Shared services members in DWP and DEFRA to strike on 25 Oct 2013

PCS served notices to DWP, DEFRA and civil service head Sir Bob Kerslake informing them of strike action called for Friday 25 October.

Our members working in shared services for DWP and DEFRA are taking the action to protect jobs and services and to safeguard the personal data of thousands of their fellow workers.

The staff involved face privatisation on 1 November with the threat of site closures, redundancies and off-shoring to follow.

In addition all members in DWP and DEFRA face having their private data off-shored along with those of tens of thousands of other civil servants.

UKSBS (the shared services arm of BIS) is also scheduled to become part of Shared Services Connected Limited (SSCL) - the private company involved - from 2015. SSCL is expected to bid for further civil service work in the future.

This current round of shared services privatisation follows on from the privatisation of DFT shared services in June this year.

The one-day strike by our members working in shared services - HR, procurement, finance. They are acting to protect jobs and services and safeguard the personal data of thousands of their fellow workers.

Staff and services are due to be transferred to private sector company Steria on 1 November, including at a site in deputy prime minister Nick Clegg's Sheffield Hallam constituency. Steria intends to cut staff and offshore work within 12 months of the transfer date. 

You can play your part to oppose the plans by emailing Clegg to tell him to stop the privatisation.

In addition, all members in DWP and Defra face having their private data offshored along with those of tens of thousands of other civil servants.

This current round of shared services privatisation follows on from outsourcing at the Department for Transport in June.

A number of other departments are actively considering using private sector companies to run shared services.

Take the protest to Clegg

The sites involved are in Newcastle, Alnwick, York, Sheffield, Cardiff and Blackpool.

We are demonstrating outside Nick Clegg's constituency office from noon tomorrow urging him to stop the privatisation and protect jobs and services which are due to be outsourced.

What you can do:

Complete the e-action urging Clegg to stop privatisation.

Join the lobby of Clegg's office from noon: 85 Nethergreen Rd, Sheffield, S11 7EH

Send messages of support to solidarity@pcs.org.uk 

Campaign to Stop the Defence Reform Bill - Say No to GoCo

A campaign to fight the Defence Reform Bill and the formation of a GoCo for defence procurement is now under way.

The Defence Reform Bill proposes privatising 75% of defence procurement and the formation of a government owned contractor operation (GOCO) to manage it.

The two frontrunners for the work are both American companies.

We are really worried about the work going to a GOCO because:

• They threaten job security for existing staff
• GOCO accountability to parliament and voters is not properly defined by the bill.
• Their tax liabilities in the UK are unclear.
• Experts are worried about their ability to deliver during times of conflict.
• They have failed in every country that has tried to introduce them.

Support our campaign to get MPs to vote against the Defence Reform Bill and to sign Early Day Motion 585.

Take action now

• Email your MP now and ask them to vote against the Defence Reform Bill and to sign Early Day Motion 585.
• Back the campaign on Twitter with the button on this page - use the campaign hashtag #sayNOtoGoCo

Ministry of Defence holds 66,000 files in breach of 30-year rule

The Ministry of Defence is unlawfully holding thousands of files that should have been declassified and transferred to the National Archive under the 30-year rule, including large numbers of documents about the conflict in Northern Ireland.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/oct/06/ministry-of-defence-files-archive?CMP=twt_fd

Fair Deal Update No 16

Formal pay offer received

As we reported in the last update, negotiations on pay have been on-going. We have 

now received a formal offer from the department:

• A one year award from 1 August 2013 to 31 July 2014. 

• All pay scales, including minima and maxima, will be revalorised by 1%. 

• All staff in post on 1 August 2013 (other than those on restoring efficiency for unsatisfactory performance) will receive a 1% increase to basic pay. 

• Eligible E2 and E1 staff will continue to receive the Protected Pay Allowance. 

• Bonuses will be paid to all staff with a Box 5 (Outstanding) marking. 

• The re-introduction of Higher Starting Pay (HSP).

There is little here which meets the aspirations of our pay claim and much that could 

prove damaging, particularly bringing back discriminatory higher starting pay, so the 

offer will be rejected in accordance with national policy. Members will be aware that 

the 1% pay uplift and the bonus payments have already been made.

The group executive committee will be discussing how to progress the remaining 

elements of our pay claim, including the re-introduction of progression, shortly.

Attacks on our terms and conditions

Negotiations are about to commence on the department’s plans (for new starters and 

promotees) to cut annual leave and occupational sick pay; increase working hours in 

London and change the status of mobility.

Our union’s position is clear. We do not accept that these cuts are justifiable, or that 

good employers offer worse terms and conditions. Indeed in a competitive market, 

these changes will further hamper recruitment and act as a disincentive for staff to 

seek promotion, damaging the MOD’s outputs for little benefit.

The Civil Service employee policy guidance is clear that departments can choose 

whether to adopt any policy. MoD is therefore implementing detrimental changes, 

which it has no obligation to make, despite overwhelming opposition from its staff. 

We are also awaiting engagement on a review of all allowances, where the 

department intends to claw back tens of millions from allowances in payment to staff.

Performance management – use the PCS toolkit

It is now time for the six monthly review under the new performance management 

system. Our union has devised a toolkit to help members and managers deal with 

each element of the system. If you haven’t seen it yet, it can be accessed here:

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/ministry_of_defence_group/mod-news/index.cfm/defensesector- 

group-performance-management-toolkit 

Don’t fill in the Your Say survey

The 2013 Your Say Survey began on 1 October. This year we're asking you not to 

fill in the questionnaire.

When the survey was introduced in 2009, we welcomed the introduction of a 

standard staff survey across the civil service. We hoped that it would evidence civil 

servants concerns and that management would work with us on improvements.

Our experience over the last few years is that the results have been misrepresented 

by management and used to justify policies that don't address the real issues. Some 

results, such as the dissatisfaction with levels of pay, have been ignored whilst 

others have been used to bring in the performance management system that we 

believe will see at least 5% of staff sacked each year.

Our 2013 annual conference decided that we should not co-operate with this year’s 

survey, which is voluntary. No one should be pressurised to complete it. Tell your 

PCS rep immediately if you are forced to complete the questionnaire.

We know that some members value the opportunity to tell management how you feel 

about your employer and your experiences as a civil servant. We are conducting our 

own surveys so you can raise your concerns through your union.

By not filling in the Your Say Survey, you will send a collective message that you:

• Object to the misinterpretation and misuse of the survey findings 

• Will not co-operate in an initiative that leads to un-negotiated detrimental changes 

• Want the survey findings used positively to improve the well-being and working conditions of civil servants.