Public and Commercial Services Union

2006 was a challenging year for both public and private sector members of PCS. Our continuing focus on organising ensured that membership remained stable despite fierce job cuts and privatisation. Careful stewardship of our funds left us able to finance the remarkable range of campaigns set out in this report.

The report shows how, at every level over the last year, PCS has vigorously pursued its campaigns to secure guarantees against compulsory redundancies, to guard against the negative effects of privatisation, outsourcing offshoring and the two-tier workforce to promote equality and a fair national pay system and to defend our members’ conditions. PCS played an active role in the wider trade union movement, and both of us represented PCS on the TUC General Council.

The massive support for the Public Services not Private Profit campaign had shown that there is widespread disillusionment with the government’s continuing hostility to public provision of services and to public servants. But the first compulsory redundancy notices in a generation were issued in two civil service departments, many of the year’s pay offers were below inflation, and the government’s programme of privatisation in the Civil Service is increasing.

Just as the report went to press, the result of the national ballot on action in the civil and public services was announced. The substantial majority votes for strike action (61%) and action short of a strike (77%) resoundingly endorsed the strategy pursued by your National Executive Committee over the year.

Additional job cuts were threatened by the Chancellor in the run up to the Comprehensive Spending Review. This came despite even Gershon (who was responsible for the review which led to the current job cuts) saying that making cuts beyond those he recommended could not be done without having a serious impact on the public services our members provide.

We have challenged the assumptions behind the government’s reform agenda, from joining the ETUC demonstration against the Services Directive in Strasbourg to publishing a report critical of the move to use “third sector” contractors. We have responded to the organising challenges thrown up by the reforms, with initiatives on shared services, call centres and a highly successful organising campaign amongst agency workers. PCS strengthened links with like-minded campaigning organisations such as Defend Council Housing, National Pensioners Convention and Keep Our NHS Public.

The shortcomings of devolved pay bargaining have been emphasised in national talks, but also in other ways. Inadequate offers were rejected in a number of groups, and the inequalities of pay were highlighted the Women’s pay lobby of Parliament in March. By appointing an equal pay legal adviser PCS is ensuring that full use is made of the legal options for challenging unequal pay.

PCS negotiators have worked hard to obtain agreements without the need for industrial action. We were able to make progress with the PSF agreement which successfully defended existing members’ pensions and negotiations aimed at getting the best deal for new entrants continue.

During the year we developed our union so that we can mount the massive national campaign which is beginning as we write. For example, we began publication of activists’ magazine Activate, improved support both for personal case handling and for victimised reps. We appointed an Equality Coordinator to help strengthen the self-organised structures and integrate equality within the Union’s bargaining agenda. We announced the launch of our Political Fund from 1 April 2007, which will amplify PCS’s voice which is already extensively heard in Westminster, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, as well as in the media.

In all of this, the work done by PCS reps, activists and members has continued to help us to build a democratic union to be proud of. Our branches and regional committees have continued to develop. With the officers and NEC continuing to work with you to build our union we can be confident that PCS will rise to the challenges that lie ahead.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary

Janice Godrich, president

While many offers failed to match inflation, progress in talks on pay coherence was held back. Widespread discontent fed into the national dispute, which features resolution of the log jam on national pay as a key demand.

National Pay Campaign

2006 was a very difficult pay round across the civil service, mainly because inflation exceeded most predictions (approaching 4% in November-RPI) and because the Government refused to review their limits on pay increases. The Treasury set down two ranges of overall pay rises: 3.5% – 4.5% for “lower- paying” bargaining units, and 3.5% or less for others. However there was no clarity to the definition of high/lower paying, and many offers included basic pay rises well below inflation. Thousands of members (particularly those on or near maximum pay) faced a real cut in living standards. By December, nearly 20 pay offers had been rejected or were likely to be, and industrial action was high on the agenda. Action by members in DCA and Identity and Passport Service had already taken place, and PCS was seeking to co-ordinate disputes across all areas where possible. Pay disputes will be a focus within the wider National Campaign on Pay, Job Cuts, Privatisation etc.

Early in 2006, PCS began a renewed campaign to win a National Civil Service Pay Framework. New materials, seminars for activists and local meetings took place, and by June over 50,000 signatures on a national petition had been collected. This was presented to Parliament in July and a common National Pay Claim was lodged. Pay was also a key feature of the regional forums in the autumn, which fed into the wider National campaign, in line with Conference motion A31 about united action by members across all civil service and linked areas.

PCS officials spent 2006 engaged in what became frustrating discussions with the Cabinet Office on Pay Coherence – our demand for national civil service pay.

