Further One Day Strike Called

A further one day's strike has been called for April 24. This strike is taking place the same day as action by nine other Government Departments as well as teachers and lecturers.

Only through supporting this action can we hope to win our campaign against the below inflation pay rise we will be getting this year. Please show your support on the day, and consider joining reps on the picket lines to demonstrate how you feel.

Campaigns Update

This document which you need Adobe to open, provides important information regarding ongoing campaigns. As you will see an agreement has been reached which will provide valuably needed extra protection for anybody marked surplus. This agreement has been reached through the hard work and negotiating skills of your national reps.

There is also some disturbing statistics about inflation which further demonstrates how poor the pay offer which has been forced on you actually is.

Although we have had a victory in the national campaign, the Departmental pay campaign is still ongoing. Whenever we have further information to provide we will do so.

Overtime Ban Starts Now!

As part of the industrial action all members are requested to refuse any offers of overtime.

Approximately eighty percent of members across our branch took part in the strike action earlier this week. By working overtime management are hoping to lessen the impact of this action.

We all know how difficult it is to go out on strike and sacrifice a couple of days pay. None of us are paid a fortune and no one can easily afford to have less money coming in. But that is the reason for the industrial action. The pay imposition is designed to ensure that most staff will receive a pay cut in real terms over the next three years.

It may be tempting for some to work overtime in the next few weeks. But by doing so you are personally responsible for undermining the financial sacrifice made by the members who went out on strike.

Over the next three years there are plans to reduce the number of staff in DWP by a further 12,000. Every member who crosses a picket line or works overtime is weakening the union's position. The union needs to be stronger than ever if it is to resist these cuts. Is a couple of days overtime really worth weakening PCS? Because never forget, no ones job is safe.

Day One At Daventry

Just wanted to add to Mark's comments below and thank members across the district for joining in today's action, especially those who braved the cold and rain to stand on the picket line. I was particularly pleased with the reaction of members in the Daventry office, which had a picket line for the first time in many years. In fact nearly half the members in the office joined the picket line (with more promising to join tomorrow) and ninety percent of members were out on strike.

No photos of today's picket line at Daventry, but Lynn Curtis kindly gave me this press cutting from 1985. In fact Lynn is the only person to have been on the picket line in 1985 and 2007. What struck me most of all was the placard saying "CPSA members like a joke: 4.5% is a cracker."

4.5%? Many of our members are only going to get 1% a year for the next three years. And they told us things could only get better.

News from the front line

As you know we are unable to use the work email to let you know anything about industrial action. However we will be using this blog to keep you update with progress on Thursday and Friday.

Hopefully some of you will come down and keep us company on the picket line, but for the rest of you you can find out how it turned out across Northamptonshire on this site.

Last time we were on strike members the fire service came provided support, as well as donuts, for those on the picket line at Corby Debt Centre and they are hoping for more of the same this time!

The Weakest Link

A chain is only as stong as its weakest link, or so the cliche goes. A union is not only as strong as its weakest member, but the action of every single member is crucial, especially during industrial action.

Every PCS member, all of us, will have something to thank the union for. It may not be direct help you have received, but that doesn't mean that you aren't in a better position because of the union. Without PCS and its predecessor unions, we would not have the conditions that many of us take for granted, such as flexi time, term time working, generous maternity and paternity leave and the right to retire at sixty (or later) and receive a final salary pension.

Other members have received more direct help from reps both locally and nationally. Some of you reading this may not even still be employed without the hardwork and dedication of those within the PCS.

But PCS can only support members if the membership supports PCS. Managers don't consult with reps because of who they are as individuals. We haven't saved jobs or gained help for members because a manager liked our aftershave or perfume. We have won victories, big and small, because we are part of large, active and committed union.

Taking two days strike action next week will be difficult. Not one of us will not feel the impact of the loss of pay. But every member that crosses a picket line weakens the union.

