PCS DWP Sheffield

Branch AGM, 1 March, Hartshead Square. 23/02/2012

Please see link below for the Agenda for the PCS DWP Sheffield branch AGM, on the 1 March at 3.00pm in 3^rd floor canteen, Hartshead Square.

It contains an update on the elections to branch posts, slates for nomination to Group and National Executive Committee positions and motions to conference.

Note that 1.5 hours flexi credit plus traveling time can be claimed for attending the AGM.

If you have any problems obtaining leave to attend please contact one of your local Reps or a branch official.

Agenda for PCS DWP Sheffield Branch AGM 2012

Branch Newsletter 23/02/2012

Please see link below for the latest branch newsletter, covering an update on the pensions dispute, the pensions calculator and details of the AGM.

Branch Newsletter 1 Spring

Updated Pensions Calculator 21/02/2012

All,

Please see below the updated Pensions Calculator on the PCS website:

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/pensions/pensionscalculator.cfm

DWP Operations – staffing and recruitment update 17/01/2012

Upcoming Strikes in Other Workplaces – Send your solidarity! 17/01/2012

Unilever strike Action

The branch has sent the following message of solidarity for this strike, but feel free to send your own:

On behalf of PCS DWP Sheffield branch I wish you well in your fight and you have our full support in your dispute. The battle for pensions is as vital in the private sector as in the public sector, where we continue our struggle, and we remember that it is the unions that fought and won for better pension rights. It is vital that struggles like yours are won in order to set a precedent for the private sector, and so we offer you our full solidarity and support.

Unite members at Unilever will be on 24 hour strike again on Friday 20 January 2012.  Details of the Y&H site affected is below:

Coal Road
Seacroft
Leeds
LS14 2AR

The strike will start at 18.00 hours on Friday 20 January 2012, concluding at 17.59 hours on Saturday 21 January 2012.

The significance of this action by Unite members is that it is the private sector fighting to retain pensions and it is an absolutely crucial aspect of the fair pensions for all campaign.

Please show solidarity by sending messages of support and attending picket lines (if possible).

Messages of support can be sent to Bill Hodgson at william.hodgson@unilever.com and Ian Swift ian.swift@unilever.com

_________________________________________

Privatisation Dispute: the battle continues

Further walkouts called for on 16 and 31 January 2012

For the latest follow us on Twitter @PCSRCGROUP

Messages of support to Twitter @PCSRCGROUP or email r&ccampaigns@pcs.org.uk

Members employed in PTOps across the UK took action on 12 December in protest against HMRC’s decision to trial privatisation in the telephone contact centre.

The current situation is HMRC have signed contracts with two suppliers, Sitel and Teleperformance.

Both companies will be recruiting locally in the coming weeks and we expect representatives from these companies to be on site at Lillyhall and Bathgate in the lead up to trials starting in February

We are therefore asking all members in PTOps (contact centres, customer operations and in enquiry centres) to take further strike action on 16 January and again on 31 January. Information on this is here.

One million union members saying no 17/01/2012

Copied from PCS.org.uk

12 January 2012

Unions representing one million civil servants, teachers, council staff and health workers will be invited to a meeting to discuss the next stage of the campaign against the government’s cuts to pensions.

Today’s meeting of the TUC’s public sector liaison group, involving all the public sector unions, did not agree with PCS’s recommendation that further co-ordinated strike action on a similar scale to 30 November should be organised now. While some unions supported the call, others have accepted the government’s so-called ‘heads of agreement’ and will now proceed to negotiations on the details of new schemes.

PCS’s national executive committee yesterday unanimously confirmed a rejection of this offer, as it imposes the government’s plans to increase contributions from April, link the retirement age to the state pension which is rising to 68, and impose a switch in indexation that means a cut in the value of pensions of around 15% to 20%. So far the government has refused to negotiate on these core issues.

The NEC will reconvene for a special meeting on Thursday 19 January to consider the positions of the other public sector unions and how to continue the campaign, including the possibility of further industrial action. The unions in all four sectors – civil service, education, local government and health – that have refused to sign up to the offer will be called together to discuss a joint campaign.

The executive also agreed that if the government follows through on its threat to exclude the union from future discussions it would consider taking legal action and the TUC is calling for our reinstatement.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The fantastic strike on 30 November showed what was possible if we act together in unity. It is disappointing that more action has not been called now but we will discuss the way forward with the other unions which have not signed up to the government’s offer.

“We will continue to call for proper negotiations on the key issues of paying more and working longer for less. But in the absence of these further co-ordinated industrial action will be necessary to stop what is nothing more than a crude attempt to make millions of public servants pay for economic problems caused by the failings of a few millionaire bankers and politicians.”