Progress seemed possible in September when a statement on “Delegation and Coherence” was issued by the Cabinet Office. This included positive references to the need to improve Coherence for what are “common workforce groups” (PCS argues that for example Administrative Officers are a common workforce group); a commitment to consider what conditions of service should be managed centrally; and to consider reducing the number of pay delegated areas – currently numbering over 200.

Although a working group to further examine “common workforce groups” was set up, no meaningful progress was made. Fine words from the Cabinet Office simply did not translate into action.

In November the Cabinet Office issued what they termed “Reward Principles”; personnel guidance for the civil service and non departmental public bodies. This guidance crudely callsfor more performance pay (at the expense of basic pay), and hints of regional pay. PCS HQ will be issuing guidance to our representatives on this.

Equal Pay

The success of equal pay cases in the Prison Service early in 2006, renewed the focus on our campaign to identify many new cases. PCS organised a Women’s Lobby of Parliament in early March, coinciding with International Women’s Day which was a key event, and following the appointment of an Equal Pay Legal Adviser later in the year, there was more intensive work on pursuing cases which challenged pay differences between, and within, separate bargaining units.

Age Discrimination – Pay and Conditions

The introduction of the Age Discrimination regulations from October 2006 was welcomed by the PCS. It is a potential vehicle to challenge the years sometimes taken to move from the range minimum to the maximum, and also the common practice of awarding full annual leave entitlement only after a set number of year’s service. In line with Emergency Motion 3, during the latter part of 2006 PCS was actively developing employment tribunal cases on which to make challenges when management are not responding to the Regulations.

London Pay

London pay continues to vary from flat rates to a percentage included in pay. The figure of £4,000 in the national pay claim is under review in the light of new evidence, including work on the London Living Wage carried out by the Greater London Authority.

Shiftworking

Conference motion A17 on shiftworking, called for a review of arrangements across the bargaining areas. A questionnaire has been devised and will be issued early in 2007.

Talks on implementing the Public Sector Forum agreement on pensions took longer than anticipated, but PCS held to the principles set out in ADC policy. The union played a prominent part in the campaign to improve State Pensions

Public Sector Pensions

As a result of the PSF agreement on pensions (which protected pensions of existing members of civil service, health and teaching schemes) in late 2005, detailed discussions took place around a series of working papers on key principles underpinning any scheme for new entrants. These included core provisions, governance, equality, indexation and accrual, comparisons between a final salary model and a whole career model, topping up pensions, special cases and flexibilities. We also analysed the responses to “Building a Sustainable Future”, published by Cabinet Office in December 2005.

ADC 2006 was briefed about the state of the discussions.

Three Motions (A86, A87 & EM7) endorsed the agreement reached within the PSF and endorsed the broad strategy proposed by the NEC to use the savings generated by the move of pension age for new entrants to obtain the best settlement possible for a new entrant scheme.

Discussions with the Cabinet Office and the Government took longer than anticipated, largely because of differences over sharing any additional costs which might arise. At the time of writing this Report, a formal offer was expected in January 2007, which would not require union agreement to a cap on employer contributions as a condition. It was expected to confirm the protection of existing members’ right to retire at 60 with full pension, and enhanced accrual rates and improved governance arrangements in a whole career scheme for new members. Full details would be available early in 2007.

The policy determined at conference also called for members to be fully consulted once proposals emerged. This was expected to take place in Spring 2007.

The NEC has continued to attempt to rebut false images about member’s pensions when they appear in the media and continues to work closely with other public sector unions where possible on issues of mutual interest.

Commercial Sector Pensions

Motion A89 welcomed the revised Fair Deal on pensions for the Civil Service where members transferred to the Private Sector. The union has been particularly vigilant in cases where members have been transferred and full time officers have been advised to ensure that they are involved in the early stages of transfer and ensuring that the pensions issues are resolved at an early stage. The Fair Deal in its revised form has greatly assisted in this matter and this document has been publicised throughout the PCS. The union continues to provide actuarial and legal support to negotiators in the field.

State Pensions & Pensions Campaigning

The union has been involved through the TUC in responding to Government consultations around its reform of the state pensions system in the lead up to the publication of the Pensions Bill and the White Paper on personal accounts. We have worked closely with the National Pensioners Convention and others. The NEC has supported the NPC financially during the year, has called upon members to consider paying a subscription to the NPC and will be putting a motion to 2007 ADC to affiliate the national union to the NPC (ARMs has affiliated for a number of years).

