Public and Commercial Services Union

Members information

When considering the pay offer, it is important that members have all the facts at their disposal:

• PCS opposed the allowance issue becoming tied up in the general pay negotiations and we formally wrote to management, before negotiations commenced, to request that allowances should be subject to separate negotiations. Management refused.
   
• We repeated this request following receipt of the final offer taking into account the understandable anger of members. Management refused again.
   
• PCS opposes management proposals on allowance withdrawal. The current allowance arrangements were cynically introduced by previous governments to mask low pay in the civil service. Why should allowance holders be penalised now – the jobs haven’t changed. The allowance mess we are currently in is of management’s historic making. We agree that action should be taken to equalise pay, but not at the expense of current allowance holders.
   
• We have received legal advice which has confirmed that the management’s proposals on withdrawing allowances are lawful. However, PCS believes the wider DVLA pay system is unlawful and we have mounted a major equal pay legal challenge which is progressing through the courts.

What can you do?

1. Vote against the pay offer – PCS is recommending rejection of the offer

2. Sign the petition against the changes to you allowance arrangements

3. Sign up non-union members. Non union staff weaken our negotiating position. We also require more PCS reps – so why not volunteer

4. Complain to your management and ask them to raise your objections with board members