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Campaign against GO closure

Despite a strong and persuasive case against closure, the DCLG Secretary of State Eric Pickles announced the formal closure of the GO Network on the 20 October 2010. Details of our campaign against closure can be found on these pages. PCS will continue to campaign to protect jobs by ensuring no compulsory redundancies or transfers, and ensuring no detrimental changes to terms and conditions.

Period of Reflection

PCS, as part of the GO National Trade Union Side (GONTUS), has commenced the Period of Reflection (POR) meetings with DCLG HR management side and Cabinet Office. This process is a key part of the Protocol for Handling Surplus Staff Situations, as it is where the employer must demonstrate that it has done absolutely everything possible to avoid redundancy for each member of staff who wishes to remain in the civil service. The POR must last a minimum of six weeks but, once concluded, the employer can issue redundancy notices. 

The DCLG HR has indicated that it would like to end the POR when the six weeks has elapsed on 7 March. But PCS believes that the POR must continue while a number of the key redundancy avoidance measures are still taking effect - for example, the redundancy swaps scheme. Therefore any attempt to end the POR before we have fully exhausted all redundancy avoidance measures would be a breach of the Protocol.

By taking this stance, PCS has made it clear that it remains opposed to the issuing of enforced compulsory redundancy notices.

Working to avoid enforced redundancies

PCS does not believe that enforced compulsory redundancies are inevitable. We are working hard with DCLG HR as part of the 90 day meaningful consultation to ensure the actions identified in the single table agreement are made real and that they will help our members achieve their preferred outcomes:  

- ongoing arrangements are in place to redeploy staff into sponsor departments

- ensuring that all continuing function roles are filled by GON staff

- taking Expressions of Interest (EOIs) for the redundancy swaps scheme

- a Voluntary Redundancy Scheme which remains open through to the 28 February

- an Equality Impact Assessment of the GON closure and the necessary mitigating measures

Single table

Management side has written to our members working in the GON to formally notify them that the 90 day Meaningful Period of Consultation, required under the National Cabinet Office Protocol for managing surplus staff, commenced on 1 December 2010. This letter gives formal notification that our members are at risk of redundancy.

The GO National Trade Union Side, with PCS in the lead, has agreed a single table arrangement with management, which we believe offers the best possible chance for the majority of our members to secure an ongoing future within the civil service. 

E-action

Help to support the campaign by taking a moment to complete the e-action and contact your local MP.

Parliamentary Questions on GO Network

PCS has submitted a number of Parliamentary Questions about the GO Network through the PCS Parliamentary Group. You can see the full text of the responses on our Parliamentary Questions pages. 

Freedom of Information Request

PCS has submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the CLG Secretary of State to ask about the consultation, and records of meetings, relating to the decison to abolish the GO Network.

Taking our case to parliament

PCS organised a Parliamentary drop-in at Portcullis House, Westminster  on 21 July in order to lobby MPs about the proposed closure of the GO Network.

A delegation of our members attended in order to explain to MPs why we believe the case for closure is flawed. We argued that it is important for key functions to be retained - and that these functions should be delivered close to the communities we serve, rather than from central London. MPs who attended included Hazel Blears, John Healey, Gordon Marsden, Phil Woolas and Rosie Winterton. The case we made to MPs is available to read as our Parliamentary drop-in briefing.

As well as the drop-in, we have also tabled a number of parliamentary questions which help to highlight the important contribution of GOs in the past, and the potential role that they might play in the future, as well as asking some very specific questions about the process that ministers have followed when considering closure.