Everyone at PCS DWP Wigan branch wish you, your family and friends a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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More than 5,000 docked benefit payments

A JOB centre in St Helens gave out the highest number of sanctions on Jobseeker’s Allowance in the North West, DWP figures reveal.

The Central Street centre docked benefit payments 5,127 times between October 2012, when new sanction rules came into force, and June this year.

Juliet Edgar, from Merseyside-based welfare rights group Reclaim, said: “What we have noticed is that the sanctions have gone through the roof. 

“It could be staff are looking to sanction although the government denies there are targets to meet."

“Sometimes people only realise they have been docked when they go to the bank and it can be a few weeks before they get something in writing about it which can be an absolute panic.”

http://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/news/11684816.More_than_5_000_docked_benefit_payments/

Garston Contact Centre staff set to strike again

PCS members at Garston contact centre in Liverpool are taking action on Monday in protest again the closure of their office

Ninety-five per cent of PCS members at Garston contact centre supported 2 one-day strikes on 16 May and 23 June to fight the proposed closure of their office and the forced transfer of all staff to either Bootle or Birkenhead. On both days about 30 pickets, including ordinary members formed lively picket lines.

Members then took a further five days of strike action from Monday, 13 October to Friday, 17 October. Again the picket lines were extremely well supported.

Now members at Garston have voted for another 2 days of strike action to put more pressure on DWP management. The strikes will take place on Monday (22 December) and 2 January.

PCS proposals rejected

Previous strike action has won concessions, but most members of staff still face being compulsorily transferred to other offices if Garston closes. For some staff this would mean their second and, in some cases, third forced transfer due to cuts and office closures over the last 10 years.

PCS proposed the setting up of a satellite contact centre close to Garston as an alternative to compulsory moves to Bootle if the DWP insist on closing the Garston site. Management refused on the grounds of cost, quoting £100,000 as the cost of a satellite centre. However, the closure of the office will involve costs of £610,000 for staff to travel across Liverpool, including £160,000 in taxi fares.

PCS national officer Steve Cawkwell said: "Nobody wants the office to close and we have made sensible proposals for the work to be done nearer Garston.

"It is staggering that the DWP plans to press ahead with this eye-wateringly expensive plan to ferry staff across Liverpool when cheaper options exist. The seven days of strike action already taken by our members at Garston shows their fantastic solidarity and commitment in their fight to keep their office open."

How you can help
The PCS national disputes committee has authorised 50% strike pay for members taking part in the next 2 days' strike action, however members are still facing financial hardship.

Send donations to the hardship fund to Mr A Campbell, 67A Garston Old Road, Liverpool L19 9AD. Make cheques out to “PCS DWP Liverpool branch hardship fund”.

Send messages of support to leeds@pcs.org.uk.

To stay protected at work, sign up to pay your PCS subs by direct debit.

DWP confirm check off to end

Don't lose your union rights. Complete the switch today.

Important message for all DWP members

DWP confirm check off stops at end of March 2015

Following lengthy and detailed negotiations the DWP have now written to PCS confirming that that check off will be stopped. The Group Executive Committee (GEC) has kept branches fully informed throughout the talks and constantly asked regions and branches to give priority to getting all members DD ready.

In the final stages of the talks the GEC successfully argued that because the 90 days notice had been given so late in December check off should continue until the end of March. The final collection of union subscriptions by check off will be on Tuesday 31st March 2015.

The first payment by direct debit will be on Friday 1st May 2015. We need every member DD ready a couple of weeks before that to give PCS HQ time to process everything. 

The “justification” given by the DWP for the ending of the check off facility is that there is no statutory obligation for employers to provide this service and a sweeping reference to the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act. (see management's letter below).

The truth is that the removal of check off is a political attack on PCS by the government. The government think they can silence PCS by removing check-off which they hope will disrupt our finances, and weaken the union’s ability to campaign against austerity and to organise to fight for better pay, jobs, pensions and conditions of service.

This attack by the Tories will fail. PCS in the DWP will lead the union in making sure that every member gets DD ready and every non member is asked to join the union.

Over 80% of members with Wigan branch have now completed and returned direct debit forms so if you haven't already done so, now's the time folks.

Your reps can help you with your memberships number if you need it.

Manager Congratulates Staff For Hitting Sanctions Targets

http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2014/12/10/senior-dwp-manager-congratulates-staff-for-hitting-sanctions-targets/

Proposed Action in North-West Contact Centres

Proposed Action in North-West Contact Centres
Action has been proposed by the North West Regional Committee to the Group Executive to confront the deteriorating conditions in North-West DWP Contact centres.

The DWP North West Regional Committee met today and unanimously agreed the following:

The following branches in the North West wish to put in a submission for industrial action in their contact centres: East Lancashire, West Lancashire, North Merseyside, Manchester and Salford, Liverpool, Wigan Area, Stockport and Tame Valley.

We want to ballot all members who work for Network Services on the following sites: Blackburn CC, Blackpool CC, Bootle CC, Chorlton CC, Garston CC, Makerfield CC, Stockport CC and Lancaster. We want the question on the ballot paper to be "are you prepared to take strike action?"

We want to take discontinuous strike action until the following demands are met.

1. An agreement that there will be no further use of agency workers and the agency workers at Makerfield will be offered permanent jobs.