DWP Staffing Update 22/12/2011

The branch position has always been to campaign collectively to make FTAs permanent, and we continued with this view even when it was not taken as seriously as we would have hoped at PCS conference this year, and in spite of the lack of support we have received for a number of employment tribunals challenging the end of FTA contracts, from PCS DWP Group Office.

The below is copied from the PCS website.

21 December 2011

PCS is campaigning for more staff in DWP. We are also campaigning against the threat of compulsory redundancies, compulsory transfers and office closures. DWP management have now conceded that more staff are needed and agreed to recruit 4,000 additional staff in the AO and EO grades for DWP Operations.

Youth Contract and Rising Unemployment – More Staff Needed

The Youth Contract was announced by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg on 26th November. It was an acceptance that in the face of rising youth unemployment, it is Jobcentre Plus staff that have the expertise and experience to help get more young people into work quicker. PCS immediately wrote to management seeking additional resources to deal with the additional work involved in the Youth Contract, in particular the Adviser interventions and more frequent signing. The extra staff announced are partly to deal with this. However, it is also an admission that unemployment is now set to rise sharply. Throughout 2011, PCS has warned management that this would be the case and that the forecasts they had been working on when making decisions to close offices and not renew some FTA contracts would be proved wrong. The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts predicted that unemployment would start to fall at the end of 2011. The new OBR forecast announced by the Chancellor on 29th November predicts that unemployment will rise from the present 2.64 million to 2.8 million in 2012.

PCS believes the OBR has now established a track record of underestimating increases in unemployment. While the recruitment of 4,000 additional permanent staff is a welcome breakthrough for our campaign, we will continue to campaign because more are needed.

Office Closures – End the Threat of Redundancy

The offers of Voluntary Redundancy at 12 sites threatened with closure and the Voluntary Exit offers planned for sites in their vicinity were due to be made last week. They were suspended for at least a month while the impact of the additional resources now made available is assessed.

PCS immediately wrote to management demanding that the Meaningful Consultation on compulsory redundancy in those 12 offices be halted. We believe it is now clear that redundancies can be avoided through voluntary exits and re-deployment within the DWP. Members in these offices should have the threat of redundancy lifted and all the decisions on office closures, including the ‘Year 2’ sites, should be reviewed in the light of increasing workloads.

Fixed Term Contract Staff

PCS has campaigned hard for FTC members to be made permanent. Most FTC members were recruited through ‘fair and open competition’. This means they can be converted to permanent staff without going through a further recruitment or selection exercise. We will be pressing management to ensure this happens. FTC members who have now given DWP a great deal of loyal and effective service should not now be unnecessarily put into competition with external applicants. All should be made permanent.

Compulsory Transfers on Merseyside

PCS is preparing to ballot members on Merseyside for action over staffing and the threat of compulsory transfers due to take place on 9th January. We have now asked management to, as a minimum, suspend the threatened transfers while the staffing position is reviewed.

Conclusion

PCS is now seeking further urgent talks on staffing in DWP Operations. You will be kept informed of developments.

EMERGENCY BRANCH MEMBERS MEETING 20/12/2011

In light of the fast-paced recent developments regarding the pensions campaign, the branch is holding an emergency members meeting. Details are:

Thursday 22^nd December

@ 5pm for a maximum of 30 minutes

In the Dove & Rainbow

We are aware this is short notice, and the timing is not ideal for everyone, but sure you all appreciate why it has to be. This issue is an extremely important one and we need to act fast if we are to save anything of our existing pensions deal. Please make every effort to attend; children, partners, all welcome.

If you can’t attend for any reason but would like to air your views on the way forward, please contact your local rep.

Having the views of the ‘rank and file’ of the PCS membership is the most important part of this campaign – waiting for the TUC to make a decision might be too late, we have to discuss our views on the ways forward.

Any motions or contributions will be taken from the floor, and if appropriate, any motions can be officially ratified by the branch committee and their next meeting in January.

The Branch Executive Committee

Save Carlisle Benefit Centre 19/12/2011

The government announced in May the intention to close Carlisle Benefit Centre in 2012, along side a further 17 benefit centres as part of an office closure programme.

Only 5% of the staff at Carlisle can be redeployed within reasonable travelling distance. This means up to 130 experienced benefit processors at the site could be made redundant. This is the worst affected site for redeployment due to its rural location. DWP refuse to provide plausible justification for its closure which results from the government’s austerity plans.

Jobcentre Plus has already cut more than 10,000 staff since 2009 and the decision to close more offices will mean more delays in processing claims. This decision to close Carlisle comes at the same time when hundreds of thousands public sector workers are expected to lose their jobs, with an anticipated similar knock-on effect in the private sector.