Personally, you may have done okay out of the imposed pay offer, although it is estimated that many staff will suffer a 9% pay cut in real terms over the next three years. But if you break the strike you are saying that the pay cut for many staff is acceptable. You are saying that the job losses, increased stress and more work are acceptable.

Ask yourself a simple question. Will I need the union in the future? Be honest with yourself, if you didn't think you needed the union you wouldn't be in it. With privatisation, the increased use of the Third Sector and more job losses on the way we will all need the union. So why weaken it now?

Two Day Strike Announced

After talks with management broke down on Wednesday, PCS DWP group have called a two day strike for Thursday 6th December and Friday 7th December.

PCS desperately want to solve this dispute by negotiation and were pleased when Peter Hain called a meeting in the light of the ballot result. However when the full PCS pay negotiating team turned up for the talks at the chosen start time of 12:30, they were suprised to be kept waiting until 13:15 for the two management representatives to turn up. The talks were regularly punctuated by management attendees nipping out of the room for reasons unknown.

Unfortunately no proposals or further offers were forthcoming, and PCS' request to award a consolidated 3.9% payrise to all members (which can be afforded), and to renegotiate years two and three was rejected.

It is clear then that the only way to force managements hands on this derisory pay imposition is to act on the ballot result and take the industrial action that the majority of members who voted have voted for.

Don't forget that even if your November pay packet looks good, it is a one off, and you will still be paid less money in 2009 than someone in your equivalent grade with your length of service is earning now in HMRC. The Government are refusing to award us a cost of living pay rise (or any rise at all in 2008 if you are on max) at the same time as bailing out Northern Rock to the tune of 20 to 30 Billion Pounds.

Please support your Union by joining in this industrial action. Members in Northants have always shown solidarity and have supported the democratic decisions of the union. Better still join us on a picket line, on one or both days. Anything would be appreciated. Please contact a local rep for details of how you can help.

Pay Ballot Result

The results of the DWP pay ballot have been published. The turnout is disappointingly low at 33%, but make no mistake: this is still a mandate to take industrial action in response to the now imposed pay offer. The fact that 67% of members did not vote is in no way a sign that those 67% do not agree with or won't choose to strike. Please do not believe any communication stating otherwise.

If they really felt that strongly then they would have voted "no" which they clearly haven't.

So the next step is eagerly awaited. The GEC meets tomorrow to decide what should happen next. Please watch this space and the PCS website for news as it happens.

Inflation Proofing

I'm really not sure what the justification is for not giving everybody a pay rise in line with inflation. After all if we get less than inflation we are effectively getting a pay cut as our rises are not covering the increases in the cost of living.

A fair few lucky people are getting decent pay rises according to the three year pay offer which is being imposed later this month, but consider people who are on the max of their scale. The figures below show that they are receiving well short of inflation over these three years.

An EO on max currently receives £23510 per annum. At the end of the three year deal they will be on £24230. Yet if the rise is inflation proofed they would be on £26445. That is a loss of £2215pa or £185 per month

Similarly an AO on max will be on £1626 per annum less in 2009 than they would be if the rise was inflation proofed. That equates to £135 a month. It's hardly fair is it?

Of course this also has a massive effect on your pension too. If we take an EO currently on max who will retire in 2009 with 40 years service, their pension would be £13223 per annum with a lump sum of £39669 if the rise was inflation proofed. However this offer promises them £12115 pa and £36345 lump sum.

That's a massive loss of £1108 per year and £3324 lump sum. If that member of staff lives to just 80, their pension loss over those twenty years would be £22160 as a minimum.

Does anybody really believe this pay offer is the best that can be done for our long serving respected staff? They are basically going to be forced to have enormously reduced standards of living for the rest of their lives.

Vote YES to strike action and YES to action short of a strike.

Pay Progression - The Truth

While we are on the subject of the pay offer. Don't believe senior management when they tell you that the improvements to progression from minima to maxima has been included because that's what the majority of members want. They have actually included it because PCS have equal pay claims in stating that the long time it takes to get from min to max actually discriminates against women. So it's because they are running scared of being sued.

