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MoD guard service: August 2010 update

30 August 2010

In January our union issued a comprehensive brief to MGS members on issues affecting officers. It is time now to issue a further update.

Strategic defence and security review

As members will be aware this review is ongoing and decisions from the review could significantly impact on the level of security and the way in which security is imparted in the future. Members will also be aware of the Secretary of State’s announcement of the Defence reform review that will look at the way in which the MoD should be structured to address future defence demands. And of course the Director Business Resilience is also undertaking work examining the delivery of armed and unarmed guarding. No decisions have yet been taken. Indeed we have had no information regarding any early indications coming from any of these initiatives. Members will be informed as soon as PCS has any information to send out.

Forced detached duty

This issue has still not been resolved. It is awaiting a decision from DCP who seem reluctant to grasp the nettle. If any member is instructed to go on detached duty they are advised to contact a member of the national JCC team who will instruct them on the formal line to take whilst we await a resolution. Members are of course perfectly entitled to go voluntarily.

Alternate roster review

The rollout of new rosters at sites other than the trial sites remains on hold as it would be irresponsible to make changes now that may prove unsustainable in the light of decisions coming from one or other of the reviews. As agreed at national level, the “trial” rosters continue at the sites involved to minimise upheaval. Given that no evidence of their unsuitability or inappropriateness was presented to PCS or Unite or GMB, there was no reason the challenge the continuation of these rosters. If there are issues arising now then it is important that members make the national JCC team fully aware of the nature and extent of these issues.

CSO4 review

Our last update from HQ MGS indicated that we are still awaiting the confirmation of the proposals from region 4. Once we have those then the national steering committee will sit and examine the proposals. Where post reductions are recommended they will be dealt with using post-mapping principles that have been well established in the wider MoD. The MGS version of these has been endorsed by all the national trade unions. It is our intention that, as part of the consultation process, for every proposed post reduction/loss the local membership will be approached for their views on whether or not the proposal is viable and sustainable.

Flexible rostering agreement

We have still not begun any dialogue or discussion on an updated version of the flexible rostering agreement. Clearly any document that is 14 years old should be subject to examination and amendment to bring it up to date and we welcome the opportunity to do so. We have already made the point that any changes need to be properly evidenced.

Clothing committee

Whilst this committee is still suspended, our union is sure that some members will have picked up from the MDPGA agency management board minutes on the freedom of information pages of the wider MoD internet that the MoD police have adopted the national police uniform for all officers. This includes black polo shirts and black cargo trousers. This clearly presents us with an opportunity to seek to provide similar kit to our MGS members. This will obviously be dependent upon funding but at the very least a major hurdle standing in the way of these items being adopted by the MGS has been removed.

However there is money definitely available for new hi-vis jackets. HQ MGS are currently going through the purchasing process as quickly as they can to avoid any possibility of the money being taken as savings before it can actually be spent.

Attendance on a training course

After lengthy discussions over a period of time the unions have recently negotiated with HQ MGS new guidance on how officers will be affected when they have to attend a training course. We believe that this is beneficial to all and offers clear guidance and instruction in these somewhat difficult times. This has now been published under MGS mandatory instruction 034/10

Area joint consultative committees

Area JCCs continue to be suspended on a trial basis as a contribution to the cost savings measures the agency has had to take since PR09. Emphasis is now on meaningful and regular dialogue, both formal and informal, at local level with the resolution to any difficulties being provided by the regional JCC. Members are asked to notify one of the national JCC team if they have concerns that the employee relations climate in their local area has declined since the suspension of area JCCs.

Facility time

This is another reminder to all PCS representatives about the importance of proper accreditation. All reps must be a member of their local PCS branch executive committee and they should have a facility time agreement in place with their line manager. It is the line manager’s responsibility to input this agreement onto HRMS. Members are also reminded that they must be a properly accredited rep to attend the MGS quarterly reps meeting (see below)

MGS quarterly meeting

The national JCC team have recently had to announce the suspension of the MGS quarterly reps meeting, scheduled to be held sometime in August or September. They have reluctantly had to make this decision in light of some funding difficulties within the MoD group. As it is unlikely that these funding difficulties can be overcome before the end of the PCS financial year in December, it is unlikely that the final meeting of the year, due in November/December, will be held. In the absence of these meetings PCS will try to step up the flow of information to members and members are of course encouraged to raise issues, through their local branches wherever possible, to the national JCC team.

Customer tasking

Our union are aware that there are a number of sites around the country where the customer attitude is beginning to harden with regard to the MGS inability to fulfil their original tasking requirement. Additionally in some areas this inability is growing because of the current moratorium on recruitment. Some customers are now proving most unsympathetic and in some cases are attempting to lay the blame at the door of the MGS. Whilst this is primarily an issue for local MGS management to address with the customer, we are quite clear that individual officers are not to be subjected to complaints and abuse. Members should report this immediately to their line management.

Annual leave/TOIL

Although our union remains deeply concerned that, in the current climate, officers will not have the opportunity to take their TOIL or annual leave, we do not have specific evidence to support those concerns. PCS ask that officers who have had to carry leave over or who have not been able to take any TOIL they have accrued contact the national JCC team. Our union hopes that no officers are experiencing difficulties in taking leave but, whilst we continue to have concerns, members are advised to put each and every request in writing and retain both the application and reply

Minimum manning/Stand down

At the last MGS informal meeting, management gave notice that they wish to open discussions on minimum manning and stand down. All three unions gave their cautious endorsement to discussions but there is a clear indication that, if there are savings to be made in this area, they could help to offset any savings that might otherwise have to be taken elsewhere. This is particularly important when we are dealing with an Agency whose staff costs comprise well over 90% of their budget as “savings” could well be interpreted as jobs.

Chip and pin

This is another issue that members may have picked up on from MGS management board minutes. This is a process by which staff can use their home or internet café PCs to access HRMS. The initial rollout has been in Regions 3 and 4 with a wider rollout still being scoped. Our union has received anecdotal evidence that members are being forced to use their home PCs rather than spend time at work doing online mandatory training. If things like this are happening it is important that members notify our union immediately. In the meantime PCS has suggested that some form of good practice guide to chip and pin would be appropriate.

 

Clearly the long term future of the MGS is very heavily predicated on decisions coming from SDSR and the other reviews currently underway in the department. Our union’s stance continues to be that the MGS is a completely professional organisation that meets the very highest standards in the security world and, as such, offers the department the best value for money for security. Notwithstanding the MoD position it is also a PCS objective to work towards being able to market the MGS as a cross-government security force. However, despite moves in other areas to investigate pan-government services, this remains an aspiration for the time being.

As always, members and accredited reps should try initially to resolve any issues through their local PCS branch. If this proves impossible then they are advised to contact one of the national JCC team below.

 


Steve Robinson
Tel: 03067930355
Email: DESHROps-PCS-AGS@mod.uk


John Lyons
Tel: 07899094394
Email: johnlyons1@btinternet.com


Calum Campbell
Tel: 07876137827
Email: tupcsbrrep1.civsec@apc.army.mod.uk


Sean Sweeney
Tel: 01436 674321 ext 3324
Email:sweeneysean54@yahoo.com
 

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