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Use of temporary and fixed-term staff is wasteful

23 August 2010

Responding to a Freedom of Information request from MP Tom Watson which revealed there were more than 4,000 staff on temporary contracts across 20 government departments, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said:

“The use of temporary and fixed-term staff is wasteful and leads to a two-tier workforce with some members enjoying better job security than others.

“At a time when the government is intent on making 25-40% cuts across departments the question is how much is it costing to employ so many temporary staff?

“At the Ministry of Justice, where the coalition is intent on closing 157 courts, temporary staff are brought in on a short-term basis and do not build the skills of the organisation.

“At the Department of Work and Pensions many staff were brought in on fixed-term contracts but now these are to be cut at a time of growing unemployment which means services will suffer.

“We are campaigning hard for all our members to be converted into permanent staff. PCS has always fought against the use of fixed-term or temporary staff rather than permanents.

“We speak both for members who are temporary staff with no job security and for members who would be left short-handed if the temporaries left. Over many years the union has had an excellent track record of persuading departments, especially DWP, to convert fixed-term staff into permanent staff. There are numerous members who began as temporary, casual or fixed-term appointment staff but who subsequently were converted to permanent as a result of PCS pressure.”


 

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