrewsbury campaign's achievement in collecting 100,000 signatures is outstanding. It demonstrates the determination of the pickets to win justice and also the public's support for their cause.

"Parliament now has a moral duty to debate the case and the Government must come clean and publish all the papers relating to the pickets' case."

Rail Maritime and Transport union leader Bob Crow said: "It is clear that there was a conspiracy at the highest level in 1972 to blacklist and fit up trade union activists and it is time for all the papers to be released and for those that were wrongly imprisoned to be given justice at last.

"RMT is proud to be supporting the campaign for justice for the Shrewsbury pickets and with more than 100,000 signed up to the petition it is time for David Cameron and his government to take this shocking miscarriage of justice seriously and to make amends to all those denied their liberty and whose lives have been blighted in the following decades."

Unlimited Calls, Texts & Data* for only £14.99 a month

Members can get a great deal on mobile phone contracts and support our campaigns thanks to a new partnership with The People's Operator.

From today our members are being offered special discounts on mobile tariff plans on the TPO network. At no cost to them 10% of all spend by our members on the network will be returned to the union by TPO to help fund our campaigns.

Our members and their families can choose from TPO’s full range of pay monthly and pay as you go packages. They can also receive one month free on the TPO unlimited £14.99 monthly deal, including unlimited standard UK mobile and landline calls, UK text messages and mobile internet browsing, subject to a fair usage policy. It's easy to switch and you can even bring your existing number with you.

We will use the extra funding we receive from TPO to support campaigns for members, such as: the campaigns for decent pay increases and a living wage, against the government’s plans to raise pension contributions and retirement age, and against cuts and privatisation. 

Find out more or sign up here

* FAIR USAGE POLICY APPLIES - see here

A fair use allowance of 3000 text messages per month for Unlimited SMS tariffs, 3000 minutes per month for Unlimited Minute tariffs and of 3000 Mb (2.9Gb) per month for Unlimited Data tariffs

Inclusive minutes: Are for calls to UK landlines which start with the prefix 01,02, 03, and UK mobile networks. Your inclusive minutes include listening to voicemail in the UK and dialling our customer services department using our short code "500".

Inclusive texts: Are for texts to UK mobile networks. They do not include short-code texts to other services. Your inclusive texts are for person to person texts and do not include text message delivery notifications.

Inclusive mobile internet browsing: Your allowance is subject to the price plan that you choose. Mobile internet browsing applies within the UK only. You are only entitled to use our Pay Monthly (SIM only) services for personal, non-commercial use. We reserve the right to impose network protection controls, limit the speed of, suspend or block your access to services, or disconnect you if your usage is excessive and/or not in keeping with that reasonably expected of a private individual. We may also do any of these things if in our reasonable opinion you are abusing the services in any way. We will notify you by text message before we take any of these steps.

Membership survey on conditionality and sanctions

The Group Executive Committee (GEC) has agreed to survey members on conditionality and sanctions in order to quantify the anecdotal feedback the union receives in this area.

Already the GEC has received evidence of widespread use of Performance Improvement Plans and other tools used to pressurise members into making more referrals. It is union policy to expose and oppose this pressure to and to expose the social consequence of sanctioning.
You are being asked to complete this to help us with our campaigning work and to provide that we can raise directly with DWP management. We will use the information to help form our response to the ‘Independent Review of Sanctions’ recently announced.

All your answers are confidential; no individual will be identified through completing this survey.
We have asked that you provide your PCS membership number so that we can be verify that all respondents are union members. Your membership number usual appears on the front of the plastic envelope the union magazine arrives, you can ask your local PCS rep or check with the membership department on 020 7801 2670/2680

Please return questionnaires to leeds@pcs.org.uk or post by hardcopy to DWP Group, PCS, 3rd Floor Town Centre House, Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8LY by 6th January 2014.

158 Membership survey on conditionality and sanctions

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Voluntary Exit Scheme - Problems with the Closing Date

PCS is aware of several problems that members have regarding the ongoing voluntary exit scheme. 

The closing date for members to accept or reject the offer is today 6th December. However PCS is aware of some members who have yet to receive a quote and other members who have been disputing their quotes with MyCSP and have not been able to resolve their query.
PCS has raised these issues as a matter of urgency with DWP management.