And of course because of the extra emphasis on progression, those people on the max are getting terrible deals.

Vote YES to strike action, and Yes to action short of a strike.

Pay Offer Imposed

Firstly, an apology for the blog not being updated for some time. This is due both to computer problems and paternity leave. But to make up for it we have three pieces in quick succession regarding the pay ballot and why you should vote YES to strike action, and YES to action short of a strike.

There are articles on the PCS website here, here and here.

However your branch would like to highlight some other issues. Firstly the pay deal is being imposed against our wishes in your November salary. This is a sweetener no doubt and those of you who celebrate Christmas will enjoy receiving the arrears in time for present buying. However, it is not just year one of the pay deal which is being imposed but all three years. In the vast majority of cases people will receive the best deal in year one, and for a fair few, it's a pretty good deal. But years two and three are not good deals especially for anybody on the pay maxima. Don't forget these members of staff who have given many years excellent service will get NO CONSOLIDATED RISE AT ALL in year two. Can you vote to accept this pay offer knowing how badly treated your colleagues are?

Pay Ballot Result In

Members have voted convincingly in favour of rejecting the pay offer put to them by DWP management. More information can be found here, but in short 75.7% voted to reject the offer. The turnout was 44% which although low was better than a lot of recent ballots. The Group Executive Committee will be meeting next week, and have already demanded an urgent meeting with management to discuss the way forward.

Your Branch Executive Committee think this is a sensible outcome as other posts demonstrate. There is no way that we can allow our members to receive such derisory rises over the next three years, especially those on the band maxima who have given many years of service to the employer.

Some Truths About The Pay Offer

One thing the pay offer has addressed is the short time it takes to reach the maximum scale rate for your grade. Some members have reported that they have been in the Department for over thirty years yet are still not on the max. These members will reach the max during the three years of this deal if it is accepted, but is it really worth it?

Evidence shows that at the end of the three year deal max in DWP will be less than it is in HMRC now. Are we really worth so much less than our colleagues on other departments?

And what pleasure will you have when you have reached the max and then realise that your pay rise in future years is vastly below inflation? This circular gets it right when it says "There is no point progressing to the max when the max is being artificially held down and devalued." Let's face it. Management say this is a listening offer but who have they really listened to? They appear only to have listened to people who like to spin a story to make it sound better than it is. Let's send them a resounding message that they will have to listen to and vote YES to support the GEC recommendation to REJECT the pay offer, because together we can win fair pay for all.

BEC Rejects Pay Offer

Your Branch Executive Committee met on Monday and have decided to agree with the Group Executive Committee and therefore advise you to vote YES to reject the pay offer which has been made. Ballot papers will have started dropping through letterboxes today.

Please read this circular which gives reasons why your committee feels this offer is unacceptable to the workforce as a whole.

Please be careful when you vote to read the ballot question carefully. A YES vote means rejuect the pay offer. A NO vote means to accept.

A Word About Balloting

As previously mentioned PCS will be holding a ballot in order that members can decide for themselves whether to accept the pay offer or not.

It is worth noting that this ballot is a requirement of the Union. Even if the pay offer was the best offer imaginable, your Group Executive Committee is not empowered to decide on a pay offer without putting it to you the members. The ballot is not a delaying or stalling tactic.

Please therefore exercise your vote in order that the decision is truly representative of the membership.

Panic Over Pay Offer

DWP Managers today announced that staff meetings would be held tomorrow morning to discuss the pay offer. This is the first time your BEC can recall that such meetings have been held. Managers were given details of the pay offer and time to digest it before the official announcement was to be made. The information appeared to be embargoed on the Departmental intranet until after the meetings had been held. But then PCS issued this information regarding the pay offer and announcing a ballot in which they would be recommending a "No" vote.

Lo and behold within an hour all the information was put on the intranet with the expected management opinion that the offer was a good one. Presumabaly the meetings will still go ahead tomorrow so it will be interesting to see what message we are given. Your BEC will be meeting next week to discuss the ballot and will provide more information here. As they say watch this space!