The following Motions were passed at the Branch AGM on 25th February.

The following Motions were passed at the Branch AGM on 25th February

1.

Motions to PCS DWP Group Conference

 

Universal Credit

 

DWP have planned to introduce “Ways of Working” into Universal Credit Service centres from April 2015.  The Ways of Working (WoW) cover: Annual Leave, Working Hours, Flexible Working Arrangements, Sick Absence, Team Meetings and Work Breaks.

 

Although there has been consultation with the union, this new policy has not been agreed because, despite some improvements achieved through negotiation, it includes detrimental changes to every day working conditions of many staff.

 

WoW, as proposed, will mean that:

•

All account developers (processors), EO and AO decision makers and telephony staff will be scheduled every day.

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Staff must schedule 37 hours per week over 5 days on Workforce Manager, 3 weeks in advance, which can only be varied with line management permission.

•

The schedule requested by the individual must be between 8am and 6pm.

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Arrival and departure time can be varied for 30 minutes either side of the schedule without permission. This includes time it takes to log on and set up. Any further variation requires management permission.

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Flexi-bandwidth is from 7.30am to 6.30pm.

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Flexi credit and deficit can be built for up to 29 hours 36 minutes – but only above the 1 hour (30 minutes either side of the schedule) with management permission.

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There is no guarantee on schedule preferences; depending on individual’s contract, there will be 5pm or6pm rotas.

•

Although short-notice leave can be requested, “network days” will no longer exist.

 

There has been no justification for these extensive micro-management techniques other than wanting to achieve “cultural change” in Universal Credit sites. The introduction of Service Centres was initially intended to improve the working conditions of those currently in contact centres, but, as it stands; WoW will represent detrimental changes for many.

 

Conference notes that there are also issues with restrictive leave levels, and poor management practices in the existing service centres.  Conference believes that UC is riddled with problems, and that currently management are in denial of the extent of the issues.

 

Conference therefore instructs the GEC to:

1.

Continue to liaise with members, representatives and branches dealing with Universal Credit and to oppose UC being used as a pretext for attacking our working practices and conditions and introducing worse ways of working in relation to flexible working hours and breaks , annual leave planning and quotas, and sick absence reporting.

2.

Continue to press management for improvements to conditions and working practices, as well as service to the public.

3.

Highlight through campaigning organisations the impact UC changes and working practices are having on the public.

4.

Seek, where possible, to co-ordinate industrial action across the UC Service Centres to oppose detrimental changes in conditions and working practices and also support action in individual centres where members there demand it.

 

Movement to Work

 

Movement to Work (MtW) replaced the Get Britain Working scheme for Work Experience in 2014.

 

In 2014/2015 up to 4000 individuals will have carried out Work Experience in the DWP as part of this scheme.

 

The former Work Experience guidance on the intranet made it clear that Work Experience participants should not “displace DWP employees” in carrying out work that should be allocated to DWP staff. Unfortunately, the current MtW guidance, which was implemented without negotiation withPCS, does not provide the same clarification.

 

Conference notes that in some areas of the department, MtW participants are being made to carry out the work that could be conducted by DWP staff, such as filing work or digital advising. Whilst this is obviously an abuse of the individuals, who are supposed to be in DWP offices “to learn”, it is also masking the need for jobs. More worryingly, DWP seem more than happy to create work for MtW participants but not for our AA grade who are increasingly at risk of losing their jobs.

 

This Conference therefore instructs the GEC to:

1.

Negotiate clear guidance which stipulates that MtW participants will not be used to carry out the work of DWP employees.

2.

Provide comprehensive advice to branches on what roles can be carried out, and what to do if management breach their own principles.

3.

Produce union guidance for MtW participants on what their rights are, encouraging them to join PCS or Unite Community for help.

4.

Provide practical advice to members on how to obstruct inappropriate activity around MtW activity.

 

Distinguished Life Membership

Conference agrees to award a ‘Distinguished Life Membership’ to Carol Worthington.

 

2.

Motion to PCS Annual Delegate Conference

The decision by the emergency NEC in late December 2014 to suspend NEC and Group elections was wrong.

This Conference instructs the NEC to begin the election process for the NEC and GEC elections within two week of the end of the Annual Delegate Conference, giving members and branches the due constitutional notice thereafter.

 

3.

Branch Motion

 

JENGbA

This branch notes the work being carried out by the campaign group JENGbA (Joint Enterprise Not Guilty by Association). They campaign against the law of Joint Enterprise which was highlighted in Jimmy McGovern’s drama “Common”.

 

Joint enterprise is currently a tool used by the police and CPS to imprison people to mandatory life sentences for crimes committed by others. People may be charged when they have been in the vicinity of a crime or have some connection to the perpetrator, even via a text message or phone call. They might not even have been at the scene.

 

The JENGbA stands for “common people, working towards a common cause, against a common law, that makes no common sense.” More information can be found at their website www.jointenterprise.co

 

JENGbA are supporting over 500 imprisoned people at present. Many were unable to afford proper legal representation, and some are as young as 13. The joint enterprise law is currently leading to miscarriages of justice and devastating outcomes for the families involved. There has been a select committee review and high profile support for the law to be changed.

 

JENGbA are organising a conference on “INJUSTICE” in Wigan on Saturday 20th June 12.00pm – 4 pm and are appealing for monetary donations from Trade Unions to help fund this important event.  Differing types of injustice will be discussed on the day including issues that will be of importance to working class families and trade unionists.

 

This branch therefore resolves to support the JENGbA campaign, and make a donation of £50 to the INJUSTICE Conference to be held in Wigan.