PCSPS Amendments

During 2006 there were Amendment Schemes in March 2006, which implemented the mandatory changes required by the Finance Act 2004 (operative from 6 April 2006); in July 2006 which largely covered WPS refunds, a number of technical changes, removal of redundant provisions, and changes to transfer arrangements. A third scheme in November 2006 is expected dealing with more redundant rules, abatement, added years and added pensions.

Age Discrimination

The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations came into effect on 1 October 2006, and 1 December 2006 for pension related issues. Group negotiators were issued with advice on how to deal with a range of issues.

The most visible change was that from 1 October 2006, the entire Civil Service had a retirement age of at least 65 with some major departments (DWP, HMRC) declaring “no default age 65” from that date.

Civil Service Compensation Scheme

Cabinet Office had indicated in 2004 that they would be reviewing the CSCS to reflect the age regulations introduced from 1 October 2006. At the time of writing the Cabinet Office have submitted no proposals for discussion and negotiation, but there is clear evidence that they may use the age regulations as a cloak for an agenda to cut what are, in effect, Civil Service redundancy payments.

Other Issues

Revised guidance on ill health, injury benefit and related matters was agreed with Cabinet Office during the year. The guidance was made available on the PCS website.

NEC policy matters on pensions issues are progressed in the first instance through the Pension Strategy Committee which has been expanded to ensure direct representation from outside the NEC to PCS Proud, the Youth Network, and the campaign and equality teams.

The Pension team also works closely with the Commercial Sector Association to ensure quality advice and support is given on pension and related negotiations.

Associate and retired members

The PCS Associate and Retired Members (ARMs) continues to develop through its long term development strategy which is being progressed by the NEC. Recruitment leaflets, posters and guidance were updated during 2006. Several issues of the ARMs Newsletter were published to all members during 2006.

The union is affiliated to the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), the Public Services Pensioners Council (PSPC) and subscribes to Help the Aged, Age Concern and PARITY. ARMs, at both regional and national level, have played an important part in these organisations. The union was represented at the Pensioners Parliament in 2006, the annual Meeting of the PSPC and many local Conferences, demonstrations and events.

The ARMs Forum was held at the PCS offices in Blackpool in May 2006, and debated the future Constitution of ARMs. A summary was included in the ARMs Newsletter and on the PCS website.

PCS continued to speak up for groups subject to disadvantage at work, and campaigned against the disproportionate effect that cuts and devolved bargaining had on women, black and disabled staff.

The threats to members’ jobs and pay were a major theme this year. Job cuts and relocation proposals are particularly likely to impact adversely on women, black and disabled staff who dominate the grades and posts most at risk. Guidance and training on using discrimination and ‘duty to promote equality’ laws have been delivered.

CEHR

Significant weaknesses have been shown in the application and enforcement of the race duty and we are discussing this with TUC and the Commission for Racial Equality. We are working to ensure that all of the new duties to promote equality (race, disability and gender) are understood, acted upon and enforced where necessary.

2007 will see the creation of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, (CEHR) to replace the Commissions for Racial Equality, Equal Opportunities Disability Rights and take on the new strands of age, faith, sexual orientation and human rights. We have been negotiating, campaigning and lobbying on behalf of our members within the current equality commissions, for a strong and effective commission with adequate funding and resources to act as a champion across all strands of equality. A booklet and leaflet giving PCS’s Vision for the CEHR has been published.

Monitoring for Equality

Via the Council of Civil Service Unions Equality Committee, PCS meets regularly with the Cabinet Office and the Civil Service Diversity Champion to discuss progress on the implementation of the Civil Service 10-point plan to increase equality and diversity and the targets for women, black and disabled staff at Senior Civil Service level and below.

In September an Equality Coordinator was appointed to undertake a project tackling under-representation of members of equality groups on PCS decision-making bodies. She will work with groups and regions to develop equality networks and structures, and identify barriers to union activism, as well as improving the recording of equality data on commix and supporting the national organising strategy

Work-Life Balance

Work continues on the work life balance strand of the Well-being at Work campaign. A meeting is being arranged to discuss the concerns of members working non-standard work patterns. A questionnaire issued to Commercial Sector reps indicated that privatisation can decrease work life balance opportunities and we are working to address their concerns. We are also planning guidance on campaigning for childcare to coincide with the re-launch of the revised publication of the Civil Service Childcare Toolkit

Women

We have campaigned to ensure that the recommendations of the Women and Work Commission on equal pay are implemented and funded.

Domestic violence continues to affect one in four women in the UK and this was highlighted in View promoting White Ribbon Day in November, the United Nations Day highlighting the need to end violence against women. A model agreement with the Cabinet Office on tackling domestic violence as a workplace issue was re-issued to negotiators and PCS continues to support Women’s Aid and Amnesty in this area.