2. An agreement that management will adhere to the leave arrangements contained in the Contact Centre Agreement.

3. An agreement that all staff will have free access to the flexibility agreed in the Contact Centre Agreement.

4. An agreement that there will be guaranteed job security for all remaining AAs.

The Group Secretary has informed us that the Group Exec has agreed principle to support this action on completion of the formal submission process.

We will keep members and branches informed of all future developments.

For more information please contact the Regional Secretary: annettepwright@hotmail.co.uk

Crucial decision imminent on Alpha pension switch

PCS members in the civil service in the 'Options' pensions group are being asked to make a choice about when to move to the new Alpha scheme in 2015.

These members have been receiving letters relating to the pensions scheme over the past few weeks over whether to move by April or on a later date, depending on which scheme they are in and their date of birth.  

PCS cannot give financial advice, but members should read all the material sent to them and use the online resources as the deadline for a decision is fast approaching.

The employer’s calculator will help you make a decision but in the 'Assumptions used,' salary is expected to grow by 4.75% every year. Many civil servants do not expect such increases in salary so members should check the box indicated to change that figure to something more realistic.

It is noticeable how projected pension changes significantly when pay assumptions are revised. After putting in your details you will see there is a box that says ‘Assumptions used,’ after clicking on that, there is another box to click to change the assumptions.

Changing pensions age

Another issue you will want to consider is the implications of changing pension age in any future early retirement/early exits schemes. If you're a member of the Classic or Premium schemes you may be eligible for early retirement after the age of 50, once in Alpha that eligibility will be at a later age. The earliest an Alpha pension can be taken is at 55. This would also apply to partial retirement. 

You need to make your choice on your own plans and if you need financial advice PCS membership services provider is Lighthouse Financial Advice. 

For an initial consultation you can contact them on 08000 858 590 and quote your PCS membership number.

Read our Alpha pensions leaflet.









 

PCS 2015 diary

The PCS diary will be mailed out with the December edition of PCS People magazine

PCS People is due to arrive with members in the week beginning 15 December.
 
The diary, which was withdrawn at the end of last year, has been reinstated following motion A55 to PCS annual delegate conference, which was supported by the national executive committee (NEC).
 
The motion recognised the financial restraints placed upon PCS because of falling membership numbers and acknowledged that difficult decisions need to be made. But it said that the withdrawal of the diary has led to a significant number of complaints being received at local, regional and national levels.
 
The motion said members rely on their PCS diary which they carry with them at all times.
 
There will be a limited supply of diaries at headquarters for members who join after December.
 
Not a PCS member? Join today for security at work.
 
Register to pay your PCS subs by direct debit and you could win £1,200.

DWP will end check off by February 2015 or earlier

The Group Executive Committee met DWP management again last week about the government’s political attack on check off for PCS members. The DWP have now formally stated, “we intend to remove check off with appropriate notice”. The GEC will continue to fully oppose the ending of check off.

Hypocrisy

Management argue that check off is old fashioned and not appropriate in a modern workplace. Yet when questioned by the GEC they have confirmed that they are not stopping check off for any other organisations. They will continue to operate check off for HASSRA. So what they really mean is that the government hate PCS because our union has challenged their failed austerity programme and they are ending check off in a political attack on our union’s finances. They have even approached PCS to ask if they can promote our credit union and allow staff to pay into it by check off. The government’s hypocrisy is breathtaking.

Waste of Money

Following the privatisation of Shared Services DWP check off is now done by the private company SSCL. SSCL will charge the DWP to end check off. We know that it will cost much more to end check off than it would to carry on with check off. This is what happens when you sell our work to a private company. Naturally they want a profit for implementing a change. The GEC has made clear that this is a misuse of taxpayer’s money on a political whim.

In line with national union bargaining policy the GEC has offered to pay to keep check off. This charging option has in fact always been in the national civil service code. DWP have agreed that they will include this offer in their final report to the DWP Ministers.

Pension changes risk

SSCL also have to implement the 2015 civil service pension changes next spring. The DWP say they believe that SSCL can cope with both jobs; administering the end of check off and the civil service pension changes, at the same time. Whilst PCS is opposed to many of the civil service pension changes the GEC have nevertheless told DWP management that it is wrong to force SSCL to do both jobs at the same time and they should be allowed to focus on the changes to the civil service pension scheme. The GEC have told DWP management that it is wrong to take any risk with the civil service pension changes by asking SSCL to do this extra job.

Equality impact

Some reps have raised concerns with the GEC that some BME members are expressing worries about paying by Direct Debit. The GEC have pressed the DWP for an equality impact assessment and they have agreed to let us have a copy.

Appropriate notice

The final meeting with the DWP is on Wednesday 26 November. In the meantime the GEC have written to management again repeating in full all of our opposition to the ending of check off. The DWP have agreed to include the full wording of our opposition to the end of check off in the report that goes to DWP ministers for a final decision.

In terms of “appropriate notice”, PCS would expect the DWP to give 90 days’ notice for such a fundamental change but no specific commitment has been given. However, we anticipate that the last check off in the DWP will be at the end of February. The GEC is continuing to argue for a later date or for check off to carry on.

PCS advice on holiday pay claims

Following a landmark ruling on holiday pay the PCS legal team has put together advice for members and reps.