No Quote received

Everyone who has applied to this exit scheme should have received a quote for MyCSP on 25th November. Members then had 12 days until 6th December to decide to accept or reject the offer.
It has become clear that MYCSP has been unable to cope with the volume of quotes that it has been asked to supply. This has resulted in some members receiving their quote much later than 25th November. There are even some members who have still not received their quote even though today (6th December) is the last day that they are expected to make their decision to accept or reject it.
Clearly this is an intolerable position and no member should be expected to make such vital life changing decisions with inadequate information. PCS has raised this with DWP management who have now agreed that anyone who receives their quote late will be given 10 working days to consider that quote, even where the quote is received after the closing date of 6th December.

Disputes over quotes

Some members have been disputing their quote with MyCSP, either because the quote is significantly lower or in some cases higher than they had expected it to be. In many cases their disputes have been resolved by MYCSP allowing the members to make their decision in advance of the closing day. However PCS is aware that there are some members who have not been able to resolve their dispute over their quote in advance of the 6th December 2013.
PCS has also raised this with DWP management. They have agreed that anyone who finds themselves in this position should ask to have their case referred to DWP Strategic Resourcing who will consider, on a case by case basis, whether to allow an extension to the 6th December closing date. Contact details of how to refer such cases to DWP Strategic Resourcing should have been circulated to members with outstanding queries. Where this has not happened members should contact line managers as soon as possible.
PCS has also secured from management an assurance that they will look sympathetically at any case where a member has signed to accept their initial MyCSP quote, but who then receives a significantly lower final quote from MyCSP. Such cases should be very rare but this management assurance does provide some safeguard for members who find themselves in this position.
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MPs set to receive 11% pay rise

MPs are set to receive an 11% pay rise when a parliamentary watchdog publishes its final recommendations on salaries this week.

The rise is due after the 2015 general election and will take pay to £74,000.

Read more...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25287108

Sign to get parliament to debate food bank use...#jackspetition

On Christmas Day 2011, I sat on my sofa by myself in a freezing cold flat, with no television, no presents, no food in the fridge that had been turned off at the mains. I had no tree, no decorations, nothing to mark the day as any different from any other.

I was unemployed, broke, and broken. I hadn't bought a single present for my one-year-old son, and instead let him go to his father's for the day, knowing I could not give him a Christmas myself.

This year, I'm lucky that things are different for me. But I am outraged that for 60,000 other people are facing the same situation. How can it be that in 2013, 20,000 children face Christmas with empty cupboards and no presents? And why is that figure three times the number that faced a hungry Christmas last year?

Read more at...

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/parliament-debate-uk-hunger-and-rise-in-foodbank-use-jackspetition

government is planning to bring forward the date when people need to be 68 to draw the state pension?

The government is planning to bring forward the date when people need to be 68 to draw the state pension, Chancellor George Osborne will announce in his Autumn Statement later.

The change, currently set for 2046, may now happen in the mid-2030s, affecting people now in their forties and below.

Mr Osborne is due to deliver his statement to the House of Commons at 11:15 GMT. Among the measures announced so far are:

• Another £1bn of cuts from Whitehall budgets for each of the next three years

Register your details and you could win an iPad - PCS National

We are making a concerted effort to collect personal email addresses and mobile telephone numbers.
As we continue to campaign to defend pay, jobs, pensions, terms and conditions, it is essential that we are in a position to be able to contact members and activists quickly, directly and reliably using facilities and communication channels which do not rely on the goodwill of the employer.
All members who register their personal contact information by 31 December 2013, or join the union and register their personal information, will automatically be entered into a prize draw.

December activity 

A number of things will be happening throughout December to prioritise this work:

• Our staff are being assigned a specific branch to help with the work of collecting information from members from 2-13 December.
• About 100 branches will have the additional assistance of two full-time PCS staff who will be able to help with the work of collecting personal contact information directly from members.
• All members for whom we have either a mobile number or a personal email address or both by 31 December will be eligible and entered into a prize draw to win an iPad.