Many of the issues affecting women in society, in the workplace and in trade unions were highlighted in the Charter for Women adopted at our ADC in 2006 and our national Women’s Forum is promoting the charter within PCS and working with other trade unions to campaign and lobby for gender equality.

Proud

Proud, the voice of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans members in PCS has taken a high profile in campaigning on a range of issues including the need for legal protection from discrimination in goods and services, asylum rights for LGBT people fleeing persecution, tackling discrimination against trans people and the inclusion of questions on sexual orientation in the 2011 census. Sponsorship was given to Euro Pride in London and PCS had a presence at other Pride events around the UK including Black Pride.

A seminar on health issues in the LGBT community was held in the autumn and guidance produced on HIV and Aids in the workplace. An information pack on representing LGBT members at work is in preparation for launch early in 2007

Disabled members

The duty to promote equality for disabled people came into force in December. Information and guidance has been circulated to negotiators and reps on compliance with the duty. PCS is leading the campaign with other trade unions and disability groups, to challenge the DWP’s decision to withdraw access to work funding, ensuring that disabled staff are not disadvantaged.

Regional Networks for disabled members have been set up and training developed to enable network members to act as specialist advisors on disability related personal cases. Training in disability awareness has also been provided to all PCS staff.

Black members

The Black members’ Forum has developed a strategy paper setting out actions to improve the representation of black members on decision-making bodies in PCS and this has been adopted by the NEC. Work has also taken place with the aim of establishing a Black Members’ Network in every PCS Region and Group and the annual Black members’ Seminar this year took the issue of tackling under representation as its main theme.

Work also continues on tackling Islamophobia, on plans to celebrate the bicentenary of the abolition of slavery in 2007 and support for the family of Jay Abatan, a former PCS member killed in a racist attack, in their campaign to uncover the circumstances of his death and subsequent Police actions.

Fascism & racism

A rise in the activities of far right parties continues to be a focus for concern and PCS has been active in our support for Searchlight and Unite against Fascism. PCS is to launch an umbrella campaign, PCS against Fascism, based on regional activities particularly in the run up to the local elections. Concerns about the fascist and anti-trade union web site Redwatch have been raised with the TUC and with the PCS Parliamentary Group with a view to petitioning the Attorney General to close down the site. Discussions with the Cabinet Office on introducing a civil service wide ban on membership of far right parties are ongoing.

Gender Representation

The PCS rule book requires conference elected delegates to TUC conferences to reflect the proportion of women in the union, currently 60 per cent. The table below shows the target figures and outcome of the elections held at the ADC 2005.

The requirement to achieve gender proportionality will be highlighted to branches and to delegates in relation to nominations and voting at the ADC 2007. Although there is no such requirement for reporting on representation of other equality strands, the NEC acknowledges the importance of representation of black, disabled, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and young members on TUC delegations.

PCS’s international work, in particular the work that PCS has been doing in Europe, continued in line with the International Committee’s work plan. Work on the Middle East and Latin America was particularly significant, and there has been involvement in the areas of education, development and solidarity.

EPSU-TUC Quality Public Services Campaign

PCS is participating the Quality Public Services campaign, which is a collective European trade union response to the Services Directive which seeks to liberalise intra-EU trade in Services. A delegation took part in the ETUC demonstration in Strasbourg in February. PCS is currently working with European Federation of Public Service Union affiliates in the UK to take the campaign forward nationally as part of the Protect Public Services Campaign and to ensure that implementation of the Services Directive in the UK is based on a positive and flexible approach rather than a narrow and rigid one.

Social Dialogue

PCS is working with EPSU to develop the EU-wide Social Dialogue in the national administration sector, which gives social partners including unions the opportunity to influence developments regarding employment and ongoing reforms at the European level. So far, progress has been made in terms of developing an informal dialogue, thus building on the work done during the UK Presidency and taken forward by the Austrians and Finns. On each occasion, the Directors General of the national administrations of the 25 Member States have moved forward and there are grounds for some optimism that we may move towards a formal dialogue during the forthcoming German Presidency early in the New Year. This will enable formal agreements to be reached.

Public Services International

The union continued to work with PSI and was closely involved in its Quality Public Services campaign. PCS is now represented on the PSI World Executive Committee and on the working group planning merger between PSI and EPSU. A rule amendment giving effect to that merger will be tabled for the PSI Congress in September 2007. This will result in a single international affiliation. In the meantime, the PCS affiliation fee for PSI has been frozen at the 2005 level.