Earlier this month Unite union members won a groundbreaking employment appeal tribunal (EAT) which could mean all UK employers now need to include non-guaranteed compulsory overtime when calculating workers’ holiday pay, potentially increasing the holiday pay of 5 million workers.

If you’re contracted to work 20 hours a week, at the moment you’ll get 20 hours’ holiday pay for each week you’re on holiday – even if you regularly work 15 extra hours of overtime. Because of this ruling your employer could now have to pay you 35 hours’ weekly holiday pay to reflect the reality of your working hours, rather than what it says in your contract. It effectively means employees working lots of overtime aren’t penalised with a temporary pay cut for taking paid leave.

Where members are required to work overtime when offered and it is offered on a regular basis, then the judgement is likely to mean that the rate for holiday pay should be based on the normal take home pay for members, including their regular overtime payments. This is clearly intended, from the judgement, to apply to the core 20 days of leave under the European Working Time Directive (Article 7). 

Generally, if a worker receives the same pay every week or month then that is the pay that they should expect when on annual leave. Recent Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) rulings and the EAT decision mean that this might not always be the same as ‘basic pay’ – certain regular payments, such as shift allowances, commission and, in certain cases regular and required overtime, should also be included in the calculation of pay for annual leave periods. 

Depending on when the last payment of holiday pay omitting these elements was made, members may also be able to make a claim for back money - although the law has been tightened up in that respect.

The recent EAT judgement in Bear, Hertel and Amec v Fulton and others confirms, subject to any appeal, that employers need to consider carefully what is classed as ‘normal pay’ and that regular overtime and pay supplements such as shift allowances, bonus and commission should be included. 

Previously only basic pay counted when calculating holiday pay.

What it means for you

If you only work voluntary overtime on a sporadic basis, it is unlikely that this judgement would help you. Where you are required to work overtime when offered and it is offered on a regular basis, then the judgement is likely to mean that the rate for holiday pay should be based on the normal take home pay for members, including their regular overtime payments.  

Any future annual leave within the Article 7 entitlement (first 20 days of leave) and any further leave for which matching arrangements are agreed should be paid at this revised rate. 

Claiming for past holiday periods: the EAT judgement opens the door to historic claims for unlawful deduction from wages, under the Employment Rights Act. But because of the potential impact of the differential between the 20 statutory days and the remainder of any leave allowance, this is complex.

Reps should ask their employer to confirm if their employer includes these types of additional payments when calculating salary for annual leave periods, and if it does not, what will be done to rectify this. They should also ask their employer to detail how it has identified those staff whose pay will be affected by the judgements and how that has been included in holiday pay.

Any claim for an unlawful deduction has to be lodged with the ET within 3 months of the date on which the payment was received from which the deduction was made –that is usually the pay for the month in which the holiday 

was taken. However, it is possible to take a claim if it is lodged within 3 months of the last payment date, where there are a series of such deductions.

If you believe you may have a claim you should contact your PCS branch in the first instance.  

Problems at work? Read our guide for members

Not a member? Join PCS for protection at work.

Register to pay your PCS subs by direct debit and you could win £1,200.


 

PCS steps up pressure against HMRC anti-union plot

PCS is stepping up the pressure on HMRC over senior management's anti-union plot by involving Europe's largest federation of public service unions, the TUC and our parliamentary group.

While we were trying to negotiate in good faith with the chief executive Lin Homer over our jobs and staffing campaign, a secret management document was brought to our attention which shows a plan to undermine and marginalise PCS. 

HMRC unilaterally walked away from talks aimed at resolving our ongoing dispute, and removed facility time from some of our most senior reps.

On Friday we wrote to PCS members in HMRC and published a transcript of the secret paper we have seen outlining the anti-union plot by their employer.

Now Jan Willem Goudriaan, general secretary of the 8million-strong European Federation of Public Service Unions, has offered to intervene on behalf of PCS and write to Ms Homer and there is a growing alliance willing to act for us, including TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady and our cross-party parliamentary group, chaired by Labour MP John McDonnell. This will include raising questions in the House of Commons.

We remain ready to discuss jobs, performance management and privatisation but we will not be bullied into signing up to damaging cuts. We are still prepared to go to the conciliation service Acas to try to resolve the dispute, something that Ms Homer has previously rejected.

Not a member? Join PCS for protection at work.

Register to pay your PCS subs by direct debit.

Defend PCS in HMRC from an anti-union plot

We have sent a letter to our members working in HMRC and published a transcript of a secret management paper seen by PCS outlining an anti-union plot.

We have taken the unusual step of writing a letter to these members to draw their attention to disturbing recent developments in the department. 

We have been in dispute with HM Revenue and Customs over our jobs and staffing campaign. While we have been trying to negotiate in good faith with the chief executive Lin Homer, a secret management document has been brought to our attention which shows a plan to undermine and marginalise PCS. 

Read the full story behind this plot.

Get involved 

We are urging members in HMRC to support our union in the days and weeks ahead, attend any local meetings that are held in your workplace and join with us to defend your right to be a member of an independent trade union. 

If you're a member show your support by registering to pay your PCS subs by direct debit as we are aware that HMRC management is now moving towards ending the check-off facility of collecting subs direct from salaries.

Defend your rights, support our union.

Read a transcript of the secret management document.

