Important Information – Please take a few minutes to read this letter

Dear colleague,

PCS is asking all of our members to sign up to pay their union subscriptions by Direct Debit. Currently almost all of you have your union subs deducted from your salary. This is called ‘check off’

OK but why do it now?

Because the government is threatening to end check off and we have to be ready and not caught on the hop. Because 97% of our 260,000 members pay their union subs by check off it is how the union gets its money to represent and campaign for you. If check off is stopped we must have a quick ready way of collecting your subs. PCS must be financially independent and free to represent you. 

PCS will keep your details safe and secure

PCS already holds a lot of personal details about you as part of your membership records. We keep all personal data completely secure and confidential. PCS has signed up to the legally binding Direct Debit Guarantee scheme to give you data protection financial security. It is no different from any other Direct Debit you have for insurance, gas or electric. 

What will happen once I have sign up to DD

PCS HQ will upload your direct debit details onto the PCS computer system alongside all of the other details we already hold for you. But your direct debit won’t be activated until the removal of ‘check off’ is notified to us by the DWP or PCS nationally decides. You will not have two deductions in one month; PCS will ensure all payments are correct. You will be told when DD will begin.

Is it easy to do?

YES you can do it quickly by going to http://www.pcs.org.uk/ and doing it on line or if you want help just complete the pledge tear off overleaf and give it back to your PCS rep or email it back to us.

Why should I stay in PCS

Because being in the union means you are protected. If you have to have an interview about your sick record PCS will help you. If you are not happy about your appraisal report PCS will help you. The union offers legal advice and an excellent personal injury compensation scheme in case you or a member of your family has an accident at work or at home. But these benefits are only for union members.

Because being in the union means you have a strong voice at work. Strike action won improvements in DWP contact centres. Just a YES vote for strike action forced the DWP to drop the threat of compulsory redundancies. PCS won over £1 million pounds for fixed term staff made redundant by the DWP. Every time we campaign and take action we win improvements. Because PCS is now campaigning for fair pay for us all.

Calling all Northern Rail users in the branch

The Government’s proposals for the future of the Northern and TransPennine Express rail franchises will result in cuts to funding, fare rises, service and timetable cuts and the loss of hundreds of essential rail jobs.

Passenger service and safety will be worsened by the introduction of driver only operation, the sacking of train guards/ conductors, station de-staffing and ticket office closures.

Click here to tell your MP to act to defend rail jobs and the interests of passengers and the communities who rely on these rail services.

Get Involved

• Northern & TransPennine Express Rail Franchise 

Documents

1. Northern Briefing 58kb PDF

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Hold an inquiry into benefit sanctions that killed my brother - please signu

My brother, David Clapson, a diabetic ex-soldier, died starving and destitute because he was penalised by the Job Centre for missing a meeting.

David had his £71.70 weekly allowance stopped meaning that he couldn’t afford food or electricity. He was penniless, starving and alone. His electricity card was out of credit meaning the fridge where he should have kept his diabetes insulin chilled was not working. Three weeks after his benefits were stopped he died from diabetic ­ketoacidosis – caused by not taking his insulin.

David wasn’t a “scrounger”. He had worked for 29 years; 5 years in the Army – including two years in Northern Ireland in the 1970s, during the height of the troubles – 16 years with British Telecom, eight years with various other companies, and in recent years was a carer for our sick mother. When mum went into a home, David turned to the state for help, receiving benefits while he looked for work and taking unpaid work placements.

When he died he had just £3.44 to his name, six tea bags, a tin of soup and an out-of-date can of sardines. A coroner also found he had no food in his stomach.

People turn to the state when they are in need - that is what the system is for - a safety net for hard working people like my brother when they need a bit of support. That £71.70 a week was his lifeline. To withhold it from him for missing one meeting is cruel. And the heartbreaking thing is that he was really trying. CVs for job applications were found near David’s body. He had been on work placements, passed his fork lift truck certificate and had been on a computer training course.

Like many others I believe that benefits sanctions (penalties by the government for things like missing Jobcentre meetings) are completely out of control and putting those most in need at risk. A million people have been sanctioned in the last year – many of them are extremely vulnerable like my brother was.

I want to know how the Department of Work and Pensions can justify welfare sanctions that are driving people to foodbanks and leading to starvation and death. The DWP were aware of my brother’s  diabetes and insulin dependency, and, if as they say, they followed procedures and no errors were made, then why did my brother die?

Questions need to be asked of how Iain Duncan Smith is justifying benefit sanctions. What is the full impact of these sanctions? Are they working or simply putting the vulnerable further at risk?

I don’t want anybody else to die like this.

Please sign my petition for a full independent inquiry into the DWP’s sanctions regime.