UNI

A joint working programme has been developed and PCS worked closely with UNI via the Commercial Sector Group.

Bilateral Working Relations with ST

PCS received a delegation from the Swedish civil service union, ST, to discuss bilateral and closer working at the European level through EPSU and at the international level through PSI.

Palestine

PCS worked closely with other unions to give support and practical help to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and played a key role in the national trade union conference on Palestine in March.

Iraq

PCS continued to work with and supported the Stop the War Coalition’s campaign against the war in Iraq (A159/06). It also worked with other unions through the TUC Iraq Solidarity Committee to give practical support and solidarity to trade unions in Iraq as well as lobbying the UK government to make trade union rights in Iraq a political priority.PCS has signed up to the campaign to defend Brian Haw’s right to maintain his protest in Parliament Square against the war and will continue to give solidarity when the opportunity arises.

ACTSA

ACTSA’s campaign on HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa continued to receive support from PCS. The union also gave support to the campaign against the persecution of trade unionists in Zimbabwe, and has given ACTSA office space in the building in Victoria.

Venezuela

Following the ADC 2006 decision, PCS affiliated to the Hands Off Venezuela campaign, and has met with HoV to discuss how best to work together. The December issue of the View carried an article on the campaign.

Colombia

This year, PCS’s work on Colombia revolved around the campaign for the release of trade union women prisoners. It continued to work with both Justice for Colombia and Colombia Solidarity Campaign.

Make Poverty History

The national campaign folded up at the beginning of the year but PCS continued to campaign against privatisation of public services in developing countries as part of the Protect Public Services campaign. The union also responded to the government White Paper on the elimination of world poverty, and participated in the Stand Up Against Poverty Day in October.

Organising work has continued, and campaigning has focused, with some success, on offshoring, jobs and equality.

PCS Commercial Sector works to an annual plan which starts and finishes from the date of the Commercial Sector Forum, currently June 2006 to June 2007. The plan seeks to pull bargaining, campaigning, communications and organising into one seamless activity for each of the employers we deal with.

Bargaining

The sector has had a good year in terms of pay, securing above inflation rises for the bulk of our members and made progress in terms of introducing pay progression systems, something which is alien to most private sector employers.

We have targeted rises towards the lowest paid to good effect, and made good use of equal pay legal cases. A Pay Forum for negotiators in the private sector is being arranged in 2007. We have also made progress on family friendly policy.

We are part way through the most significant implementation of the Two Tier Workforce Code and look set to secure a ground breaking deal.

Campaigning

Our campaigning work has centred on three fronts: Off-shoring, Job cuts and Equality.

A strong campaign led by our reps in Siemens against Off-shoring has secured a no compulsory redundancy agreement until 2014, a re-training allowance and held the line on the Governments Off-shoring policy.

We have campaigned against compulsory redundancies in different employers with limited success. Gershon is costing our members their jobs.

We launched our Equality Charter this year and have raised the profile of equality issues with all our employers and have approximately 100 ET Cases ready to action.

We have also run a joint skills project with the Business Services Association securing the backing of Government, Employers and the TUC.

Communications

The Commercial Sector has launched its own website and revamped Commercial Break. Our ‘e’ newsboard continues to be popular. However with a few exceptions our local communications are weak and need further work. This will be a priority in the next 12 months.

Organising

Staff changes have hampered progress nevertheless we have prioritised our work and reached new recognition agreements with Capita and are close to an improved deal with Fujitsu. Our recruitment activity has been patchy but has kept pace with redundancies. We are close to breaking the 50% barrier on two EDS contracts and have recruited more standard contract staff than ever before in the IT industry which is key to our future.

Redundancy legislation

PCS has taken this issue (outlined in motion A56) to the Parliamentary group where MPs have been asked to lobby for legal rights to be extended to civil servants. Currently the status of civil servants as Crown servants means that technically legal rights to be consulted over redundancies do not apply, and issue of particular concern in the current job cutting climate.

Campaigns

In line with decisions made at the 2006 ADC, PCS has affiliated to both Keep our NHS Public and Defend Council Housing. Branch Briefings highlighting their activities have been sent out, and details included in PCS publications. The issue of compulsory water metering has been raised with the TUC.

Health

Other concerns regarding health issues related to funding of social care for the elderly and the approval by NICE of Herceptin for use in breast cancer. PCS wrote to the Secretary of State regarding the former, and her not very positive response is being considered. NICE approved Herceptin soon after the ADC, certainly as a result of the widespread campaigning that had been taking place.

