Public and Commercial Services Union

We wish to place on record our thanks to all members for their continuing support and for their patience. The process has been extremely protracted and in particular the ‘opt in’ exercise for standard terms members has proven to be far more complex and lengthy than we could have expected. Members have been rightly frustrated by the ongoing delay – a frustration fully shared by the Strike Committee.

 

The final say on the offer is now a decision for you. PCS is your union – and you decide if the offer is acceptable.

 

The Strike Committee recognises that the offer has severe deficiencies. In particular we have further work to do to build on the expanded bargaining unit for new starters on the contract and for those who migrate into Enterprise Services. We also recognise that the size of the pay pot, and the backdating of the offer to June, will fall short of the expectations of some members. We understand that those members at the top of their pay scale are likely to be disappointed at the proposed pay award. We fully share that disappointment.         

 

We are clear however that the offer was the best achievable by negotiation. We are also clear - when put into context of HP’s global pay freeze and successive job cuts since HP took over the account and with more now planned – that much has been achieved. The key benefits are:

 

1.     Collective bargaining for the first time for standard terms members on the DWP account, with talks in January 2011 on recognition for all HP central government contracts

 

2.     A recognition programme for members on the GM account at Cobalt House. This will allow us to bargain on pay and job security for GM members.

 

3.     A pay award for all staff on Image terms, and opted-in Standard terms members, breaking the company’s worldwide pay freeze.

 

4.     The pay offer is worth an average 2.7% overall, but distributed according to how far members are from the pay scale maximum and is worth 10% to the lowest paid. We have asked HP to supply the percentage increase for each point on the image scale. HP has refused to provide this, leaving us to conclude that this is for reasons of pay secrecy and to hide incoherent and possibly unfair pay.

 

5.     The initial requirement to work an extra 30 minutes per week has been taken off the table.  

 

6.     An end to low pay on the contract – with all staff at or near the European Common Decency Threshold of £15,500. By next year all staff will be above this.

 

7.     A commitment to meaningful talks starting in August 2010 on pay. This includes talks on progression to the max in a specified time scale and a defined rate for the job.

 

8.     A job security agreement covering all members, including no compulsory redundancies on the DWP account during 2010.

 

The full terms of the proposal are set out in the ballot pack that you will shortly receive. The Strike Committee asks all members to consider the offer carefully.

 

Members will be aware that last week HP met with the Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, and that the Coalition has asked all Government suppliers to cut the cost of the services they provide to government. The required savings are likely to be severe. All Government departments are currently looking to make savings of between 25%-40%.  

 

The next few years are likely to be a massive challenge for our union in HP with the focus shifting to fighting jobs cuts and site closures across HP. This is a fight our union is up for and one that we are confident that we can win based on unity, active support from all members and a strong campaign to protect jobs and communities. It is inevitable that we will need to ask members to actively support our campaign in the near future and that we are entering a period that is unprecedented in all of our working lives.

 

All members should be aware that every concession, everything we achieve will have to be fought for and that the employer remains firmly opposed to vibrant, democratic trade unions and the extension of our bargaining rights.

 

We believe that, in the circumstances, members should now bank what is on the table – and vote to accept the offer. Pay talks can then resume immediately and we can start to build a new campaign around pay and responding to the inevitable threats that now confront us.

 

Whatever your views we urge all members to vote in the forthcoming ballot.    

 

Yours sincerely