Share our letter.

Not a member? Join PCS for protection at work.

Manchester May Day 2015

Come to this next May if you can folks and please share this with any unions, campaigns, organisations and anyone else who supports the trade union movement and who might want to be involved.

On Saturday 2nd May 2015 Manchester Trades Council
will host a celebration of trade unionism at the Mechanics Institute Manchester, the birthplace of the TUC.

International Workers Day is celebrated around the world. We want Manchester to play its part, with a day of events for trade unionists, our families and everyone who is supportive of our movement.

The Manchester Mechanics will be open all day and evening with a packed programme of events.

There will be live bands, films, theatre, debates, discussions, comedians, poets, art and a bar.

We are inviting all trade unions, and all groups who support trade unions, to get involved.

+ We need sponsors to help fund the event. We'll use your logo on all publicity and give you space for a stall.

+ We can offer rooms to hold meetings or events which celebrate trade union and labour history, or which demonstrate trade union values. The rooms hold from 15 to 100 people and events can last from 30 minutes to two hours.

+ We are looking for bands and acts for the evenings entertainment, especially those with trade union links.

If you want to get involved, let us know.

https://www.facebook.com/events/714294481979815/?ref_dashboard_filter=hosting

Register for direct debit and you could win £1,200

We are asking all PCS members to change the way they pay their union subscriptions to direct debit.

The government is trying to cut off our funding by ending arrangements to collect PCS subs direct from your salary.

With many government departments consulting PCS on the possible withdrawal of check-off, the decades-old system of paying your union subscriptions direct from your salary, our reps have stepped up the pace ofswitching members to direct debit. 

There is particular urgency in the Home Office, Department for Indernational Development and environment, food and rural affairs group. Management of these employers has informed PCS formally of their intention to withdraw check-off over the next few months.

The Home Office decision to end check-off served as an urgent prompt to branches and workplaces and the rate of collecting direct debit details from members increased fourfold when formal notice was given by the employer.

Campaign growing

Our goal is to have all members ready to pay by direct by the end of April. Your details will be held securely on our systems, which are compliant with data security procedures.

And with 600 new members joining PCS in the last 2 weeks of September alone, the campaign is clearly getting the message across to non-members and members alike about the importance of having the protection of an independent union voice against a hostile employer.

You can help secure our future and stay protected at work with an indepdendent voice against a hostile emnployer and you could win a big cash prize in the new year by taking 3 minutes to register online to pay your PCS subs by direct debit.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This is an unnecessary political move by the Tories but we’ll not let them undermine us. Please sign up today to help us remain strong and independent."

Here are the prizes:

• 1st £1,200
• 2nd £200
• 3rd £100.

The prize fund has been donated by Thompson solicitors and is open to all who have registered by 1 January, 2015. 

Register your details now and ask the colleague sitting next to you to sign up. 

What you will need
 

• Your PCS membership or National Insurance numbers - your union rep can provide you with your membership number
• Your bank card.

Voluntary Exit Scheme in Work Services 3,600 Job Cuts Announced

DWP have announced a large scale voluntary exit scheme across the whole of the Job Centre network. This exercise is aimed at cutting up to 3,600 jobs. The staff will leave DWP in June 2015.

Who is eligible to apply?

1. All AO’s in WSD (excluding Visits, Access to Work and National Partnership Team and the staff recently allocated to Contact Centre satellite sites)
2. All EO’s in WSD (excluding most Work Coaches, Visits, Access to Work and National Partnership Team).
3. EO Work Coaches are eligible to apply in the following Districts only

• Surrey and Sussex
• Devon Cornwall & Somerset
• Thames Valley
• Cumbria and Lancashire
• East Anglia
• Midland Shires

 4.  All HEO, SEO and Grade 7 staff in WSD (excluding Visits, Access to Work and National Partnership Team).

How many in each grade?

Management are anticipating that staff will be allowed to leave by grade as follows:

• AO’s - up to 2,100
• EO’s - up to 1,100
• HEO to Grade 7 - up to 350

In addition small scale voluntary exit schemes will be run in BD, NSD and UC aimed only at AA’s and a handful of senior managers in NSD. AA’s who have already applied to earlier exit scheme are not able to apply to this scheme Also AA’s in PIP and DLA are not eligible to apply.

Why are DWP doing this?

DWP claim that in 2015/16 they will have 7,000 more staff in WSD than they will need. This is mainly as a result of year on year cuts to departmental budgets and also to the ongoing falls in the JSA register. DWP would have preferred to allow more staff to leave WSD but 3,500 exits is the most that MyCSP is able to handle at any one time.

PCS says DWP needs more staff not less

At a time when DWP is actually recruiting new staff and even resorting to bringing in temps from the Brook Street Bureau, it is madness for DWP to say it needs to run such a massive exit scheme. All over DWP members are under enormous pressure to deliver more with less. They are routinely threatened with PIP’s and face ever-increasing targets and benchmarks.

Can WSD cope?