The Well-being at Work campaign addressed sickness absence policy, training, appraisal and work life balance. Legal advice has been sought on reviews on the effect of relocations.

The focus of Personnel Policy activity during 2006 has been the Well-being at Work campaign. Under the direction of the NEC and the Personnel Policy Forum, this campaign has encompassed many of the concerns raised in ADC Motions in 2005 and 2006, in particular 2006 Motion A13 on sickness absence management. Activists have been invited to contribute ideas through events such as the Call Centre Forum and the Equality forums.

A range of resources on Well Being has been developed for use in groups, branches and workplaces to address particular local issues. These are available on the PCS website and leaflets and guidance have also been printed.

The PPF chose the following four topics around which to campaign.

• Health and Attendance – linking to the Health, Work and Well-being agenda and growing out of the Whitehall II study
• Learning and Skills – linking to the establishment of a Sector Skills Council for Government (Government Skills), the Professional Skills for Government (PSG) programme and building on PCS’s Union Learning Rep programme
• Performance and Appraisal – arising from the Treasury’s continuing insistence on linking pay to performance, and the long-term equality concerned that PCS has had on this issue
• Work-life balance – linking to the DTI’s improvements to statutory family-related entitlements and building on previous PCS fact sheets and the OurTime model.

2006 has seen two major developments in the Government skills agenda. First, is the creation of Government Skills, the Sector Skills Council for central government, and PCS is represented on the board. PCS has lobbied to ensure that the skills programme provides opportunities to all staff, not just the senior civil service and PCS has successfully persuaded Government Skills to start a major project to help staff improve their literacy and numeracy skills. PCS also gave evidence on Skills for Government at the Public Administration Select Committee.

Secondly, Lord Leitch produced the final report of his review of skills in the UK. The recommendations include demanding targets for achieving qualifications. This could provide opportunities for PCS members in its recognition of the need to invest in the skills of people still at work.

Campaigning work has taken place at all levels in the union, with individuals and workplaces running promotional activities, forums and groups working on issues that particularly affect their members, and industrial action related to personnel issues in particular bargaining units.

At national level, PCS has responded to a number of consultations relating to personnel policy issues. Continuing negotiations with the Cabinet Office on the coherence agenda have included non-pay terms and conditions and personnel management, but progress in deflecting the devolved responsibility approach has been very limited.

Relocation

PCS’s position on relocation remains one of not being opposed in principle to the creation of Civil Service jobs outside of London and the South East. Indeed, we are very aware of the pressing need to create more jobs in places such as the West Cumbrian coast. However, we are fundamentally opposed to relocations in which our members are compulsorily forced to move home and where relocation proposals have not been the subject of a searching equality impact assessment. Legal advice has been sought on the identifying those cases with potential for challenging relocations where inadequate consideration has been given to their impact on BME staff.

Staff handbook

PCS Information Service is pulling together details of existing staff handbooks across the civil service. This is intended both to enable us to take forward Motion A14 and to provide us with a readily available database to assist negotiators across the union.

The general issue about seeking greater coherence regarding conditions in the civil service is being taken forward as part of the Pay Coherence discussions which are in themselves part of the current national dispute.

Work on improving the capacity of PCS to fulfil its role to its members continued. The learning agenda made progress, and legal services were reviewed. Steps were taken towards the setting up of a credit union and PCS stepped up its efforts to promote green policies. Campaigning, parliamentary and press work supported the bargaining agenda, while PCS publications were improved and extended. The political fund was scheduled for launch on 1 April 2007.

Relations with Prospect

In line with decisions made at the 2006 ADC, there was an exchange of letters with the Prospect General Secretary regarding the future development of closer working relationships and a meeting of senior lay and full time officers is currently under discussion. However, making progress with formal structures has taken a back seat to the more pressing needs of the national dispute. In this context, Prospect members in several areas were contemplating taking action alongside PCS in the forthcoming National Campaign. Detailed discussions are also take place between PCS and Prospect regarding the unions’ respective priorities for the CCSU, and the potential for developing joint positions.

Full time officer review

In response to the ADC motion calling for a review of the practical issues and problems that electing full-time officers may involve for PCS, research was conducted into the practices and policies of other trade unions. Following consultation across the union, a further report on the practical issues identified by the review and consultation was sent out to branches.

The NEC intends to submit a motion to ADC 2007 re-affirming our commitment to extending democracy in line with the ADC 2005 motion, and proposing that the NEC conducts further work into the issues raised by the review and produces a report containing recommendations for consideration by ADC 2008.