An Office for Budget Responsibility report prepared for the budget in March forecast unemployment will be higher throughout 2012 than it was at the beginning of this year. Unemployment is rising still, and rising faster in the Lancashire and Cumbria area than elsewhere in the North West. DWP need experienced benefit processors to ensure the sick and the unemployed receive their payments and the help they need.

The loss of 150 to jobs to Carlisle will damage the local economy. Putting DWP workers on the dole queue rather than have them carry out valuable work and invest their wages into local businesses will hurt the people of Carlisle.

Instead of cutting jobs, the government should be investing in public services like these to help get people back to work more quickly and help our economy to get back on track.

Please sign the petition here

And the winner is… 13/12/2011

Congratulations to branch member Gareth Evans of Sheffield Contact Centre, who has been awarded first prize in the UnionLearn Yorkshire and Humberside Regional Annual Writing Competition.

We will be having a small presentation ceremony for colleagues who wish to show their support for Gareth. You will need to attend in your own time, but management have stated they will be sympathetic in terms of changing lunchtimes for this purpose. Any problems with release, please contact Tom Bishell.

The presentation will be at 1pm on the 20th December in Room 307 (behind the canteen). We hope to be able to provide refreshments.

Gareth’s winning entry is below:

The Taverna at Sigri

The taverna at Sigri stands blue, white,
And nameless at the end of desert roads;
Entirely contained, absolute, grounded,
Just a quayside to mutter of elsewheres.
We eat small fishclothed in curls of batter,
Tomatoes taut with the tang of the sun,
Salt feta and olives – you like them now –
Drink red wine brought cold in an alloy can.
On the white beach afterward I sit shocked
By solar heat, feel myself made x-rayed,
Translucent, about to disappear, as
I watch you swim in water thick with light.

 

The road at Robin Hoods Bay cuts steeply
Down, bridges the stream at the ferned ravine,
Lands among name-boarded pubs that it scoots
Between to the high tide harbour slipway.
In the Laurel Inn, lodged round a table
Crammed between coal fire and local chit-chat,
We duck April rain and drink beer brown as
The meat pie gravy soaking the fat chips.
No sunbathing later, a sharp fret stings
Faces and full flood blocks the beach, grey road
Sliding  seamlessly into sea. I watch
The dark water roil and slop the stonework,

 

Find myself both present and distant in
One instant, comprehend it is all one
Water, the world’s wrapping, its wide stretched yet
Wrinkling skin, reaching from here to Sigri,
Archangel to Brooklyn Bridge, all the shores
Rehearsed in school geography; places
I sat writing while you swam, places we
Have been, will never be, will be again.

Christmas Flexi Credits: An Open letter to Robert Devereux on behalf of all PCS members in DWP 13/12/2011

Please see below a response to this Christmas message from Robert Devereux’ to all staff, from the PCS Group President:

We’ve all seen, at first hand, your hard work this year – both in our teams, and in other parts of DWP.

Together you’ve delivered to millions of people, and have laid the ground for major reforms in the future. You should be rightly proud of your achievements as Civil Servants.

Thank you for all your hard work.

As we head towards Christmas and New Year holidays, we hope that everyone will get some well-earned rest and time for families, friends and festivals.

DWP Executive Team

Re: Thanks from the Executive Team

Dear Robert

Once again PCS members find themselves being thanked, deservedly so, for all their hard work this year in DWP.

You correctly point out that we have delivered for millions of people and that we should be rightly proud of our achievements as civil servants.

Members in other areas have found their hard work rewarded by more than kind words. A Christmas flexi credit has been awarded to CMEC staff for example.

Members in DWP have worked tremendously hard this year and with unemployment continuing to rise and workloads increasing they are likely to have to work harder in January.

I would ask you on their behalf to consider awarding a flexi credit in recognition of their outstanding effort.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely

JANE AITCHISON

DWP Group President

Civil Service Task Force Report on Disability 13/12/2011

The Cabinet Office has just published a report on Disability. This has come about following analysis of the People Survey (2009) which found that disabled Civil Servants were three times more likely than others to report that they had encountered some form of bullying, harassment and discrimination. The Cabinet Office set up the Civil Service Disability Task Group and commissioned a study “Why are engagement levels so low among staff with disabilities?”