PCS does not accept that WSD can cope with losing over 3,000 staff overnight. This will put even more pressure on the staff remaining and will degrade the service we can deliver to customers. Earlier this year DWP allowed too many staff to leave on Voluntary Exit schemes and then had to recruit staff to replace those they had allowed to leave. It is only too likely that they will end up doing the same again

Falling unemployment

It is true that unemployment has been reducing recently but any staff that may be saved as a result could be redeployed into other parts of DWP to relieve the pressure elsewhere and remove the need for unwelcome measures like agency temps and increased privatisation of our work. Also unemployment can go up as well as down and it makes no sense in the long term to lose so many experienced and skilled staff in such a volatile economic climate.

Government budget cuts

Falling unemployment is only one reason behind this exit scheme. The main reason is that year on year since 2010 DWP has faced savage cuts to its staffing budgets. DWP now employs 30,000 staff less than it did in 2010. This reduction is almost exclusively the fault of the government’s cuts to DWP budgets. Once again it is staff in the public sector who have to pay the price of the economic crash in the private sector.

Terms of the Exit Scheme

The terms of the exit schemes will be the standard terms as used in all other recent voluntary exit schemes. Any individual exit that is estimated to cost over £100,000 will be subject to a specific review by the Treasury. Not all staff who apply will be allowed to leave and some staff are likely to be deemed business critical, particularly those in Job centres close to areas where DWP is expanding.

Pay 2015

The last day of service for staff leaving under this scheme will be 30 June 2015. Under DWP rules, this will mean that they will not be eligible to receive any of the 2015 DWP pay award including the non-consolidated payment relating to the current performance year.

It's TUC Young Workers Month!

#YWM14

Today is the start of TUC Young Workers Month (YWM). The main purpose of YWM is to promote trade unions to young workers and to highlight the issues faced by young workers. 

This years activities, organised by the TUC and our affiliated unions are focused on key issues; jobs, pay, homes and voice inside and outside the workplace.

Unions have organised a series of events and activities which will be taking place throughout November. TUC regions will also be running joint activity across the country. The National TUC office have organised the Big TUC Youth Debate  a Young Leaders training weekend and a new young workers recruitment video! 

Help us promote the month and show your support by uploading the Young Workers Month twibbon and by tweeting using the hashtag #YWM14 

More information on Young Workers Month and the TUC Young Workers Forum can be found on the TUC website. 

This is an important event designed to give debate to issues that affect young people most: JOBS, HOMES and VOICE.

We want to make sure this event reaches as many young people as possible, so please download and share with your networks!

Register for The Big TUC Youth Debate

Download TUC Youth Debate flyer from the links below.

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The_Big_TUC_Youth_Debate_2014_A5_Flyer_AW_Online.pdf	209.98 KB
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Agency workers at Makerfield to be paid below AA Band Minimum?

By our calculations the situation is more disgraceful than even we suspected. 

The job advert has now been tracked down and shows that the actual wage starts at the National Minimum Wage of £6.50ph, and the maximum is 8.62ph but that this is "dependent upon experience".

At these hourly rates if the agency staff were to work our contracted hours of 37 hours a week this would mean an annual rate of £12,506pa if paid at £6.50ph, and £16,584 if paid at £8.62.    

The DWP AO minimum is £16590pa. Both advertised rates of pay and any inbetween are lower. The £6.50ph rate (based upon 37 hours a week) amounts to 75.38% of the AO minimum.

However, it is worse than that:

The DWP AA minimum is £15,150 pa. The £6.50ph rate is therefore below even the pay band minima of the grade below AO.

Neither therefore comply with the DWP statement that they will be paid at the AO minimum. 

The only way that they can earn the AO band minimum is if they are on the £8.62 rate but work an additional 6 minutes per day, equivalent to an additional 26 hours work over a year, or an additional 3.51 days.

What a rip off against the agency workers. What an insult to our Contact Centre members.

No to agency workers!

The intention to bring in agency staff to Makerfield Contact Centre can only be viewed as an attempt to undermine PCS members terms and conditions and PCS has no alternative but to actively oppose this. 

To do it in a town where there has recently been successful industrial action, by the Bakers Union at Hovis, against agency workers being brought in on lesser terms and not just insisting that any were on equal rights with the main workforce from day one but taken on directly by the company. This puts the Branch in a particularly difficult position. It is frankly a challenge that we cannot ignore.

Whilst we have had it confirmed that they would be paid the AO band minimum, it remains unconfirmed what annual leave (paid or unpaid) they would qualify for.

What we do know is that they will not be DWP employees. They will not be covered by the Contact Centre Standard Operating Approach (SOA) or the Contact Centre Dispute Agreement.

They will also be expected to work longer hours than DWP staff with set hours between 9am and 5.30pm with an hour for lunch. They will have no scheduling preferences.

DWP has yet to confirm (and it is doubtful that they will) have rights to:
- trade union recognition
- not to be dismissed without notice
- rest breaks outside of a lunch break
- paid or unpaid sick leave
- paid or unpaid special leave
- flexible working (as they will have set hours)
- pension rights
- performance pay
- be covered by DWP Policies including the safeguards within the; Probation, Attendance

Management, Discipline, People Performance, Dispute Resolution, Diversity and Equality, Wellbeing at Work or Health and Safety to name just a few.

Only after 12 weeks could they under employment law get access to:
- paid bank holidays
- pregnancy rights including even the basic right to paid time for antenatal appointments
- rest breaks

This demonstrates the difference between a unionised workplace and agency status. We have to resist the abolition of workers' rights at all costs.