Organising and Learning Services

PCS is increasingly recognised for its organising approach developed through the National Organising Strategy as agreed by Annual Delegate Conference (ADC) 2006.

Work on implementing the six key recommendations (on increasing coverage of recorded distributors; producing a more detailed profile of the union; integrating the activities of bargaining groups and organisers; increasing involvement of members from under represented groups; developing the young members network and charter; integrating our organising with our bargaining and campaigning objectives) continues and will be covered in a separate conference paper.

Six month free membership for casual/fixed term contract staff has been maintained in line with Motion A125.

We continue developing our Trade Union Education programme through a range of improved new courses and plan to carry out a comprehensive review in 2007.

PCS now has over 1,300 ULRs who are helping members get access to learning and qualifications. PCS represents members’ interests on the board of Government Skills (the sector skills council for central government) and is working with Government Skills on a major project on Skills for Life (literacy and numeracy).

Review of Conference

Detailed research has been undertaken following Motion A126 calling for a review of the size, duration, timing, location and costs of Annual Delegate Conference. Findings will be presented to ADC 2007.

Credit Union

In line with conference Motion A93 we have continued to take steps towards setting up a PCS Credit Union. We continue to publicise the benefits in PCS View, PCS Website and through branch briefings and are receiving a growing and very positive response. Subject to continuing to attract interest, securing

Financial Services Authority (FSA) approval and creating the necessary administrative structure, we are aiming for a launch in late 2007 or early 2008. We convened an initial fringe meeting at the TUC in conjunction with RMT, Bakers Union and CWU where we agreed to promote the idea of credit unions through out the TUC. A further report will be made to ADC 2007.

Legal Services

Our work involving Legal and Personal case management has been developed over the previous year. We continue to represent many members and their partners and dependent children who have suffered personal injury at work and have recovered substantial sums.

Reps receive advice, support and guidance on handling personal cases through ‘Resources 4 Reps’, various guides including personal case folders, Labour Research’s Law at Work booklet, training courses and the Employment Law Scheme with Thompsons Solicitors where designated and trained PCS reps can provide legal advice and support.

The handling of potential and actual Employment Tribunal cases prompted motion A18. The results of the pilot are now being finalised and a full report will be issued in a branch briefing early in 2007. This will identify the improvements made in personal case handling including complex potential ET cases.

Close attention is paid to any cases of victimisation of PCS representatives, with additional support, including legal representation, offered to representatives and their Groups wherever necessary.

Representation of members who cross picket lines was considered in great detail by the NEC. Legal advice has been obtained regarding the limits on what approach could be adopted by the union. A branch briefing summarising the legal advice we have obtained and the actions the NEC has taken in relation to motion A148 from 2006 is to be issued in January 2007.

PCS+

PCS+ services are well received and used by members. The income derived through commissions, advertising and services to members plays a significant part in providing an extra dimension to PCS membership.

The re-designed Essential Guide for 2007, setting out all the services and discounts, will be sent to members with the February 2007 edition of PCS View.

A branch briefing in October 2006 outlined new or improved benefits including insurance cover for PCS reps on union business, additional death benefits, PCS Care (a welfare service to members and families), personal accident insurance and PCS discounts club.

Labour Research/Hazards (Health & Safety) Publications

PCS has negotiated the central provision of Labour Research magazine and advice booklets and the Hazards (Health & Safety) magazine issued to branches on a monthly basis. This is a well-received and essential resource for reps.

Green issues

Following motions A49 and A50 on climate change that were carried at ADC 2006 we have set up a ‘Greening the Workplace’ task group consisting of PCS staff and NEC members to take forward our work on green issues.

We are supporting Friends of the Earth’s ‘ The Big Ask’ campaign which has been calling for legislation on 3% year-on-year cuts in CO2 emissions. We wrote to all MPs asking them to support a Climate Change Bill and ran an e-action on the PCS website encouraging members to write to their MPs. We also wrote to the TUC asking for their support for legislation on climate change. A Climate Change Bill was included in the Queen’s Speech, though not the commitment to 3% a year cuts in CO2 emissions.

PCS is supporting Greenpeace in a judicial review of the Government’s energy review, The Energy Challenge, on the grounds that the consultation on new nuclear build was flawed.

The TUC obtained funding for a Greenworkplaces project with Carbon Trust funding, that aims to work with members and employers to raise awareness and build union capacity on climate change and energy issues in the workplace. Two of the six demonstration projects are in workplaces where we organise.

We continue to work on making PCS HQ greener and our recycling rates are continuing to rise. This year PCS was a finalist in the London Remade Green Procurement Awards in recognition of our increased purchasing of recycled products.

