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Midlands

Welcome to the PCS midlands regional office. About 10% of PCS members are based in the midlands.

Latest news and events

PCS in the midlands

This map shows the areas covered by the PCS midlands office.

The office covers the following areas for education/learning, campaigning and organising purposes:

  • Derbyshire
  • Herefordshire
  • Leicestershire
  • Lincolnshire
  • Northamptonshire
  • Nottinghamshire
  • Shropshire
  • Staffordshire
  • Warwickshire
  • Worcestershire
  • Birmingham
  • Coventry
  • Dudley
  • Sandwell
  • Solihull
  • Walsall and
  • Wolverhampton 

Around the Regional Rallies

Birmingham

Over 200 members marched for 30 minutes across the city attracting a load of media interest; press TV and radio. 150 attended the actual rally which was addressed by Chris Baugh, Assistant General Secretary, and other Midlands Regional trade union officers including UNISON, NUT and FBU who donated £1000.00 to the strike fund.
 

Coventry

Over 100 attended an impromptu march and the same attended the rally, that was addressed by Kevin Greenaway of the NEC and other trades council officers from the city.
 

Leicester

Over 100 attended the rally that was addressed by Dave Bean, national vice president and local trade union officers from UNISON, RMT and Bash Chilwah - DWP striker and GEC member for DWP. Media interviews undertaken at the rally included Channel 4 news.
 

Nottingham

Over 150 attended a march and rally, the rally was addressed by Alan Simpson MP, and Paul Williams NEC member. Again, significant media attention with East Midlands Central news filming the entire rally.
 
For more information on the rallies contact the following:
 
  • Birmingham Andrew Lloyd, 07990832454
  • Coventry Kathy Prendiville, 07787740065
  • Leicester Helen Purcell, 07919242781
  • Nottingham Martin Oglivie, 07967116592
 

Messages of support

"On behalf of the NUT in the midlands I would like to send our solidarity, support and best wishes to PCS members taking part in strike action next week in defence of their conditions of service.

At a time of increasing job insecurity and threats to public sector workers, PCS members are right to stand up and defend their employment protections.

With best wishes"

Lynn Collins
Regional secretary

National Union of Teachers

"PCS will be taking a month's action from the week beginning 8 March with a two-day strike and national overtime ban.

We need to support the union, which is one of the first to make a major stand on govt cuts.

There are a lot of members locally, many of whom have taken action before in defence of their pay and services.

I will let you know what we can do locally when I get the details."

Sarah Ansell                                                                                                          Secretary, Northampton Trades Council.

"...We are happy for our branch office to be used as a base for the PCS during these tough times and can provide all of the standard office facilities, phones, photocopier, fax, computers, loudspeakers, meeting place, tea urn, microwave or just a place to get in out of the cold.

I am happy to be contacted by any other PCS activists if they wish to begin making plans to use our office or just to familiarise themselves with what we have available for them during the dispute.

In solidarity."

Mick Fitzmaurice
CWU branch secretary
 
"On behalf of the 15,000 UNISON members who work for Birmingham City Council I would like to send solidarity greetings and support to striking PCS members today..
 
The attack on the Civil Service compensation scheme is a precursor to making further cuts in jobs and services in the public sector. Not only do the Government and our employers want to savage our services they want to do it on the cheap.
 
Whilst the bosses at the CBI construct a myth of feather bedded public services workers, in the real world our pay, pension and redundancy rights are pathetic compared to the captains of industry.
 
Contrast the position of Cadbury workers facing the threat of redundancy, with their Chief Executive Todd Stitzer who is reported to be in line for a £12 million pound payoff by Kraft.
 
The fact is public sector workers have not created the crisis so why should we pay the price for the failure of the bankers and bosses.
 
There is an old trade union slogan that “your fight is our fight” and all public sector workers should be uniting to defend our existing conditions, jobs and services."
 
David Hughes Birmingham UNISON Vice chair
 

Regional rallies

The following rallies have been organised for Monday 8 March 2010:
 

Birmingham

Congregate from 11am, Victoria Square, march to BMI for rally at 12.00. 
 

Two coaches have been arranged for the Birmingham rally:

  • Pick-up 10.20am Wolverhampton Crown House, Birch Street
  • 10.40am Bridge Street, Walsall
  • Pick-up 10.05am Level Street, Merry Hill Waterfront
  • 10.20am Dudley Zoo
  • 10.50am West Bromwich (outside old B&Q at side of the police station)

Coventry

Assemble at 10.45am at Sherbourne House, march to rally at the Quadrant Club on Warwick Road at 11am

Leicester 

12.00, Notts Oddfellows Working Mens Club, 89 Humberstone Gate, LE1 1WB
 

Nottingham

Assemble at 10am at Castle Meadow, to rally at Mechanics Institute.

For further information contact Trudy Allen at PCS regional office on trudy@pcs.org.uk or 0121 643 4342.

CSCS - The latest

News in from branches indicates that there will be overwhelming support for the strike action on the 8th and 9th march. Send us your news stories and pictures to midlands@pcs.org.uk.

If you need to speak to a PCS official on Monday 8th or Tuesday 9th March details are as follows:
 
For information about Coach leaving from Wolverhampton contact Marcus Ford on 07757 742499
 
For information about coaches leaving from Merry Hill
Contact Daphne Dennis on 07951 284865

For information about the strike in specific areas please select from the following:

  • Coventry & Warwickshire - Kathy Prendiville 07787 740065
  • Leicestershire, Lincolnshire & Northamptonshire - Helen Purcell 07919 242 781
  • Nottingham & Derbyshire - Martin Ogilvie 07795 066 916
  • Birmingham, Staffordshire, Shropshire & general information for the Midlands - Andrew Lloyd 07990 832 454 or Trudy Allen 07788 128 034

CSCS - industrial action update

More than 30,000 civil servants in the midlands have joined their colleagues across the country and expressed their anger at the government's decision to arbitrarily slash redundancy terms and conditions by voting for industrial action.

The government and opposition parties have threatend to make £500 million of savings which will allow redundancies to be made on the cheap and will lead to lower paid civil servants losing thousands of pounds if they are forced out of their jobs.

Action will begin on Monday 8 March with a 48-hour strike threatening to close Jobcentres, courts, tax offices, airports, coast guard services and others.

Civil servants have been lobbying their MPs in an attempt to get the decisions reversed. Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said:

"These cuts, which will see loyal civil and public servants lose tens of thousands of pounds if they are forced out of a job, are more about crude politicking than making savings.
 
"We have suggested ways in which the government can make these savings whilst protecting the rights of existing members, yet it seems intent on penalising the people who keep this country running.
 

"With civil and public service jobs increasingly at risk, this is a cynical attempt to cut jobs on the cheap which will ultimately damage the services we all rely on.

"The government needs to recognise the depth of anger which has been demonstrated by this ballot result and find the political will to negotiate a settlement that avoids a sustained campaign of industrial action."