Public and Commercial Services Union

Background

The HMRC pay ballot closed on 17 September. On a 41.8% turnout members voted resoundingly to reject the HMRC pay offer, by 83% to 17%, and overwhelmingly to support industrial action, by 81% to 19%, over and above action that may be called as part of the national campaign. The ballot result was summarised and circulated as MB/016/08. We wish to extend our thanks to all members who voted in the ballot.

National, statutory ballot

The ballot of HMRC members that has now concluded was a consultative ballot. The next phase of action is to prepare for the national, statutory ballot which will begin on 24 September and run until 17 October. Any additional action, as agreed by HMRC members, will be called under the auspices of this national ballot. National action is expected to begin in the first weeks of November, with a national strike, followed by waves of ‘sectoral’, Group-based action to run for three months until January.

We are currently in discussions with our counterparts in other PCS Groups to develop a programme of sectoral action. It is expected that a civil service wide ban on overtime will be declared for the three month period of action, whilst, on the strength of our HMRC ballot result, we will be seeking approval from the national union to take additional, departmental specific action in furtherance of reaching a fair pay settlement for PCS members in HMRC. This will include beginning a departmental wide overtime ban as soon as is legally possible following the conclusion of the national, statutory ballot.

Objectives

The demands of the national pay campaign bring together the demands that all negotiators and campaigners in all parts of PCS are taking to their respective departments. We are calling for fundamental revisions to the Treasury’s Pay Remit Guidance for 2008, the guidance that determines pay outcomes for most members in the civil service and linked bodies. Our demands are therefore based on the following:

• Basic pay awards that at least match inflation (RPI);
• Separate funding for pay progression costs from funding for cost of living increases so that we can at least operate on a level basis with the rest of the public sector;
• Reduction in the number of separate pay negotiations;
• An end to pressure for regional pay;
• Additional funding to remedy equal pay problems;
• No more link between pay and performance appraisal systems.

Coordinated action with other unions

At the meeting of the Trades Union Congress earlier this month, delegates unanimously supported the PCS and UNISON resolution calling for coordinated industrial action across the public sector, to include major national demonstrations and days of action. By adding the voice of our members in HMRC to our colleagues in all parts of PCS, and in turn with all public sector unions, we will join with over six million public sector workers directly subject to government pay controls.

Meeting members

Branch activists are now being asked to arrange members’ meetings to talk directly to members to explain why it is crucial that we take the fight on pay directly to the government, in close cooperation with all members of PCS and members in other public sector unions.

Where meetings are arranged, these will need to take place off site and undertaken in members’ own time. Meetings will be held over a two week period, between 22 September and 29 September 2008.

Other issues

For many members the offer of a 2.4% pay rise for the next three years (2%, 1% and 1% respectively for the majority of members at the maxima of their pay scales) is simply the last straw. This, and the constant uncertainty cast by looming office closures and the continuation of widescale job cuts, is part of a general picture of unfairness and inequity which has been driven by government policy and promulgated by HMRC. Our negotiators at all levels are challenging the department directly on the abuses of LEAN working; on the threats to flexible working in contact centres; and on the continuing threats posed by privatisation. We are taking our arguments directly and persistently to Ministers and MPs, and we will continue to support local and branch campaigns to save office closures and jobs.

Wider campaigning

The clamour to stop the job cuts and pause to reflect on the madness of the office closure programme is receiving widespread support well beyond PCS and the union movement. In the autumn we will launch a major campaign for tax justice. In conjunction with the national union, the TUC, other unions and a wide range of campaigning bodies we will be highlighting the unprecedented scale of the tax gap, making the case for a fair tax system supported by a properly resourced department that has enough staff to deliver a decent public service. In addition group officers want to talk directly to branches that have identified support for further action amongst their members on specific issues that lie outside the current dispute on pay. Through a combination of hard bargaining, active campaigning and solid action we can win a fair deal for all our members.

Action

PCS members in HMRC have voted resoundingly to reject the pay offer and to take action. We need to maintain this momentum. The national, statutory ballot begins on Wednesday, 24 September and runs to 17 October. We are asking all members across HMRC to work with their branch representatives to turn the current mood of anger and frustration into positive action.

Thanks for your continued support.