Both the Organising & Learning and Policy, Research, Information & Bargaining Support departments have dedicated staff resources to work on green issues.

Campaigns, Communications, Parliament and Press Campaigns

• The campaigns team has worked closely with the Protect Public Services Unit on the protect public services campaign and also on the national pay and pensions campaigns, which are reported elsewhere. In addition, the team has supported many other campaigns across the union, including:
• strike action over pay in the magistrates’ courts, the Immigration and Passport Service and among security guards working for MacLellan International
• other pay campaigns in; the Ministry of Defence; the Home Department for pay coherence; equal pay in the Prison Service ( “Highly Commended” in the best campaign category at the 2006 TUC Press and PR Awards) and resulted in a payout of £50 million for members.
• campaigns against the privatisation of freight searching in Immigration and Customs, and defence training and against outsourcing of IT in the Ministry of Defence
• industrial campaigns on the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights; for maintaining customs cover at UK points of entry; to safeguard terms and conditions in the National Gallery and against offshoring of jobs in Siemens on the National Savings contract.
• launching the well-being at work campaign.

Communications

2006 saw the launch of Activate, the new magazine for PCS activists. Two editions were produced in 2006, and a special addition to support the January 2007 national industrial action ballot. With a print run of 12,000 Activate has been well received, as a vital tool to support activists work. Six editions are planned for 2007.

PCS also continued to professionally design and produce magazines for over 20 different groups and sections of the union, in addition to the all member magazine PCS View. New magazine titles included a magazine for Scottish activists, members in the Department for Constitutional Affairs and the magazine for members in the Welsh Assembly was re-launched, becoming PCS’s first fully bilingual publication.

At the end of 2006 companies were invited to express an interest in helping us to re-launch our website to better reflect PCS as a campaigning union. It is hoped that work on redesigning the site will be well advanced by the time of PCS conference.

Parliament and Press

The PCS parliamentary group of over 70 MPs continued to support PCS’s campaigns and met seven times during 2006; in January, March, April, May, July, October and December. In addition we held meetings with ministers, drop-in briefings and placed a record number of parliamentary questions and Early Day Motions.

The parliamentary group were at the forefront of taking forward PCS campaigns and held drop in briefings for all MPs over a variety of issues, such as the impact the job cuts are having on services, the Defence Training Review and the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights. Successful Ministerial meetings were also held over the outsourcing of jobs in Siemens as part of the Department of National Savings Contract, compulsory redundancies in the Learning and Skills Council and the future of the NHS Pensions Agency.

In the 2005–06 parliamentary session, the Group tabled the following 14 Early Day Motions, raising specific issues which MPs are able to indicate their support for;

In the media PCS’s profile continued to rise enabling us to support the union’s campaigns. The union is mentioned on average 700 times a month across local regional and national media.

Welsh Assembly

The PCS Assembly cross-party group (launched in November 2005) now includes ten members, from the Labour Party, Plaid Cymru, Liberal Democrats and Forward Wales. Members participated in a number of PCS events, including a mass lobby of the Assembly in October on civil service job cuts in Wales. PCS is using the heightened political sensitivity of public service issues in the pre-Assembly election period to campaign for the retention of jobs and services.

Scottish Parliament

The PCS Scottish Parliamentary Group was launched in April 2006. It includes 19 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) from Labour, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, Scottish Socialist Party, Green Party, Independent Group and Solidarity Party. Group members have supported PCS campaigns through motions, questions and raising PCS issues in the Chamber and Committees. Group Members have hosted PCS events at the Scottish Parliament including Drop in Briefings on the MOD cuts in Scotland and Scottish Ministers Relocation Policy. The General Secretary addressed the Scottish Parliamentary Group in November 2006 to outline the PCS national industrial campaign. PCS Scotland will seek to increase participation in the Group from amongst all newly elected MSPs following the Scottish Parliament elections.

Political Fund

After work with pay centres to ensure that the Political Fund could be accommodated in check-off arrangements, it was announced that the Political Fund would become active on 1 April 2007. This will permit the union to intervene more actively in favour of its policies around elections, for example by organising hustings on the subject of candidates’ attitudes to privatisation, or campaigning against racist and fascist parties. Work has begun on campaigning to ensure maximum contribution levels.

The PCS Rule Book was amended to take account of changes agreed by the 2006 conference. A ballot was conducted on removing PR1 3, with an overwhelming vote in favour.

A39 Deletion of PR13 referring to Inland Revenue Group

A40 Deletion of Rule 5.7 referring to the Inland Revenue Group

The rules for the Political Fund were included as appendices.