You can give us your personal contact information in the following ways: 

• Talk to your union rep and ask them for a form to fill out.
• Download and complete the data collection form.  
• Visit pcs.org.uk/getthemessage and register your personal contact information.
• Call 0800 317 464 (or 020 7801 2670 if using a mobile) and speak to a member of staff who will record your details.
• Join the union pcs.org.uk/join and include your personal contact information.

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Christmas Raffle - theres still time

Our Christmas raffle will be drawn on the 5th December so there's still time to get your tickets from your local PCS rep.


UNION RAFFLE - 1st PRIZE a NOOK 7" TABLET

The best in reading - now with the best Android apps, games, movies, music & more 

Over 700,000 Android apps & games on GooglePlay™. YouTube™, Google Maps™ & Gmail™  and of course, the PCS Wigan app.

 Chrome™ for super-fast web browsing. Millions of books & magazines to choose from. Thousands of popular movies & TV shows . Stunning high resolution 7" display

 Other prizes

- £20 Tesco voucher - Bottle of Brandy - Bottle of Whikey - Bottle of Vodka - Bottle of Gin
- Box of Lager - Box of Cidar - Bottle of Red Wine - Bottle of White Wine  

Tickets can be purchased from your local PCS representaties. 

The draw will take place on 5th December 2013.

Tickets cost £1.00 with funds raised going to the branch member hardship fund and a donation to our nominated charity.

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Learning at work day - Winners

26^th November 2013

Winners

Guess the Marbles (165 ) - Chris Calder (160)

Build a Bear – Louise Atherton

BHSF wine - Joan Risley

Guess the Advertisements

 1st Place - Jane Godwin

2^nd Place –Active Living

3^rd Place – Paula Potter

4^th Place – Karen Chris & Lisa 

A big thank you to everyone who took part and contributed to the day

We have managed to raise £197.50

For the PCS hardship fund and the Brick

Apologies for the delayed start this morning due to the late arrival from some of our providers

 

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Learning at work day - Makerfield

 
 #YWweek2013

Our Young Workers' Week runs from 25 November to 1 December.

The focus is on the recruitment, organising and development of young people into the trade union movement.

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/about_pcs/young_members/index.cfm


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Changes to member benefits for 2014

For 2014 we have made some significant changes to member benefits.

The paper diary has been replaced by a smartphone digital diary for 2014. Changes to the way Royal Mail charge for postage have significantly increased the cost of supplying members with a diary.

The cost had increased so much that in 2013 it was nearly double the amount PCS spends on legal advice on employment matters. With the government’s attacks on our members increasing every year, spending on campaigning, bargaining support, casework and employment tribunals have been prioritised.    

Increased use of electronic diaries has also meant that there has been a decrease in the use of paper diaries. The digital diary, which is compatible with all smart mobile phones, will be regularly updated with news and events from around the union. These events can be easily added to electronic diaries and shared by email and social media with other members.

The PCS digital diary will provide the full range of updated information traditionally covered in the paper diary, and some new information. The digital diary will be available from the website and will be emailed and texted to members before Christmas.

Mobile phones

On 2 December we will introduce a new mobile phone offer, through ethical mobile company The People's Operator (TPO). 

This will offer sim-only "pay as you go" and "pay monthly" deals. It will offer the UK's best unlimited deal, at £14.99 a month. An introductory offer to “pay monthly” PCS members will also give one month free. TPO will also provide an important communication tool, as it will be preloaded with the digital diary and other useful PCS information.

We will be publicising the TPO offer through PCS people, our website, email and text message.

For further information about member benefits contactmemberbenefits@pcs.org.uk 

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DWP Young Members Advisory Committee

DWP Young Members Advisory Committee

The DWP group young member’s advisory committee is a 12 member committee, elected annually at group delegate conference, or through branch nominations, should all positions not be filled. The committee meets three times a year and it is responsible for providing advice to the group executive committee (GEC) and campaigning on young member issues.

The young members’ advisory committee also ensure that as well as providing advice to the group executive committee on young member issues, they take up campaign work on issues that have an impact on young people. 

For several years now, the YMAC has organised an annual Young Members Seminar for young members in the DWP. This centres around campaigning organising and recruiting, and aims to give young members the skills to become Branch young members’ officers and to gain contacts and confidence in taking on the role.

