Public and Commercial Services Union

Background

HO/MB/76/09 gave details of the overwhelming vote in favour of industrial action, with 98% of PCS members voting in favour of action. We called on the employer to listen to its workforce and re-consider their position. Unfortunately, as detailed in HO/MB/81/09, management chose to ignore the workforce and disgracefully threatened to go to court to stop members exercising their democratic decision to take industrial action. In order to ensure that members are fully protected, PCS has decided to re-ballot members before taking action.

Disgraceful betrayal of staff

The Department used to trumpet how much money staff on the juxtaposed controls saved the UK. Now, in a cynical reversal, they are looking to make savings from the people who do the work on the front line.

Members originally volunteered to work on juxtaposed controls under the current arrangements. This was reaffirmed following realignment. Staff were not informed that this was a time limited arrangement. The Department stated clearly and repeatedly that staff would incur the allowances that they currently receive as they were working on detached duty in northern France. People who work on the juxtaposed controls therefore had a reasonable expectation that these arrangements would continue.

The decision to slash allowances is, therefore, a disgraceful betrayal of the staff who have worked for years on captive time away from their families, in poor conditions and often in the middle of the night when the senior managers who made this decision were tucked up in bed.

Re-ballot timetable

The ballot will open on 20 November 2009 and will close on 10 December 2009. Ballot papers must be returned by that date.

Re-ballot questions

Members are being asked two questions on the ballot paper. Question 1 asks if members are prepared to take part in strike action. This is likely to include an initial strike of 1 or 2 days followed by further dates if necessary. Question 2 asks if members are prepared to take part in industrial action short of a strike. This will include an overtime ban and work to rule. PCS urges members to VOTE YES to both questions.

New members to be balloted

During the course of the last ballot PCS recruited many new members who wished to take part in our campaign. As those members joined after the original ballot launch, they were unable to vote. They will, however, be able to vote in the new ballot. PCS believe that those members will join their colleagues in voting overwhelmingly in favour of action. This will inevitably strengthen our position going into the next round of this dispute – action now appears inevitable given the belligerence of the employer.

Vote yes/yes

Maximum support for action is required if we are to persuade the employer to re-consider their position. That is why PCS are calling for all members to vote yes/yes in the ballot for action.

Stand together;defend your livelihoods; vote yes/yes