Clearly the DWP prefers to offset the recruitment fees paid to the Brook Agency than recruit directly and pay towards the terms & conditions of employing it's own staff. Whether this costs more to the taxpayer has clearly been seen as less important to sending a clear message about how they would like to staff the DWP in future. 

The idea that our own members will be expected to train, mentor and even Line Manage them is totally unacceptable.

Whilst we believe that the CCS network is seriously understaffed and needs urgent recruitment we reject the DWPs stated reasons for bringing in agency staff rather than directly recruiting. The staffing situation has been known for months if not years but constantly denied by CCS until now.

It is not believable that staff could not have been recruited directly within the same timeline that has been used to negotiate with the Agency. 

This is a blatent attempt to undermine PCS at Makerfield where we have nearly 90% membership and a proud history of supporting campaign activity. The branch is sure that members will continue to show solidarity in opposing this attack.

We must oppose attempts to pitch worker against worker. If we do not challenge this then there will be a group of workers, on site, unable to participate in any campaign to improve terms, conditions or even enforcement of the Contact Centre Dispute Agreement. Whilst at the same time undermining any attempts to get them civil service status.

Branch reps will be meeting early next week to decide upon a response to put to members.

Temps to cover AO's in Makerfield CC

In its latest panic measure to desperately try and paper over the cracks DWP has announced today that it is to take on 80 temps from the Brook Street Bureau recruitment agency to cover AO vacancies until 31st March 2015.

DWP is currently advertising externally for new AO staff to join as Fixed Term Appointments. However this recruitment exercise has been undersubscribed and has not generated the expected level of applications. As a result the department has decided to throw all of its long-standing, tried and tested recruitment policies and procedures out of the window and is resorting to taking on agency temps to cover core front line AO vacancies.

Unprecedented insult

Agency temps have never been used to fill AO posts in DWP before. It is an insult to every AO in the department that DWP is now saying to them that their post can be filled with an agency temp at a moment’s notice, irrespective of their skills, experience or qualifications.

Start on Monday

The first temps are expected to be in post as early as 27th October. PCS was not even told of the possibility of this happening until Monday 20th October. DWP have agreed to review the use of agency temps to see how it works, after two or three weeks.

Not DWP staff

Temps remain employed by their agency, in this case the Brook Street Bureau, and so will not be DWP members of staff. They will be paid the AO Min but on top of that DWP will have to pay a fee to the Brook Street Bureau for their ‘service’ in providing these people.

Criminal Records Checks

Some of the temps will start in training with DWP before they have had a criminal records check. DWP were clear that they must not have access to DWP IT systems or talk to the public until the checks have been done. Brook Street Bureau claim they can do this check in one week whereas it takes DWP up to three weeks for the same check. The temps should receive the same new entrant training and induction as directly employed staff.

Casual Staff

PCS asked management why they would not use temporary, directly employed casual staff instead. No real explanation was given for why they could not do this.

Undermining the civil service

PCS sees the use of agency temps as a serious undermining of the civil service. What were once seen as jobs with above average terms and conditions, reasonable career prospects and good job security are now being reduced to the level of agency temps. Temps have far worse rights at work than directly employed staff. They would have the same pay, hours and annual leave as directly employed staff but would not be covered by DWP policies on other terms and conditions like sick pay, special leave, etc.

PCS has been assured that this is a one-off measure to deal with an emergency shortage of staff in CCS. However there is a real risk that this is the thin end of the wedge and part of a wider strategy by the employer to casualise employment in DWP.

Given that 80 temps equates to just 0.125% of the total DWP staffing, it is unclear why such a tiny shortage amounts to a crisis requiring these emergency measures.

The 80 temps are to be used at Grimsby and Makerfield contact centres. DWP will have had no say in the people who Brook Street Bureau supply and will have no idea whether they are in any way suitable for these posts, or whether there is any intention for the temps to stay for more than a few days.

PCS Opposition

PCS has made it clear to the employer that we are completely opposed to this decision. Agency temps have no role in the civil service and PCS will campaign for an end to their use as soon as possible. PCS has asked for a meeting at with senior management in the department to seek a reversal of this decision.

While it may take a little longer to run a proper recruitment exercise, this is still what DWP should do. If DWP is unable to attract people to apply for its vacancies then maybe DWP should start to look at what it is offering new recruits. A good start would be a substantial increase in the AO rates of pay to ensure DWP is competitive with other employers.

Contact centre services update

This article provides an update of recent meetings with CCS management.

Staffing

CCS has been significantly affected by the recent movement of staff around DWP Operations. Management acknowledged that they are currently struggling with some of their business priorities and that there could be a need for further moves around Operations.

8 Contact centres are leaving, or have recently left, CCS

• Newcastle has moved to Child Maintenance Group
• DWP Visiting Booking Centre in Cardiff will no longer become a contact centre.
• Taunton, Newport and Pembroke Dock are moving to the Fraud and Error Service.
• Bangor has become a Universal Credit (UC) site.
• Middlesbrough will move to UC from December.
• Dundee and Makerfield will also now move to UC early next year.

Staff coming into CCS

• DWP Visiting Booking Centre in Glasgow brings c.100 staff into CCS.
• 6 satellite sites in Boston, Chatham, Lancaster, Luton, Redruth and Skegness bring c. 60 staff into CCS
• 600 part time Fixed Term Appointments are being recruited into CCS, mainly to replace the staff moving to FES.
• 200 apprentices have been recruited

A further impact of all these changes is that management decided to utilise an existing contract to outsource the remaining JSA First Contact (FC) line to Capita.