Each year the YMAC decide on an organising plan, setting out the objectives and priorities for the coming year.

This year, our priorities are to increase the number of Branch young Members Officers and re-launch the Young Members Network with vigour and energy and there are many new opportunities to get involved in PCS.

We also want to improve our communications as Young Members and use resources like social media and external email. The DWP YMAC intends to have a quarterly newsletter in order to update young members on the issues affecting them in their workplaces.

We actively encourage young members to be involved in campaigning, organising and recruitment at all levels- not just on Young Members Issues!

Finally in Early 2014, we will be holding a Young Members Seminar in Leeds, which will be open to all PCS Young Members in the DWP. Further notice of this as soon as possible along with information on how to apply to attend, and hope to see you there!

If you are interested in finding out more about the PCS DWP Young members committee email leeds@pcs.org.uk

Steve Swainston

Group Young Members Officer

 


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DWP Union News - 12th November 2013

To All PCS Members in DWP 12 November 2013

Independent Living Fund victory for disabled campaigners and PCS

On 6th November the Court of Appeal upheld a legal challenge by 5 disabled people against the government’s decision to close the Independent Living Fund (ILF) in March 2015 because the DWP had breached equality duties when deciding to close the ILF.

The ILF provides support for 19,000 severely disabled people to live independent lives in the community.
 
The 100 PCS members who work in the ILF have been involved in campaigning with disability rights groups to stop the closure. PCS joined a vigil outside the High Court earlier this year to support disabled people challenging the closure.

Your DWP Group Executive Committee (GEC) will work with PCS members in the ILF, disabled people's and carers organisations and MP’s to protect our member’s jobs, protect vital services for disabled people and secure a long term future for the ILF.

PCS slams increase in sanctions and targets culture
 
PCS reacted angrily this week to a DWP report showing the latest figures on benefit sanctions in Jobcentres. The figures show a big increase in sanctions. PCS believes that sanctions are part of the governments’ general attack on the welfare state.

Job seekers face having their benefit stopped and forced to use food banks and loan sharks while PCS members, trained to use appropriate discretion and help people find work, face targets and PIP’s if they don’t apply enough sanctions.

PCS agrees with the concerns about sanctions raised by Members of Parliament on the public accounts committee (PAC) earlier this year. The PAC committee report points says that by obsessively applying sanctions to stop people claiming benefit, the department risks unfairly applying sanctions to get claimants to sign off. Senior managers admit they do not know what happens to 40% of people who stop claiming. The MP’s also said that while enquiries to CAB from jobseeker had reduced, enquiries about sanctions had risen by 45% and that these enquiries were overwhelmingly from vulnerable groups, people with learning disabilities or mental health problems.

PCS believes the sanctions regime damages the relationship between claimants and advisers, our members want to help people back into work not catch them out using an increasingly unfair and harsh system.
 
DWP insists that there are no sanctions targets set for PCS members working in jobcentres only expectations for management information purposes but members with years of experience who know how to help claimants find work are being hauled in for meetings for not applying enough sanctions. The GEC will continue to put evidence to management to get this stopped.
 
Festive leave in Pensions Directorate

PCS has successfully challenged the original 10% limit for annual leave imposed for January 2 & 3 in Pensions Directorate. Following representations by PCS, Pensions management have now agreed to remove this 10% limit and instead offer at least the standard 18 to 25 % on those days. Management have also said they hope to be able to increase the 25% limit to 33%, for the days up to New Years Day, subject to satisfactory performance figures being met for November.

Unfortunately however, for 2nd and 3rd January, PCS is aware that a message that has been cascaded to Pensions managers not to allow leave above 18% on those two days. PCS will continue to press management to allow more staff to take leave on these days.

PCS want Pensions management to allow the highest possible percentage across the whole of the Christmas and New Year period and the GEC will consult Pensions members as negotiations continue. The GEC regard the current position as still unsatisfactory and will do everything possible to negotiate a settlement. But it is clear that many PCS members are angry at management’s position. PCS members do not accept that there is a need for them to attend over the festive period in large numbers when there is little work to do.
 
Shared Services campaign continues

Action by PCS members working in Shared Services led to positive talks.

