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Southern News

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DVLA southern branch newsletter – An introduction

Welcome to the first edition of the DVLA Southern Branch Newsletter. We have put this newsletter together with the aim of keeping you, our members informed about PCS union activity that is taking place in your branch, the DVLA as a whole and issues affecting PCS nationally.

We want you to be able to see what is happening and what your representatives are doing for you. We hope the newsletters will give you some understanding into how your branch works, and what issues are currently being tackled.

First, some background on the Southern branch. We cover 12 LSN offices, 5 AECs as well as HR staff in Bristol. The branch stretches from Truro in the West, taking in Exeter, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Theale, Wimbledon, Sidcup, Borehamwood, Chelmsford and Maidstone to the East. We work closely with the other three DVLA branches, which cover the Midlands, Northern and Swansea regions. We are represented on the Section Executive Committee, which is comprised of reps from across DVLA, as well as on the DfT Group Executive Committee, which is made up of reps from all of the DfT Agencies.

At present Southern Branch has 376 members meaning that nearly three quarters of all staff in the Southern region are PCS members. This is an excellent number, however, we are always keen to recruit more members, as well as reps for offices that are currently without one. We would like to hear from anyone interested in becoming a PCS rep or distributor in Bristol, Cardiff, Portsmouth, Wimbledon and Maidstone.

We also welcome any new members to the Southern Branch, if you are interested in joining, please contact your local rep for an application form. Alternatively contact Neeru Chaudhari, Berewyn Long or Stephen Banfield by Group Wise.

EO equal pay cases – why is it taking so long?

We’re sure this must be a question that many EO’s are asking. The hearing into these cases finished some months ago. PCS were advised to expect a decision in this matter in May, unfortunately the decision has not yet materialised. With both sides in this case already stating that any decision not in their favour will be appealed, the fact is that at present we do not know when to expect a verdict. However PCS will keep you up to date with all developments when they happen. The bright side of the delay is that if you are an EO and have yet to sign up to the Equal Pay Claim, there is still time for you to do so.

If PCS is successful in this case, all EO’s will benefit by having their pay increased, however only EO’s that have signed up to the PCS Equal Pay Claim will be entitled to claim for a backdated pay claim. This claim could take into account as much as the previous six years salary. If you know of an EO that is not yet signed onto the pay claim, please urge them to sign up without delay. You can complete a claim form online by visiting the DVLA web pages or speak to your local office rep for more information. 

Civil Service Compensation Scheme – Latest news

PCS’ National Executive Committee (NEC) met on 10 June to consider the cuts program announced by the Coalition Government. The NEC is absolutely opposed to the view that there has to be cuts in public services to pay for the economic crisis which was primarily caused by the collapse and bail-out of the financial sector.

We know there are alternatives to public spending cuts to deal with national deficit and that cuts would harm, not help the economy. The NEC agreed campaign activity on Budget Day, 22 June to make our case.

Cuts announcements

The new government has made it clear that its priority is to cut public spending on an unprecedented scale as a means of dealing with the national deficit.

Announcements have been made on making £6.25 billion of cuts in this financial year, including cuts of £500 million in non-departmental public bodies. The government has also said it will implement a recruitment freeze in the civil service, a moratorium on IT contracts and a freeze on spending on consultants except where authorised by a Secretary of State. In the Queen’s Speech further measures were announced including a new welfare reform bill.

Announcements of further cuts are expected in an emergency Budget due on 22 June. Moves to implement the threatened pay freeze, and possibly further detail on the proposed commission on public sector pensions may be expected. The full cuts program will be laid out in the Comprehensive Spending Review in the autumn.

At this stage there is little detail on the exact nature and timing of the cuts, or on the specific implications for members’ jobs. PCS Groups have been asked to make urgent contact with their management in order to ascertain how they intend to proceed. PCS has written to the Head of the Civil service, Sir Gus O’Donnell, setting out our concerns and requesting a meeting to discuss the process of consultation that should take place centrally on spending decisions. A meeting will take place soon of the National Campaigns Liaison Group in order to consult Groups on the cuts proposals in their areas, and on campaigning work.

PCS alternative to the cuts program

The government tells us that the national deficit has to be addressed by drastic cuts in public spending: job cuts, pay freezes and cuts in public sector pensions. The Coalition says (as the Labour Government said previously) that they want to make cuts but protect services by cutting “back office” functions not frontline services. Many people are concerned

We know from experience that the distinction between back office and frontline is wrong. All of us undertake work that makes service delivery possible. Cuts damage services.

And there are alternatives to cuts. The country is in debt because the banking sector collapsed sparking a recession. Bailing out the banks cost billions, and the recession hit tax revenues and increased unemployment.

We know there is more than £100bn alone in the tax gap: tax that is uncollected evaded or avoided by large companies and wealthy individuals. By just collecting the tax that is rightfully ours we could avoid public service cuts. A 'Robin Hood Tax' on financial speculation could raise $400bn globally.

Cuts will damage the economy. By cutting public sector jobs, unemployment will increase – increasing the costs to government through more people unemployed and fewer people paying income tax. A reduction in consumer spending will mean fewer transactions and less tax revenue through VAT. It will also result in the private sector cutting back because there is less demand.

Instead, the Government should be creating jobs to boost employment and tax revenue.

