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The mobility clause

9 June 2010

Our union was recently successful in court regarding the judicial review on the civil service compensation scheme. We now look forward to negotiations restarting on this. However it seems the Ministry of Defence, and in particular the Defence Equipment and Support area are intent on ending up back in court because of the mobility clause.

In a deliberately inflammatory and deliberately timed letter, DE and S management have written to PCS members of the Wyton/Brampton branch who are facing collocation to Bristol, telling them that the mobility clause will be enforced and any member of staff who refuses to go will potentially face disciplinary action.

This shameful letter that resorts to these intimidatory tactics was issued to members of staff on Friday 14 May in the full knowledge that the PCS conferences (group and national) were being held in Brighton the following week, and that therefore our union would not be in a position to immediately respond or to help our members in the Wyton/Brampton branch who have been left devastated by this letter.

This circular is now a very loud and clear response to DE and S management and to the Ministry of Defence. Our union’s view, which we have shared with the department on many occasions, is that the mobility clause is unenforceable and will be challenged by our union.

There has not been a single forced posting in a generation in our department. Our union will fight tooth and nail to ensure this continues. We will also be enforcing the national protocol agreement that was agreed in 2008 that ensures departments and the government adheres to the appropriate process should mobility be raised.


In DE and S we also have a concordat signed by both the trade unions and CDM that gave assurances about how those affected by collocation would be treated. Although the DE and S letter makes a passing reference to the Concordat it gives no indication that DE and S are operating within the spirit of it.

The PCS MoD GEC met on 3 June and agreed unanimously that we must take this issue further. The DE and S TLB Whitley will meet on 29 June, if this letter is not withdrawn before that point, our union will be looking to lodge a formal disagreement at that meeting.

Our union will not accept bullying and harassment of members of our union as a management tactic. If any member, whether it be in DE and S, or elsewhere in the department is threatened with disciplinary action for wishing to stay in their current location and not be forcibly moved elsewhere, they should contact their local PCS rep immediately.

 

 

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