On the 6th March
2014 the Defence Intranet proclaimed that Shared Services in the Ministry of
Defence (MOD) were to be reviewed in line with the current government’s policy
of outsourcing and privatising public services with no regard to business risk,
sensitivity to data management and job retention or creation in the United
Kingdom.
The review will look at how shared services in the MOD
will be provided in the future taking into account the current strategic
business partner arrangements with Serco which are due for review in 2016.
The aim is to report by the end of April
and then in consultation with the Chief of Defence Personnel, and DG Finance,
and other senior colleagues a recommendation about which options should be
explored in greater detail starting later in the year will be made.
Won’t affect me or the services I provide to the MOD –
Think again, the possible options to be explored will include:
- whether DBS remains wholly within MoD
- moves either to some kind of partnership with the private sector (e.g. joint venture or a government owned company managed by the private sector)
- or fully to the private sector
This could mean:
Members of staff and their work being privatised, job
cuts, office closures and the potential off-shoring of work and sensitive data.
Shared Services
in other government departments
The Next Generation Shared Services programme under
the current government aims to achieve cuts of between £400 and £600 million a
year in administration costs through privatised shared services in HR,
procurement, finance and payroll of government departments and
arms-length-bodes.
The first independent shared services centre (ISSC1)
was awarded to Arvato UK & Ireland, a business process outsourcing (BPO)
partner, to provide back office support to the Department for Transport (DfT).
The second shared services centre, Steria/Shared
Services Connect ltd (SSCL) is the divestment of shared service centres
currently operated by the Department for Work and Pensions, Department of
Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency under Steria.
On the 4 March 2014 SSCL announced their intent to
cut at least 400 jobs through the closure of ex DWP sites at Sheffield, Cardiff
and the ex Environment Agency site in Leeds. Work adding up to the equivalent
of around the 200 jobs they wish to off-shored to India.
Our
position
The Defence Sector group believes that defence
capability and delivery is best supported by corporate services that are in-house,
run by public servants who are accountable to the Crown and who are able to
provide the support Whole Force Management will need if it is to succeed.
Our bargaining position is clear:
- Defence Cuts cost Lives. All those working in defence deserve a Fair Deal.
- Corporate Shared Services should be in-house to enable Whole Force Management
- The generation of profit and imposition of resource cuts are at odds with defence capability and capacity
- Outsourcing and off-shoring of defence data is a risk to national security
and our objectives include:
- to stop privatisation and off-shoring of work and functions
- to protect jobs – no compulsory redundancies, no compulsory relocation
- to ensure the delivery of a good quality service
Members of staff in DfT, DWP and Defra have been
privatised, and over 400 jobs will be lost and work is likely to be off-shored.
The MOD’s review team have given personal assurances
that there is absolutely no hidden plan
or agenda to move DBS out of MoD. We agree, the possibility of DBS being
privatised is absolutely clear.
What can you do now:
·
If you want corporate
shared services to remain in the MOD you need to recruit the non-member sat
next to you.
Join the PCS shared
services facebook page for up to date information – https://www.facebook.com/groups/608201015918339/
· Send the attached
model letter to your MP expressing your concerns over the possible
privatisation of MOD’s shared services.
Ask your MP to
oppose the off shoring of data by logging on to - http://action.pcs.org.uk/page/speakout/shared-services-save-jobs-and-protect-our-data
Annex A - Draft MP’s letter:
[Address line 1]
[Address line 2]
[Address line 3]
[Postcode]
[Date]
Dear [insert MP‟s name]
I am a constituent of yours living in the [insert name
of constituency/ward], and I am writing to you to raise my concerns over the recent
the MOD is to consider privatising Defence Business Services (DBS) who provide
corporate services within the Ministry of Defence.
The review will look at how shared services in
the MOD will be provided in the future taking into account the current
strategic business partner arrangements with Serco which are due for review in
2016.
I am concerned that:
the review has the predetermined outcome of
privatisation
the current strategic business partner has a position
to influence any outcome
defence capability and capacity will not be fully
considered
privatising DBS has the potential to undermine Whole
Force Management and is linked to national security
privatising DBS is at odds with the Military Covenant
my personal data could be off-shored
As my MP I am writing to ask you to raise these issues
with the MOD Permanent Secretary and the Government to seek assurance that DBS
will remain in the MOD supporting defence capability.
I look forward to your reply.
Regards
[insert
name]
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