Defence Business Services Commercial Contract announced by Serco's job advert

Serco has announced through their recruitment of a Service Delivery Manager for the Defence Business Services that they have been awarded the commercially sensitive contract to run the Ministry of Defences Personnel, Pay, Finance, Security Vetting and Accounting organisation.

PCS had raised concerns that the Ministry of Defence was operating a done deal with Serco when real and significant issues over the commercial tender were not addressed by the department.

On the 31 January 2012 PCS explained to the MoD that the DBS commercial contract is flawed as it allows the commercial management to dictate MoD business output while the associated business risk remains with MoD. Further, that we believed the contract breaches fair commercial contract practices as it enables a commercial management tier to outsource transactional work to itself, as this is not precluded from the contract.

No substantive response giving assurances to our members concerns has been received to date.

Bob Rollings the Defence Sector Secretary of the Public and Commercial Service Union said "PCS remains of the view that there is no cost or Value for Money justification for introducing a commercial management tier. To announce that a contract has been let by the commercial partner advertising that it is recruiting to one of the contract posts prior to any announcement by the MoD confirms that this is a politically driven decision that does not take into account what is best for the Ministry of Defence. This is a political decision and a prelude to the whole sale sell off of Defence Business Services". 

 https://www.amris.com/serco/requirement_display.php?refSearch=&requirementid=29099

Vote Yes Yes

Are you worried and angry about the government’s cuts in jobs, pensions and pay? The government wants to: Raise the pension age to 68 Triple your pension contributions Cut pension payments by up to a half. Public sector workers are being asked to pay a lot more and work up to eight years longer, for much smaller pensions. The government is refusing to negotiate on those core issues, but we want real talks on a fair settlement. Thank you for helping to force the government to make some small concessions to its pensions plans but they are not enough. PCS is consulting members on rejecting the government's offer on pensions and on a programme of action as part of a continuing campaign against the coalition’s proposals. The consultative ballot runs from today to 16 March and you are urged to: Vote yes to reject the government’s pensions offer Vote yes to support the joint union campaign for fair pensions for all.  If you haven't received a ballot paper by 6 March contact membership to request a new ballot paper with your membership number or NI number on 020 7801 2670/2680/2810 or email balloting@pcs.org.uk Find out what you could lose The PCS pensions calculator – pcs.org.uk/pension – was viewed by more than 300,000 times last year. It has shown members and non-members how much they stand to lose under the government’s proposals. A new version takes into account changes to the pension scheme and money lost because of the public sector pay freeze. PCS member Ann Bennett, who earns £25,821, discovered her pensionable pay will be worth 13% less than at the start of the pay freeze. Taking into account inflation the real value of her salary will be reduced to £22,796.01 by 2015. She will pay £774.63 more a year. She will also lose £16,969.68 as a result of the switch from RPI to CPI. “I can’t begin to express my concern over the pension reforms and this is only the start of it, just making ends meet will be the best I can hope for,” she said.   The government is making us all pay for a crisis caused by the banks. Let’s tell them we don’t accept this and we want fair pensions for all.

Informal and honest assessment of the attacks we face

PCS member's pensions petition to be debated by MPs

A petition started by a PCS member calling on ministers to reverse a damaging switch in the way public sector pensions are recalculated every year will be debated by MPs it was announced today.

The petition by Jim Singer - currently the fifth most popular on the government's e-petition website with more than 109,000 signatories - says the imposed switch from using the retail price index to the traditionally lower consumer price index to determine annual pensions increases is unfair and should be reversed.

It states the change will "mean a steady reduction in spending power for pensioners as they progress into their retirement".

The move was introduced by chancellor George Osborne in his June 2010 budget without any prior consultation or negotiation and ministers have since refused any negotiations on the issue that is one of three main reasons why two million public sector workers were on strike on 30 November last year.

It is also the subject of a judicial review appeal by PCS and six other unions heard in the High Court earlier this week.

It is estimated the change will cost public sector workers about £15,000 over an average retirement, and it has also been applied to many private sector pensions, wiping an estimated £75 billion off their value.

The debate, to be held in the House of Commons on Thursday 1 March, was secured by John McDonnell MP, the chair of PCS's parliamentary group and a staunch supporter of unions and the public sector.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This is a tribute to our member Jim for his initiative and his hard work in getting people to sign it. Minsters need to get back round the table to talk about reversing this switch and their other unnecessary and damaging cuts to the pensions of millions of public servants.

"This is one of the main reasons why two million public sector workers were on strike on 30 November. We are continuing to fight government plans to force public sector workers to work longer and pay more for less in retirement, including widespread co-ordinated industrial action."

Civil servant and PCS member Jim Singer said: "I'm delighted that we've finally secured the debate. I was particularly annoyed by this change because I've worked for the government for 35 years and for all that time I was guaranteed a pension that would rise by RPI.

"This switch will make me and many workers in the private and public sectors thousands of pounds worse off."

How hard will you be hit?

PCS pay and pension calculator - How much is the government taking from you?

Use the PCS pay and pension calculator to see how much more the government wants you to pay while working longer to receive less.

More than 300,000 people have already viewed the calculator and the new version breaks down exactly how much you stand to lose.

Lynne Arnison, 46, is a Job Centre Plus office performance team leader from North Yorkshire. Lynne currently earns £24,230 per year and has worked in the civil service for 26 years.

As a result of the government's plans, Lynne will:

• Pay £696 more per year and £61 more per month
• Lose £20,601 from her current pension
• Stand to lose a huge £42,158 from her pension if she works until she is 66

Lynne was stunned to find this out and said: "As a country we are now regressing and facing a system where pensioners are reliant on state handouts to eke out an existence rather than be independent. This sadly is the future I am facing unless I make a stand against the attack on our hard-earned pensions."

How much will you lose? Find out today by downloading the calculator and entering your details into the spreadsheet.

• PCS pay and pension calculator
• How does it work? View our technical note on the calculator.

Stunned? Angry? Let the government know that you refuse to hand over your pension by:

• Voting 'Yes' for an ongoing campaign of action, and by encouraging other members to do so in the upcoming pensions ballot
• Send an email to your local MP and encourage them to attend our drop-in briefing on the campaign to defend public sector pensions

Spending watchdog confirms union fears on defence cuts

A report published today by the government's spending watchdog confirms PCS's warnings that the Ministry of Defence is cutting loyal, skilled staff before working out how it will support our armed forces in the months and years ahead.

The National Audit Office report says the fact that key skills are being lost now, and not after a full and proper defence review, is distressing for the military personnel that PCS members support.

As part of their defence review in October 2010, ministers announced there would be 25,000 civilian job losses by 2015. This was increased by 3,000 only three weeks ago, but today that figure has risen by another 1,000 to 29,000.

Tens of thousands of civilian staff in the MoD have given dedicated service, many for their full careers. The union says to be treated like this will further damage morale in a department where staff confidence in senior management is at its lowest ebb.

 

The union maintains there is an alternative to the cuts in the MoD and wider civil service and that there is no need for any redundancies in the department.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "We have been working with the MoD to identify alternatives to spending cuts, and this work is already bearing fruit.

"Instead of cutting jobs to meet arbitrary targets, the government should be investing in its own staff in the MoD and the wider civil service to maintain the vital services they provide and help our economy to grow."

 http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/1012/defence_workforce.aspx