PCS’ concerns on staffing

PCS has raised our concerns that all of this will leave CCS in a position where it does not have enough staff. Management contend that the recruitment, all of which is on a part-time basis, coupled with the way in which they have deployed the 200 apprentices, is designed to specifically cover Mondays and the busiest times of day, thereby making better use of their staff resource.

They also maintain that, as sites convert to UC, the call work will go with them, thus reducing the demand on CCS. The possibility of further recruitment to support the moves to UC cannot be ruled out. Management also accepted that the new recruits, all in the AO grade, would need team leaders and confirmed that this would be done by offering TDA and then taking further FTA recruits from reserve lists to backfill the TDA. However, they acknowledged that there would be continued pressure until the new recruits were in place.

Recruitment

PCS argued that the recruitment should be on a permanent basis and questioned why CCS were only offering 12 month FTA contracts when the recruitment more recently announced in other parts of Operations is being done on the basis of offering 18 month contracts. We also argued that they should use the current recruitment to bring the JSA FC work back in-house.

CCS appeared unaware that the other recruitment exercises were offering 18 month contracts. However, they stated they were doing a 12 month plan which looked at all options and changes to the service, which was why the recruitment was only for that period. The FTA staff being recruited will join on contracts that can enable them to be converted to permanency. Part of that plan will be looking at service changes over that period and bringing FC JSA work back into CCS is one of the things they will be looking at as part of that review. We expect full consultation on this review.

PCS recruitment

As the new staff are recruited local reps should liaise with local management to ensure that a trade union induction talk is provided for all of the new entrants, to ensure they are given the opportunity to join PCS.

Satellite sites

PCS raised some specific concerns about the 6 satellite sites that were coming over to CCS. When announcing the setting up of these sites, management indicated that they expected normal CCS rules to apply. All of these will be small teams of people based in Jobcentres, that will present a number of logistical problems if the normal approach to scheduling and preferences is imposed.

Management agreed to look at this, and appeared to acknowledge that there were practical issues around things like scheduling until 6pm. They confirmed that all sites will be doing JEL work, with the exception of Skegness, where they will handle SF Enquiries. Management stated that there were no firm go-live dates as yet and that all risk assessments and necessary work will be done on these sites to make them suitable for contact centre style work.

They also believed that all staff, again other than in Skegness where it was a specific team that had previously been attached to Benefits Directorate, were volunteers following Expression of Interest exercises. We advised them that in Boston, at least, it had not been done that way and that staff had been selected. They agreed to take this away and look at it, but believed that it was really an issue for WSD, who had been responsible for providing the staff to CCS.

Leave

Management believed that they had “maxed out” leave over the summer period, but accepted that there had been pressures on short notice leave and that this had been difficult to allow through into September. However, they believed that the pressure on leave was not now the same and that leave was available for people to book. The one caveat they had was their on-going belief that Monday will always be an issue. Al s a result they have targeted the current recruitment at Monday’s, stating all new recruits will be expected to have Monday as one of their working days, which should ease the pressure on Mondays in the future. They categorically denied that there was any manipulation of Workforce Manager in order to restrict access to annual leave.

They also stated that they wanted to delay decisions on leave for the festive period in order to maximise what they could allow. They stated they could make a decision in October but that “a lot of people would be disappointed”, but, if they wait until November, when the newly recruited staff were in place, they will have a better picture of the situation, and that will give them more leeway in allowing as much leave as possible.

PCS recognized the logic of waiting until the new recruits were in place before allocating Christmas leave. However, we did make it clear that if our members were advised of a delay in the authorisation of Christmas leave in order to allow as much leave as possible then that would lead to an anticipation of a significant level of leave being allowed.

80% preferences for part time staff

PCS has been seeking clarity on this issue for some time. CCS have looked into this to see how sites apply the 80% preferences for part time staff. They stated that there is not a standard position and the methods of applying the 80% preferences vary from site to site.

However they were able to confirm that all part time staff should be receiving their 80% preferences. If there is a week where this does not happen then that would be offset by other weeks where 100% preferences are given. Thereby, taken over a longer period, 80% preferences are achieved. If there are any part time members who do not believe that they are receiving their 80% preferences then they should initially raise this locally through their local rep and escalate the issue as necessary.

AHT

They confirmed that they had written to all CCS staff to advise that AHT would no longer be an individual performance metric.

Future look

Management indicated that they would be doing at lot of work in the next six months, looking at the work CCS does and how they do it, and they would consult TUS throughout the process. Part of what is being looked at is the Service Centre approach. This is already the business model in Pensions, CMG and the Disability and Carers part of Benefits, and is the way in which UC is being rolled out.

Management were keen to build on the work done in Chorlton and have formally launched, what they are now calling, Service Centre One in Derby. It is clear that a move away from the failed separation of CCS and Benefits is now beginning to take shape and we are keen that this is done in the best way possible for our members. We will keep you updated of any developments.