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/david-cameron-hold-an-inquiry-into-benefit-sanctions-that-killed-my-brother

PCS fighting fund launches

The PCS fighting fund, supporting members taking targeted industrial action, has now been launched.

We are asking all members to make a voluntary donation of £2 a month to support striking members whose action could exert significant pressure on the government to enter into national negotiations over the key issues in our dispute: 

• Pay
• Pensions
• Jobs
• Terms and conditions
• Privatisation. 

Making this small donation could help make major gains for all members on pay, pensions, jobs and terms and conditions.

You can donate by:

• Writing a cheque for £24 made payable to PCS fighting fund levy and sending it to PCS Finance Department, Freepost, BFH1003, 160 Falcon Road, London, SW11 2BR
• Completing a direct debit form. 

Our strategy

We are seeking to build coordinated action with other unions over issues that affect the whole public sector, such as the pay cap and pension changes.

On 10 July around 1.5 million public sector workers participated in joint strike action, and we will continue to pursue mass co-ordinated action.

Encourage your colleagues to back the fighting fund and, if they haven’t already, to join the union. 

Sustained targeted industrial action has proved a successful tool in trade union disputes throughout history, but has to be funded to ensure the members involved are not left in poverty.

In our consultation last year, dozens of branches said they were willing to take such action. Our national disputes committee is now working with branches and reps to look at how this could work in practice.

We are stronger together.

National overtime ban

Sent from my Sony Xperia™ smartphone on Three - 4G at no extra cost

J10 PCSWigan

Picket at Makerfield Contact Centre

Sent from my Sony Xperia™ smartphone

PRESS RELEASE – PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE ACTION ON 10TH JULY 2014

Letterhead/format: Internal BA​Appendix 1

Public and Commercial Services Union

PCS WIGAN BRANCH Branch Secretary: Steve Finch DWP Brocol House, 73 King Street, Wigan WN1 1EB.

PRESS RELEASE – PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE ACTION ON 10TH JULY 2014

On Thursday 10th July over 1.5 million workers will be taking strike action across the UK. Firemen,Health workers, teachers, lecturers, council workers, tube staff, immigration and passport staff, job centres and courts will be united to take part in in strike action on a mass scale. The 24 hour strike action covers the industrial issue of the public sector pay cap, changes to pensions and cuts to the public sector which affect every single member of the public who rely on its services.

There has been a suppression of wages in both the public and private sector and relentless driving down of living standards. Public sector workers have lost up to 20% of the value of their wages since the crash in 2008. Some public sector workers have been on an effective pay freeze for eight years.

Inequality in our society is deepening. 23% of working age adults are living in poverty - the highest level since 2000 and an average household incomes are down 8.5% in real terms since 2009/10. The bottom four-fifths are worse off in the last year – only the top 20% are slightly better off. However, since 1999 the minimum wage has increased by 75%, but top executive’s pay is up 380%. In 1998, directors’ pay was 40 times the average worker, now it’s 140 times as much.

This is in the context of the dismantling and privatisation of the NHS and Royal Mail, and introduction of much harsher benefit regimes which punish the sick and unemployed.

PCS believes that Britain needs a payrise. Current wages cannot keep up with the cost of living. After four years of a pay freeze and cap, with PCS members paying more into their occupational pensions, some have seen our incomes fall by 20%. Unequal pay is rife, with some paid £3,000 than their colleagues doing similar work in the same department and women paid up to 14% less than men. The so called economic recovery is not being felt by ordinary working men and women.

Steve Finch, PCS DWP Wigan Branch Secretary said “The meagre economic recovery is only benefiting the rich. The richest 1,000 people in the country increased their wealth last year by enough to give every working person a £2,000 pay rise. We need a recovery for everyone. Our members regularly tell us ‘there is not enough month left at the end of the money’. Enough is enough. Politicians of all parties say there is less money around but this is nonsense. The energy companies are taking it in higher bills, the rail companies with higher fares, landlords with higher rents, and banks and tax dodging companies are hoarding it in tax havens. These attacks all stem from the same source, the government. So in order to defeat them we must stick together and coordinate a joint response through taking strike action together – and keep taking until we win.”

Note to Editors:

•

There are over 3500 union members from over 20 unions taking strike action in Wigan area on 10th July in unions representing health workers, council staff, jobcentre and courts staff etc.

•

Picket lines will be at Wigan Jobcentre (King St), Makerfield Benefit Centre (Bryn),Leigh Jobcentre (Windermere Rd), Atherton Jobcentre (Market St) from 7.30am to 9.30am

•

Following picket lines there will be a rally in the Market Place, Wigan town centre from11am to 12.30pm 

PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES Union

Wigan strike rally - 10 July

ALL OUT - July 10

Our general secretary Mark Serwotka is addressing a large rally in London on the day 1.5 million public sector workers are striking to demand fair pay.

