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.

On Strike - Day One

A massive thank you to all of you for your support today. This has probably been the best supported day of industrial action in many a year, proving that you all feel angry about the imposition of the pay offer.

We had picket lines at Northampton, Wellingborough, both Corby sites, and, for the first time since the 1980's; Daventry. Massive, massive thanks go to those of you who joined us on those picket lines. It is great that members who are not reps join in and show unity in this way.

We had interviews both today and yesterday with The Chronicle and Echo, The Evening Telegraph, and The Daventry Express, and articles have been in all three together with photographs. Some of these can be found online.

Branch Secretary Mark Edwards also gave a live interview to BBC Radio Northampton in which he described the 'rise' those on the max will be receiving as "frankly scandalous", which has now been adopted as the branch catchphrase.

Look here again tomorrow for links to press coverage and (hopefully) photos.

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?

Pain in the ATOS

Earlier this year ATOS took over the contract to carry out occupational health assessments for DWP staff. When a members of staff is referred for an OHS assessment it is usually because of an underlying health issue or disability, and the resulting report can help to determine what reasonable adjustments need to be put in place to help the staff member. This can involve anything from a change of duties to the introduction of specialist equipment, or simply an increase in the trigger days.

When ATOS took over the contract from Capita, they inherited a large backlog of work. However months later there are still many people waiting for this vital health assessment to take place. While they wait they continue to suffer from the impact of their health condition, as well as the stress of possible disciplinary action.

Across the region those who have had an assessment and are waiting for the reasonable adjustment to be put into place have been identified. In some cases staff have been on "gardening leave" for months while they wait for specialist equipment to put put in place.

However management do not have any idea how many staff are lost in the system awaiting the initial OHS assessment. If you have been waiting for ATOS to carry out an assessment on you for more than two months, please let me know so that we can esculate this issue with management and ATOS.

Don't suffer in silence. Your local TU reps can only help to get this issue resolved if we are made aware. Please contact me on john.andrews@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk

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?