TUC welcomes Government plans to tackle prejudice against LGBT people

Commenting on Government plans to tackle prejudice against lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people announced today (Thursday) by the Minister for Women and Equalities Theresa May, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “The TUC warmly welcomes these wide-ranging plans to tackle discrimination against LGBT people in the UK. It is wrong that so many children and adults face harassment, intimidation, ridicule or violence simply because of their sexuality. 

PCS Credit Union

PCS hopes to launch a new Credit Union shortly. The Credit Union will be a savings and loans co-operative owned by PCS members, run by PCS members, for PCS members.

It will provide affordable loans and a convenient way to save for PCS members and their families and it will be a real alternative to high street banks and credit companies.

You have to save at least £10 a month and the funds are then pooled to provide low cost loans to members. There will be no external shareholders so no ‘money men’ making a profit from your savings.

Your BEC encourages you to find out more about the Credit Union by visiting the credit union web pages or phoning PCS on 020 7924 2727.

What has been achieved?

It has often been said in recent times that PCS members face challenges the likes of which have never been seen before. It certainly is the case that our pay, terms and conditions will be under extreme scrutiny over the coming months, with many members rightly feeling concern over their job security. Whilst it is right to look to the future and face the challenges ahead, it is also worthwhile looking back over the last 12 months to see what has been achieved by PCS members and reps both locally in DVLA and nationally.

The big victory has been that of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. Following a two-day judicial review hearing in the High Court in April, Mr Justice Sales ruled that the previous government acted unlawfully when it introduced, without PCS’s agreement, a new redundancy scheme reducing the rights staff had accrued over time. It means the coalition government must reopen negotiations with the union if it is to agree a new arrangement that protects existing members’ rights.

There have also been successes within DVLA that are worth noting also. Pressure and action from DVLA reps has led to changes being implemented in both Maternity and Paternity leave. Women who gave birth after 2003 were entitled to accrue public and privilege holidays whilst on maternity leave, but until recently this had not been actioned. PCS reps took up this case and DVLA has now identified who this applied to and staff were given the option of having these days back as toil or having the back pay.

Expectant Fathers now have the right to special paid leave to attend the 12 and 2 week scans for their children. Again PCS reps in DVLA negotiated this.

Unfortunately, at the time of writing, DVLA had not agreed that men on paternity leave should accrue public and privilege holidays in the same way that women on maternity leave do. We think that this is unfair and discriminates against male members of staff. This is an issue that we continue to raise with management, and we will keep you advised of developments.

Another issue worth taking note of is that regarding sick triggers. PCS reps from DVLA have argued successfully that a sick warning should only be considered after the trigger points have been exceeded rather than just being met. If you feel that you have been issued with a sick warning having only reached a trigger point, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us to discuss this.

The point of this is not for PCS to blow its own trumpet. The point is to remind us all that even in these difficult times it is still possible to achieve success on any issue we face. With your support we are confident that we can meet the challenges ahead. We must remain determined and focused and not accept detrimental change just because politicians or the popular press think that we are an easy target.

We must remember that the financial crisis we find ourselves in was not of our making, and we should not be used as scapegoats for it. As the banner at the head of the newsletter says, we have strength through unity. The months ahead will give us plenty of chances to show this.

PCS DfT 2010 Annual Conference Report

This is the first of two reports that will appear to provide you with information with regards to the 2010 PCS Annual Conference. This first report deals with the Department for Transport Group Conference that was held on Tuesday May 18th in Brighton. Next issue’s report will deal with the National PCS conference that took place from May 19th to 21st.

The conference saw members, reps and full time officials from all of the Agencies with DfT meet to discuss and debate issues relevant to DfT members. Office reps and members from across the region represented Southern branch and reps from Bournemouth, Chelmsford, Exeter and Brighton all took part in the debate.

Having listened to your frustration regarding the timing of the pay award, Southern Branch submitted a motion to conference calling on PCS to put pressure on the Cabinet Office to have the pay remit ready for negotiation and balloting when the award is due to be implemented in August. This then means that members would be able to vote on the award on its merits rather than have pressure to accept the pay offer immediately prior to Christmas.

The motion was accepted by Conference, the DfT Group supported the motion and agreed that such pressure was necessary when it was apparent that the Cabinet Office was responsible for delaying the release of the pay remit.

Conference also heard from guest speakers from sister trade unions in France, a speaker on the feasibility and environmental benefits of free public transport. In addition the PCS President Janice Godrich spoke to conference. She asked members to remember that although the crisis that this country currently faces is being reported as a public sector finance crisis, it did not start that way. She reminded conference that it was initially a crisis in the banking sector that then was reported as the credit crunch, but now it had been turned from a problem that had been made by one sector to an issue that was the fault of public sector waste and overspending. She asked members to remember this and not accept the spin that was now being put on this issue by politicians and the media alike.

Calendar of events

  • 22 June  Budget statement by the Chancellor
  • 6 & 7 July  PCS DVLA Section Committee Meeting
  • 14 & 15 July  PCS DfT Group Executive Committee Meeting
  • 28 July Southern Branch Committee Meeting

Editor – Berewyn Long

Please send comments on Southern News or suggestions/articles for future issues to: Southern News, Bournemouth AEC