Following the privatisation on 1 November the PCS campaign to defend our jobs, safeguard our terms and conditions and stop off shoring continues just as strong.

PCS met with Steria/SSCL on 6 November. We made clear our opposition to privatisation and off shoring. The meeting was constructive.

At this meeting PCS and Steria/SSCL agreed –
1. Our shared objective is to work together to avoid compulsory redundancies.
2. We will have detailed negotiations about off shoring and seek to reach an agreement on job protection
3. Staff who are successful at interview for Civil Service posts will be released subject to notice periods etc.
4. We will aim to agree a formal PCS union recognition agreement for the whole company before Christmas.
5. SSCL will continue to collect Union subs from source

The GEC will be holding meetings with members in Shared Services to keep them informed and consult them as the talk’s progress.

You can help with a click

The privatisation of Shared Services means that the data containing your personal records will be privatised and sent abroad to be handled when DWP jobs are cut. If you are opposed to this you can click http://action.pcs.org.uk/page/speakout/save-our-shared-services and tell the government. Don’t use your work email to do this.
 
Steve Cawkwell       Fran Heathcote
Group Secretary      Group President

Downloaded our FREE Android app yet? Available now on the Google Play store.

December prize draw - £1 a ticket

UNION RAFFLE - 1st PRIZE a NOOK 7" TABLET


The best in reading - now with the best Android apps, games, movies, music & more 

Over 700,000 Android apps & games on GooglePlay™. YouTube™, Google Maps™ & Gmail™  and of course, the PCS Wigan app.

 Chrome™ for super-fast web browsing. Millions of books & magazines to choose from. Thousands of popular movies & TV shows . Stunning high resolution 7" display

 Other prizes

- £20 Tesco voucher - Bottle of Brandy - Bottle of Whikey - Bottle of Vodka - Bottle of Gin
- Box of Lager - Box of Cidar - Bottle of Red Wine - Bottle of White Wine  

Tickets can be purchased from your local PCS representaties. 

The draw will take place on 5th December 2013.

Tickets cost £1.00 with funds raised going to the branch member hardship fund and a donation to our nominated charity.

(open to those within PCS DWP Wigan Branch)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Urgent - Want the government to know your a union member?

The government's controversial Lobbying Bill is currently in the Lords, as Andrew Lansley attempts to push it through Parliament against overwhelming public opposition.

Part one of the Bill fails to introduce a comprehensive register of lobbyists. Part two is a chilling attack on the free speech of groups other than political parties during elections. Unions are just one part of the wide coalition that has forced the government to ‘pause’ consideration of this.

But this means that the Lords debate on part three of the Bill has been brought forward to next Monday.

Action on this is urgent. Please read on to find out more about this attack on trade unionism and how you can help resist it.

Part three of the Bill regulates trade union membership (even though there is already a strong legal duty on unions to hold accurate membership data, which in any case is in their own interest).

But what is really worrying is that this adds up to real risks about the confidentiality of trade union membership. Of course we are proud to be trade unionists, but recent revelations about blacklisting show that employers still discriminate against union members.

The Bill will give the Certification Officer – a regulator appointed by the government – new powers to access membership records. Unions will have to appoint a membership assurer – from a list chosen by the government – who will have new powers to access membership records. Anyone will now be able to make complaints about union membership records – even employers in dispute with a union – or those with an anti-union political agenda. Those complaints will be assessed by investigators who also get new powers to pry into union membership records.

Of course the government claim that there will be safeguards, but when the full extent of the construction blacklisting scandal has yet to be investigated, we simply can't trust them with a change of this significance.

We welcome the pause in part two, but it means the government has rushed forward part 3 from consideration in December to next Monday November 11 which means we have not had the time to brief Peers properly or even make sure all of those on our side will be there.

We need to move quickly. Please help ensure the Lords are ready for this hastily called vote.

Adopt a Peer

You can help raise concerns about part three of the Lobbying Bill by writing to a member of the House of Lords. They aren't as used to individual lobbying as MPs, so receiving personal contacts from members of the public should really get their attention.