Across the UK, pay cuts have damaged the economy and caused real hardship for millions of people. If pay had kept pace with inflation, average civil service pay would be £2,300 higher than it is now. But the government has announced that the pay cap will continue in 2014 and 2015 and possibly beyond.

We have submitted a pay claim to the Cabinet Office, which seeks a £1,200or 5% pay increase. We have sought central talks on our claim. Now is the time to get behind this campaign as we go from strength to strength in challenging the government’s low pay agenda. Working with other unions to take joint action on 10 July will only be the beginning, with targeted action and potentially more joint union action, as well as a mass TUC-organised protest on 18 October.

PCS members have voted to join members of other public sector unions in walking out on 10 July, in one of the biggest UK strikes for decades, including:

• Unite
• GMB
• Unison
• NUT
• FBU
• Nipsa.

Many public sector workers are facing the tightest living standards squeeze for nearly a century.

Members have voted to take action for fair pay, alongside colleagues from other unions, including teachers and local government workers.

There is also an overtime ban from 11-31 July.

Oppose the attacks

The event in Trafalgar Square is one of dozens taking place across the UK, from Edinburgh to Norwich, Wrexham to Plymouth and Glasgow to Birmingham.

London march and rally details: 

• Assemble at 11.30am, BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place
• March at noon to rally in Trafalgar Square from 1–2pm.

If you're a PCS member show you refuse to accept the attacks on your pay by striking on 10 July, or if you're not and would like to support the strike join amarch or rally near you. 

What can I do?

• Use the PCS pay squeeze calculator
• Recruit a colleague to PCS 
• Sign up for direct debit.

#WeAllNeedAPayRise  

#J10 

DWP begin formal negotiations on ending check off

The DWP have contacted PCS to open formal negotiations and consult the union about the possibility of ending check off.

Until now our concern about the threat of the withdrawal of check off has been based on the government’s continuing attack on PCS and cabinet office pressure on departments to end check off. However, the opening of formal negotiations by the DWP now makes the threat much greater.  

Make it your priority
Those members who have so far taken the view that they will not make the switch to direct debit a priority until the DWP say they are ending check off must now give their full support to the make the switch to DD campaign.

Failure to have direct debit details set up should check off end will result in your membership of the union lapsing and the union will not be a position to help should you need it.

Now more than ever in recent times staff are facing treats from management.

Contact Centre staff are being threatened with PIP's following customer claimplaints of rudeness, only for it to come to light when challenged the claimplaints not been fully investigated and staff have done no wrong.

Staff in jobcentres are being threatened with PIP's for not meeting sanctions targets that apparently don't exist.

NOW is the time to complete your direct debit details if you've not done already. Speak to a rep for a form, call PCS directly or complete the action online. Your details will be held securely.

Whistleblower predicts troubled start for new universal credit

A WHISTLEBLOWER inside one of the government’s pilot centres for universal credit has warned how numerous errors will make a smooth introduction of the new system “highly unlikely”.

Full story here...
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/11308778.Whistleblower_predicts_troubled_start_for_new_universal_credit_system/?ref=rss#comments

Striking for fair pay on 10 July

Our national executive took the decision today to back joint action with other unions, following an overwhelming 73.7% yes vote of those who voted in a consultative ballot, which ended yesterday, asking members to back our 'We all need a pay rise campaign,' starting with a 1-day strike on 10 July.
The campaign will continue after 10 July with targeted action and potentially more joint union action.
We have sought central talks on our national pay claim of:
£1,200 or 5% for all civil service and related staff
We must force the government to end the pay cap, to succeed with it.
We have an existing industrial action mandate but our annual delegate conference in Brighton in May agreed to ask our members to vote 'yes' in a consultative ballot on our national campaign running from 12-30 June.
Strength of feeling
Members have voted to take action for fair pay, alongside colleagues from other unions, including teachers and local government workers. NHS workers and others will be balloting for joint action in the autumn.
Now it’s time to show your strength of feeling by joining one of the largest strikes for decades on 10 July:
End the government’s pay freeze
Win a fair settlement on our pay claim.
We have been campaigning for meaningful national negotiations on pay, jobs, and terms and conditions. Sending a clear, united message on 10 July is the best way to put pressure on the government to come to a fair settlement.
What can I do?
Show you refuse to accept the attacks on your pay by striking on 10 July
Use the PCS pay squeeze calculator
Recruit a colleague to PCS
Sign up for direct debit.
#WeAllNeedAPayRise