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ATP Campaign Bulletin 1

LR/MB/10/09

2nd November 2009

Dear Colleague

ATP Campaign Bulletin 1

Background

On 22 October, Land Registry (LR) management announced their Accelerated Transformation Programme (ATP) proposals. These proposals set out plans to close offices, cut between 1200 and 1700 jobs (by 2012) and to privatise several LR functions through outsourcing/market testing. In addition LR management talk about process improvements, which would undoubtedly mean increased work pressures for any remaining staff and a knock on detrimental effect on the service that Land Registry provides to the public.

What’s also certain is that members will face further proposals for office closures and job cuts, for management have already said they intend to have just 3,750 staff in post by 2014. If we do not fight now, then every member in every office will be vulnerable.

PCS response

PCS (through the Departmental Trade Union Side (DTUS)) will be engaged in a formal consultation period of up to 12 weeks. Your representatives will negotiate with management, aiming to halt their plans, and with a view to introducing PCS proposals for an alternative future for the LR – a future that does not involve office closures, redundancies and privatisation. In these negotiations, the following demands will form the basis of our bargaining position and you are asked to strongly endorse these, leaving LR management in no doubt that PCS members are united in opposition to the ATP proposals. Our demands are:

  • No office closures. These are unnecessary, make bad business sence and leave the LR future more vulnerable
  • No enforced compulsory redundancies
  • No outsourcing/market testing (or any other form of privatisation) of any LR functions
  • Opposition to any new working practices, which may lead to increased work pressures for members
  • LR to re-assert a public service ethos by defending the public sector status of Land Registry, focussing on completion the land register.

The PCS priority is to keep all offices open and to protect the jobs of those who wish to stay in LR but we will seek to negotiate the best (compulsory) terms and support package for any members who choose to go on a voluntary basis.

PCS will seek to achieve these demands through negotiation and political and public campaigning. It is clear, however, that if this campaigning alone is insufficient to change LR management’s minds, then as a last resort, your Group Executive Committee (GEC) will need to conduct an all members’ industrial action ballot for strike action.

Conclusion

The ATP proposals represent the most severe threat to our jobs, offices and working conditions that any of us will have ever faced. The choice is stark, we can either accept the consequences of what is proposed, or unite under the banner of PCS and fight to change management’s minds. Please be clear, during the consultation period, everything is still to play for.

It is vital that members endorse the bargaining position set out above by voting yes on the enclosed ballot paper and by getting actively involved in the PCS campaign by reading literature, attending meetings, discussing the issues with your colleagues, contacting local and national politicians and supporting your local branch reps in the work they have to undertake in the coming months.

It is more important than ever that we stand united as a union and that means we need as many non-members as possible to join us. Please talk to your colleagues who are non-members and encourage them to join PCS. – Can they afford not to join?

Whilst the scale of the threats we face is daunting, members should remain confident that united we can defend our jobs, offices and working conditions and continue to be part of a LR committed to public service.

The ballot question is ‘ Do you endorse the PCS Group Executive Committee position as contained in Campaign Bulletin 1?’

Your Group Executive are unanimous in urging you to vote YES in the ballot.

Michael Kavanagh
PCS Group President 

Brian Shaw PCS 
Group Secretary

On behalf of your GEC