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