Of course, one of the reasons they don't get much contact is that they don't have a direct group of constituents. We can help get around this, using this tool to adopt a Peer. We'll match you at random to a member of the House of Lords and help you to contact them, either directly with a posted letter if you have time, or by email.

To get started, add your email address here:
http://www.goingtowork.org.uk/peers/?campaign=9

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Universal credit: £120m could be written off to rescue welfare reform

Labour says ministers in disarray as leaked documents reveal two options for saving project to merge benefits and tax credits.

Ministers attempting to put the troubled universal credit welfare reform programme back on track have been presented with a radical plan to restart the scheme and write off £119m of work over the past three years.

The proposals would create a much more web-based system, reducing the need for jobcentre staff, but putting the whole scheme back to "phase one".

The plan is detailed in more than 150 pages of leaked documents that present two options for rescuing the huge project to merge six major benefits and tax credits into one payment. The other plan would attempt to improve the existing system and build on the investment already made. Both plans were drawn up by civil servants at the direction of Department for Work and Pensions ministers.

The documents include a risk assessment of each option, which criticises both plans and warns that a maximum of 25,000 people – just 0.2% of all benefit recipients – will be transferred on to the programme by the next general election, whichever route is taken.

The risk assessment warns that the plan to start again, the "design and build" web-based scheme, is "unproven ... at this scale". It says the plan to fix three years of work on universal credit is still "not achievable within the preferred timescales", describing it as unrealistic.

The scheme has suffered management and computer problems since work began in 2010, causing Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, at the start of the year to push back the timetable for rollout. Labour says the scheme is in "total chaos".


Continue reading at http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/31/universal


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Changes to the Attendance Management procedures in GMEW District

Changes to the Attendance Management procedures in GMEW District

In the past few weeks there have been a number of significant changes that may not have been communicated to you by the Department or District in full. Some of these are as a result of imposed changes under the Civil Service Reforms, but some are District level impositions. The overall impacts of the changes are that it becomes even more important that members contact a representative for assistance as soon as is possible and certainly before any Formal meeting with a Manager.

The DWP Attendance Management Procedures for warnings and appeals have been amended. The two warnings under the current procedures have been renamed to:

•

An Oral Improvement Warning is  renamed as a First Written Warning

•

A Written Improvement Warning is renamed as a Final Written Warning.

The DWP Attendance Management Policy has also abolished the right for individuals to raise a grievance against any warning with the Manager that made the decision. Instead there is a single tier right to Appeal. “The Appeal Manager must not be the Decision Maker, the Decision Maker’s line manager or the employee’s countersigning manager unless everyone agrees that they can be. Appeal managers must be demonstrably independent in that they or their line manager must not have been previously involved in the case so that they are able to take an objective viewpoint”.

The consequence of this change is not just that individuals no longer have two opportunities to get unfair decisions corrected, but also that any appeals must be submitted within 10 working days of the decision, whereas previously a grievance could be submitted within 15 working days.

District Management have also “made a decision that line managers would conduct a cause for concern interview when staff have reached an absence level of 6 days in a rolling twelve month period. We feel this is preferable to waiting until a member of staff has reached a total of 8 days absence in a twelve month period before mentioning the possibility of a warning being issued”.

Whilst the meeting is classed as being informal members may bring a TU rep to the meeting if they wish.

In addition; the District has decided that individuals will be required to speak to an HEO or SEO (if an HEO is not available) when making initial contact to report their absence. Part of the purpose the ‘First Call’ process is to:

•

Identify what it is, specifically, that prevents the employee travelling to work and/or which aspects of the employee’s duties/functions they are specifically unable toundertake.

•

Explore whether any temporary workplace adaptations could be implemented to enable the employee to decide whether to attend work and undertake all or some of their duties.

•

Consider reasonable adjustments under the reasonable adjustments policy where the employee has a disability or serious underlying medical condition.

•

Provide employees with access to the Department’s support services e.g. theEmployee Assistance Programme (EAP), Physio Advice Line (PAL).

However, PCS have concerns that the new arrangements could potentially create challenges tothe “independence” of an appointed Appeal Manager if they have been involved at a prior stage,especially where a relevant factor may be a dispute about whether appropriate reasonable adjustments or temporary workplace adaptations were made.