A Disturbing Picture

In order to gather the necessary evidence the project contacted over 800 people and ran a number of focus groups across the Civil Service in the UK, including DWP. The report states that the evidence gathered provided a „disturbing picture of the day-to-day experience of staff with disabilities‟.
The report found there were 5 recurring themes
- Failures in policy implementation
- Reasonable Adjustments
- Lack of understanding and disability awareness
- Insufficient access to expert advice on disability
- Inconsistent acknowledgement of the value of staff with disabilities

This comes as no surprise to PCS, we have long argued that staff with disabilities get a raw deal in all these areas and particularly with attendance management and the provision of reasonable adjustments.

Access to Work

The report also highlights that the changes in delivery of Access to Work have not produced the expected benefits. It goes on to say that as adjustments are now funded from local budgets this has caused difficulties in the provision of adjustments and there were significant failings in the provision of reasonable adjustments.
PCS has been arguing this point for some time with DWP and has been pressing for a centralised budget to resource reasonable adjustments, funding from a local budget simply doesn‟t work and has a created another barrier in their provision.

Recommendations

The report makes three recommendations
- Improve the approach to reasonable adjustments
- Ensure that line managers have access to consistent advice and expertise
- Sharing of best practice
These recommendations include recognition that there has to be positive action by departments to improve engagement, there has to be specific training for staff and in particular raising awareness of mental health issues.

A need for Positive Action

DWP is signed up to the Two Ticks Scheme and gives a commitment to recruiting, retaining and supporting a diverse workforce and to promoting an environment that is free from discrimination, bullying and harassment. While this report is cross government we believe that there is plenty of room for improvement in DWP. Reps regularly report the difficulties they face with protecting disabled members jobs; getting reasonable adjustments put into place; and lack of training by line managers and general disability awareness. The report goes on to highlight the large cost of Employment Tribunals when they get it wrong, the average cost of a DD ET award being £27,000, and a reasonable adjustment averages £300.

Next Steps

The report concludes that “there are serious systemic problems in the way in which staff with disabilities are treated which is leading to low engagement levels and high rates of bullying and harassment and that this needs urgent attention”.
In the light of the report which reveals that staff are being seriously let down we will be asking management for their plans to improve their treatment of disabled staff with a long term sustainable solution rather than just tinkering around the edges.
We welcome the findings of this report and will be pressing DWP to take action. The report is accompanied by a letter from Sir Gus O‟Donnell who says that the report „provides a real opportunity to take action and positively change the experiences of disabled staff. . „. PCS hopes that the DWP will take urgent steps to ensure that disabled staff are treated fairly and have the same opportunities as all staff.
Reps may be interest in reading the report which has been published on the Cabinet Office website as follows – http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/civil-service-task-group-disability-resources
Chris Cuthbert – DWP Group Assistant Secretary

Dave Wilkinson – Negotiations Officer

Thank you! Thoughts on November 30th 06/12/2011

The branch committee would just like to say thank you to all of those of you who took part in last Wednesday’s action, which was one of the strongest supported strikes in recent years for the branch.

There will now be an overtime ban which we ask all branch members to observe. We will be holding pickets outside any offices offering overtime. Ther leaflet regarding this is here: http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/pcs_comment/index.cfm/id/F1AB6F73-25BF-4850-A4B104C893E60778

If any members are facing financial hardship as a result of the action, they can apply to the branch hardship fund by using the link at the top of the page.

Branch Vice Chair Lisa Bell was chosen to be interviewed as part of a feature on the UnionNews website, and the videos are available to watch here:

Feel free to congratulate/tease her about it!

Below are some pictures of pickets and the events on the day. If you have any more, feel free to send them in to rosiescomputer@yahoo.com and we’ll publish them here!

30th November and beyond…Meeting and Motion. 28/11/2011

The below motion was passed at the last BEC, where PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka was present. Mark did not necessarily agree with the majority view of the BEC on a future strategy, and any member who would like details of this is welcome to discuss with their rep.

The resolution to call a meeting on 30th November has been carried out, and the leaflet is available here.

Where Next After November 30^th?

An informal discussion meeting hosted by PCS DWP Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam UCU union branches.

Strike Day – Wednesday 30^th November

3.30pm – 5pm

Upstairs at The Red Deer

Pitt Street, Sheffield (off Mappin Street, off West Street)

 Come and discuss questions such as…

• How do we win the pensions fight?
• How should we escalate the campaign?
• Should we plan for rolling and selective action?
• When should the next strikes be, and how do we demand them?
• Who should decide the strategy – the union leadership or the rank and file?

Motion to BEC

This branch believes:

- To win the pensions battle, the labour movement will need to mobilise on a scale not seen for a generation;

- It will take more than isolated, one-day protest strikes to beat the government. Sustained strike action as well as rolling and selective strikes will be needed;

- For workers to feel confident in taking the sustained industrial action necessary, they must have ownership over their own struggle. A successful strike movement cannot be built without mass, active participation.

