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DWP Union News - Weekly Bulletin 34

27 August 2010

The latest news for members in DWP and CMEC.

The DWP GEC held a special meeting this week. High on the agenda was a report on staffing in DWP and the need to protect staffing levels in order to be able to continue delivering DWP business so effectively. This week, as many young people got their GCSE results, despite increasing pass rates, fears grow of record youth unemployment rates. More evidence, if more were necessary that DWP staff are more needed than ever if we are to avoid a double dip recession and continue to help people into work. The GEC agreed to continue to press management to immediately extend all FTA contracts by a further 6 months, as an interim measure. This is now urgent. Jobcentre Plus has agreed to discuss this with us further at the end of August.

DWP pay talks underway

Pay talks started in earnest last week in DWP and PCS have written formally now to management in CMEC to request the urgent start of pay talks for CMEC members. It is clear that there is enough money to pay everyone that earns under £21K at least £250. PCS is arguing for bigger pay increases for those members.

Pay frozen for all earning over £21K

As dictated by the government’s pay freeze, there is no money at all for a pay increase for members earning over £21K. PCS are still demanding that we should all still get a progression payment. It is grossly unfair to treat us differently to other public sector workers.

Shame of £22 million paid to senior civil servants

The press predictably made much of news this week that senior civil servants (above Grade 6) have got round the pay freeze by paying themselves bonuses of up to £12,000 instead out of their bonus pot of £22 million.

If management are to avoid a similar scandal in DWP, they should seek to pay the bonus money as fairly as possible to everybody. We have all done a great job – we all deserve a decent payment. PCS is pressing for all bonus money, including money used for Special Bonuses, to be distributed fairly to all members.

PCS continues to argue that everyone in DWP and CMEC deserves a fair pay rise.

TPIP Latest

The DWP GEC were updated on the latest negotiations on TPIP. TPIP is currently paused to consider whether the £50 million project should go ahead. Jobcentre Plus management told PCS this week that they intend to press ahead with at least part of it in early September, committing to £millions more to roll out more offices that the current staff don’t want to work in before government spending cuts due to be proposed in October. CCD management themselves say this could lead to some current call centres closing. PCS says this is madness. We have written to permanent secretary Leigh Lewis asking him to stop this.

Better working conditions urgently needed in CCD

The vast majority of the members who have transferred into CCD under TPIP don’t want to work there because of the second class working conditions. The GEC has agreed to work towards balloting those members for strike action if unacceptable working conditions cannot be improved on flexi, breaks and monitoring. The GEC is trying to negotiate an improved package of terms and conditions for all CCD members. PCS meetings will be held on each TPIP and CCD site in the next few weeks to explain what we are demanding.

Downloadable version:   DWP Union News - Weekly Bulletin 34

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