Focus on Mondays

It was unacceptable to find that later in the same week as our meeting with CCS management, they had written to all staff notifying them of various contingency measures, aimed at “maximizing performance to improve customer service”. CCS management did not discuss the need for any of these measures in the meeting with PCS shortly before. Our initial enquiries about this met with an, equally unacceptable response. We have now written a further letter challenging the need for these measures and making our feelings clear.

What's your thoughts or comments?

If you have any questions, examples you wish to raise or feedback/comments on anything in this article please speak to your local rep.

Check how little your pay has gone up in the last 6 years

PCS urges all DWP staff to go to RM and check how their pay has been affected by the Government pay and pensions policy over the past 6 years since the economic crash.

The two examples below show clearly how increased pension contributions and the pay freeze have left us worse off as inflation soars ahead of wages.

Example 1: an AO in East London

An AO in East London found by checking on RM that his monthly take home pay in September 2008 was £1,437.10. Monthly take home pay in September 2014 is now £1,438.64. So in 6 years take home pay has gone up by only £1.54.

Example 2: an EO in London

An EO in East London found by checking on RM that his monthly take home pay in September 2008 was £1,805. Monthly take home pay in September 2014 is now £1,816. So in 6 years take home pay has gone up by only £11 a month.

Whatever tiny pay rise these staff have had has been swallowed up by the increased pension contribution.

15 Oct pickets

Join us tomorrow

Do something positive to show that we wont go away with our demands. Join your local picket line.

- Wigan Jobcentre 

- Makerfield Contact Centre

- Leigh Jobcentre

- Atherton Jobcentre

and 

- Ashton in Makerfield Jobcentre

Pickets start approximately 7am.

Garston Contact Centre members take 5 days strike action to oppose office closure

n May PCS members in Garston Contact Centre in the DWP Liverpool Branch voted by a majority of five and a half to one in favour of strike action to fight the closure of the office.

95% of PCS members at Garston Contact Centre supported two 1 day strikes on 16 May and 23 June to fight the proposed closure of their office and the forced transfer of all staff to either Bootle CC or Birkenhead CMG. On both strike days around 30 pickets including ordinary members made lively picket lines.
PCS members at Garston will now take 5 days strike action from Monday 13 October to Friday 17 October.

Members Angry
Members are angry because management say they need to close the office to save money but DWP management have not taken into account the needs of the staff. Garston, Bootle CC and Birkenhead CMG are not offices next door to one another. Most members will face difficult journeys and even management accept that a good number of staff are outside their contractual mobility for both offices.

Over a 1,000 DWP jobs have been cut in Liverpool in the last decade and many members at Garston are only there because they had to move there when DWP shut the Liverpool Pensions and Liverpool Call Centre sites.

For some staff closing Garston would mean their second and in some cases third forced transfer due to cuts and office closures over the last ten years.
Concessions agreed

The Group Executive Committee (GEC) has fully opposed the closure and supported fully the members. So far negotiations supported by strike action have achieved several welcome concessions such as –
Excess fares extended from 3 to 5 years.
Alternative postings to Belle Vale office for all staff with mobility, health or caring problems.

Agreement to recruit at Birkenhead CMG instead of compulsorily transferring Garston staff to Birkenhead CMG.
Despite these concessions the great majority of staff will still be compulsorily transferred to Bootle if Garston closes. Management have described this as a lift and drop of the work but our members at Garston say - you can’t lift and drop people and treat them like office furniture. GEC say this is a closure too far.

Reasonable union proposals rejected
PCS only takes industrial action as a last resort. After a series of further talks the GEC this week escalated negotiations to a meeting with the Network Services Director Myrtle Lloyd. The GEC again fully opposed the closure of Garston and put forward what we believe are very reasonable proposals for setting up a satellite contact centre nearer to Garston as an alternative to compulsory moves to Bootle if DWP insist on closing the Garston site.

Management refused to agree to set up a satellite mainly on grounds of cost. Yet management have already set up satellite contact centres in Skegness, Luton, Lancaster, Redruth, Boston and Gravesend where nobody wanted them.
Now when creating a satellite site would overcome the genuine concerns of staff at Garston suddenly there is no money. The GEC stressed strong disappointment at this response.
50% Strike pay

All PCS members will take part in a 1 day national strike on Wednesday 15 October as part of a TUC week of action for fair pay with millions of other public servants in Local Government, the NHS and Education.

The PCS national disputes committee has agreed to authorise 50% strike pay for all members that take part in the 5 day strike over the closure of Garston CC. Strike pay will be paid for 4 days – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, but not the national strike day on Wednesday.
Garstons fight is your fight

These 5 days of strike action by our members at Garston shows their fantastic commitment in their fight to keep their office open. It will mean a considerable loss of pay for them.
The closure of the Garston CC is part of the government and DWP cuts. The NEC and the GEC believe that the Garston members fight is a key part of the bigger fight against the cuts that affect every PCS member. The action they are taking is action on behalf of us all.

Urgent bucket collections
That is why the GEC is strongly calling on every branch to urgently arrange bucket collections. Please ask every member to give generously to help the members at Garston financially. Let’s make sure that members at Garston fighting to keep their office open are not left out of pocket.

Please send donations to – Mr A. Campbell. 67A Garston Old Road, Liverpool, L19 9AD.  Make payments out to - PCS DWP Liverpool branch hardship fund.
Please also send messages of support to leeds@pcs.org.uk