This branch resolves:

- To work with other union branches and the Sheffield Trades Council to call for the current ‘South Yorkshire Activists Forum’ to be a cross-union strike committee for South Yorkshire, which meets regularly in the run up to Nov 30th and afterwards and makes democratic decisions on the running of strike activities in South Yorkshire.

- To use such a strike committee to organise effective picketing on 30 November and a local strikers’ assembly, which will discuss strategy, in addition to any rallies/marches on the strike day itself;

- To demand that our union leaders immediately name a timetable of escalating action after 30 November into the New Year;

- To demand that our union’s national negotiators keep the membership informed as to the content of all ongoing negotiations;

- To contact the PCS Sheffield Town Committee with the aim of establishing a voluntary strike levy to support members taking future action;

- To support others taking action against government cuts.

Rosie Huzzard

All out on Wednesday! Join your workplace picket line! 28/11/2011

All members of the branch should be aware by now that this Wednesday we will again be taking strike action along with three million other public sector workers. The branch fully supports this action and calls on all members to respect the democratic mandate and not to cross the picket line at our offices or any other workplace on strike this Wednesday.

The latest national news on the action can be found at http://www.pcs.org.uk/, and this article explains the action.

We are also urging more members than ever before – not just the usual faces – to turn out for picket lines and the various events that will be happening in Sheffield on Wednesday. Picket lines will be outside all of our buildings from around 7am, but for specific details please contact your local rep. Details of your local rep can be found on our reps page.

The branch wants members to be able to come to the picket and feel safe whilst still making a stand and withdrawing their labour. Members often bring their families to the picket line and the other pickets will help to entertain them.

There are a number of events happening in Sheffield throughout the day for members of the 29 unions on strike this week.

After the picket lines, there will be a PCS Strikers mass breakfast/coffee meet up in the Bankers Draft at about 10am, friends and family members welcome.

11.45 – PCS members from branches across Sheffield will meet in Hartshead Square and march up to the TUC Rally.

12.00 – Regional TUC Rally in Barkers Pool

1.oo – March from Barkers Pool around Sheffield

2pm – local speakers rally

3..30pm – Branch sponsored meeting in conjunction with Sheffield Hallam UCU Branch, ‘Where Next After November 30th: A Discussion Meeting’. Facebook event here.

After that…Social at The Plug for strikers. Facebook event here.

Sheffield Strike Rally – This Thursday! 08/11/2011

Please see the below event this Thursday evening, which is supported by the branch, in the build up to the 30th November strike. The PCS General Secretary, who was previously a member of our branch, will be attending our BEC in the morning before this meeting. We are currently in talks with Mark to organise a lunchtime members meeting in Hartshead Square, and will update you as soon as we have more information.

Download the flyer

Victimisation of Reps in PCS Commercial Sector 27/10/2011

 I am writing to you to ask branches to send a message of support to John Brookes, sacked PCS, Working Links activist. The background to John’s sacking is given below. Messages should be emailed to john.brookes@lineone.net

Information on Pensions for Members 27/10/2011

All,

As you will know, we are now building up to a day’s action on 30th November. Below you can find information from PCS on various aspects of this. Please familiarise yourself with the information and discuss with colleagues. If you know anyone in your workplace who is not a PCS member, you can use to persuade them to join.

Revised Pension Calculator (Including NUVOS Career Average Adjustment)

1 Million Unison Members To Be Balloted

30th November – A historic day of action

NEC ‘War Footing’ Position on 30th November

Rosie

Branch Assistant Sec/Contact Centre Rep

Talking Heads Branch Discussion Event 27/10/2011

Hi everyone, it’s that time again!

Lauren, our Green Rep has been co-organising the next branch discussion. For those of you who didn’t come to the last ‘Talking Heads’, which was around Women and the Union Movement, this is a no experience required chat over tea and coffee for all members (and any interested friends) to come and learn a bit about a subject they may not normally come across, or is not addressed as part of the every day running of the branch.

The event is for ALL members to attend if they wish, and we encourage anyone to ask questions beforehand if they have any thoughts or would like any reading.

There will be two local ‘experts’ (green/labour movement activists) on hand to help us out, and we’ll bring useful literature along for you to take away.

Contact Lauren Dixon on lauren.dixon@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk or Rosie Huzzard on rosiescomputer@yahoo.com for any further info.

For a higher quality poster/leaflet, click here: Talkingheads1

Rosie Huzzard

Branch Officer

No Platform for Fascists! Stop Nick Griffin Speaking at Trinity College, Dublin! 20/10/2011