You are:

ATP Decisions

On this page


LR/MB/11/10

17/3/2010

Dear Colleague

ATP Decisions

As a direct result of the PCS campaign in opposition to Land Registry’s (LR) Accelerated Transformation Programme (ATP) proposals and, in particular the support and active participation of PCS members, LR Management have now made significant changes to ATP. The new position was subject to intense negotiations with PCS and FDA and is in stark contrast to what was presented as a ‘done deal’ by Peter Collis in his DVD on 22 October.

Whilst the changes now proposed do not fully meet all the terms of the PCS bargaining mandate (of no office closures, no enforced compulsory redundancy and no privatisation) what is on the table provides certain protections and significantly more options for members. Crucially, the new proposals mean that it is now far less likely that PCS members will be facing the prospect of enforced compulsory redundancy, which of course PCS nationally would oppose with an industrial response.

What are the changes

Staff Number target

The target staff number for June 2011 will be increased from 4,500 to 4,600 FTE. Although this change is not significant, the Departmental Trade Union Side (DTUS) have reserved the right to continue to challenge LR’s staffing assumptions, as we do not believe that they stand up to scrutiny and would leave LR unable to respond to any upturn in the property market. Accepting management’s latest offer will not compromise this position and we will continue to press for more realistic staff numbers, during ongoing consultations. The PCS will also continue the campaign around the Alternative Vision to ensure full registration of land in England and Wales. It needs to be noted that the one hundred staff who will now be staying will, in part be working on data integrity, an acknowledgement of that campaign.

Office Closures

In the original ATP proposals, LR were proposing to close Croydon, Peterbororough, Portsmouth, Stevenage, Tunbridge Wells offices effectively wiping out the LR presence in the South East. Alongside this they were proposing to close Lincolns Inn Fields and relocate Head Office to a smaller temporary location in London. There was also the threat of at least two further offices being closed in phase 2. In addition to this, management also proposed to merge all Plymouth offices into one location.

LR are now proposing to retain Croydon and Peterborough as fully operational offices, with Head Office re-locating to Croydon on a permanent basis.

LR still proposes to close Portsmouth office in February 2011 but will retain a smaller local presence of up to 50 staff in local authority accommodation until 2013. This office would be a sub office of Croydon. LR have said that they will close this smaller presence on 31 March 2013. We will continue to make representations in respect of Portsmouth, with a view to the continuation of a sub-office, beyond that date.

LR still proposes to close Stevenage and Tunbridge Wells in June 2011.

Members in these offices identified for closure have both the right to redeploy from a closing office to the Croydon or Peterborough offices, or to re-deploy to other Land Registry offices where there are vacancies. This would be with relocation assistance on the basis of the current Land Registry relocation scheme. This was not an option available to PCS members in these offices, back in October 2009. Alternatively they would also have the opportunity to acquiesce to redundancy on compulsory terms. If there are any logistical issues in respect of relocations, we will enter into discussions with management with a view to removing any obstacles.

LR now intends that Plumer House will close and staff will relocate to Seaton Court. This will be subject to ongoing discussions with staff in Plymouth and the Trade Unions.

RA/RO Reductions

The original ATP proposals threatened to cull the jobs of the majority of our lowest paid and most vulnerable members. Under these proposals over 475 jobs were due to go. Under the revised proposals, there will not be more than 150 job losses: These jobs will be lost by staff acquiescing (volunteering to leave and that being accepted by LR) on compulsory redundancy terms. We were able to convince management that there is more work for RAs and ROs to do. RA/RO staff in closure offices will also be able to transfer to another office where there are vacancies. We will do everything we can to ensure that sufficient vacancies exist for Stevenage, Tunbridge Wells and Portsmouth RA/RO staff who want to transfer to Peterborough or Croydon. Provided there are sufficient (150) RA/RPO staff who leave voluntarily, then although there could be constraints in respect of admin work there will be no constraints for Data Integrity work.

Sourcing

This aspect remains uncertain. Management are seeking external interest and bids for each of the proposed areas. Alongside this they will reorganise the areas and then conduct an exercise to establish “best value” by comparing the reorganised area against external bids. The reorganisations will be done in consultation with the DTUS and we will consult with affected members, throughout this process.

We remain entirely opposed to outsourcing of LR work and will seek to defeat the notion, during the ongoing consultations. If this does not prove possible, at the end of negotiations, we will consider balloting members for industrial action.

Support Measures

Management have indicated that support material will be made available within the next two weeks. At the moment, there are still a number of important areas that need to be resolved. We will issue a separate report on this as soon as we are able to do so.

Recommendation

We will shortly be conducting all members’ meetings in every office. Alongside this, we will conduct an all members’ ballot to ask you if you are prepared to accept the revised ATP proposals. Your Group Executive Committee (GEC) are recommending that you vote to accept these revisions and we do so for the following reasons:

  • We are convinced that what we have is the maximum achievable through negotiations.
  • What has been achieved represents a significant improvement from the original proposals.
  • Any further concessions would require a sustained campaign of industrial action.
  • The retention of Peterborough and the Portsmouth presence was achieved during the course of the intense negotiations. This key concession and its inclusion in the proposed agreement on ATP is the main reason we are making this recommendation for this saves many jobs and gives additional options for others affected by the original proposals. Management made it very clear that this key concession would be withdrawn if the trade unions did not recommend the overall deal.
  • We remain committed and able to continue discussions with management with the aim of resisting the outsourcing of LR work. If negotiations do not prove fruitful, we will commence the necessary political and industrial campaigning.
  • We will resist any further plans to downsize the LR and will mount relevant campaigns of opposition, including political and industrial elements.

Ultimately, members will make up their own minds as to whether what has been achieved is good enough and you will vote accordingly in the ballot. Meetings will be arranged for members, in all offices, to allow us to explain the situation in more detail and for you to ask questions and put across your views. Whilst we have achieved a far greater degree of choice for all those worst affected, we recognise that not everyone will be able to exercise this.

In the event that members do not accept our GEC recommendation, we will accept the democratic wish of the majority and proceed immediately to seek the authority, from our national union, to ballot for discontinuous strike action. For there to be any possibility of setting aside the Land Registry decision on ATP there would need to be a sustained campaign of strike action.

Michael Kavanagh
Group President
Brian Shaw Group
Secretary
On behalf of your GEC