Public and Commercial Services Union

National pressure for decent pay

When PCS members met last month at our annual conference, they voted overwhelmingly in favour of a detailed motion aimed at securing better pay across the civil service.

The new national executive committee will meet soon and will decide the programme for widespread consultation with members across the whole of PCS about the way forward for our national pay campaign.

Real reward needed for DWP members

DWP management published on the intranet this week details of the final years payment of the 3 year imposed pay offer which is about to be paid at the end of July.

Despite management’s assertion that it is a good pay deal, DWP members remain unconvinced.

PCS members are as disappointed about their pay today as they were 2 years ago when they were balloted and voted overwhelmingly to reject it.

The latest government figures show that unemployment has once again risen massively. This means more pressure for members but with no tangible benefits in return. This cannot go on.

The GEC will meet again next Friday (June 26th) to agree the next steps in our pay campaign, and linking these to the further national campaign (see above). We are urging management to find a way of rewarding members by that time.

Job losses continue

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) predicts that, despite tentative signs that the economy is starting to recover, unemployment will continue to soar until at least the autumn.

The TUC explained there has always been a delay between the economy starting to grow and unemployment beginning to fall, as cautious employers make the most of capacity among existing staff before recruiting more employees.

Brendan Barber, the TUC’S general secretary, said: “Some now say that we have a recovery, but even if this is not a false dawn, as others fear, it will be years before the thousands of people who have lost their jobs or who will lose them in months to come will see anything to celebrate.”