Public and Commercial Services Union

4 March, Morning Star:  No Minister - civil servants resist cuts

Last week a ballot of 270,000 members of the public service union PCS resulted in a resounding vote for action to defend the Civil Service compensation scheme.

Some 63.3 per cent voted for strike action and 81.3 per cent for action short of a strike.

Gordon Brown has made a pre-election political pledge to "save" £500 million across the civil and public services.

And to achieve this he is attempting to slash the redundancy entitlement for hard-working civil and public servants, coupled with a plan to cull up to 100,000 jobs after the general election.

This is an additional 100,000 on top of the 90,000 jobs already cut. 

Read the article in full on the Morning Star's website

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31 January, Mail on Sunday; Students angry over loan staff cuts

Student leaders have reacted angrily to news that the bungling Student Loans Company is to cut 150 jobs at its Glasgow and Darlington offices.

Aaron Porter, National Union of Students vice president says he is still concerned. "We are seeking cast-iron guarantees from SLC that the chaos of last year is not repeated" he says.

Becky Leeman, a law student at Hull University, has just received her student loan after months of delays and lost paperwork at SLC. She says "I would have thought that it was more important than ever to get things right and have enough helpful and knowledgeable staff on hand - not to cut numbers".

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14 January, Courier; HMRC Perth office closure ‘disgraceful’

LOCAL TRADE union leaders have warned of a furious backlash after the government announced HMRC’s Perth office would close within 14 months.

Officials from the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) claimed the announcement leaves 11 staff facing the “stark” choice of having to travel hundreds of miles every week to retain a job, or accept redundancy.

14 January, Press and Journal; MPs angry at loss of Customs jobs

HM Revenue & Customs was under attack last night after confirming plans to close 16 offices in Scotland including four across the north and north-east.

Nearly 200 Scottish jobs are to go under the rational- isation plans which involve a 130 closures in the UK.

The closures were revealed by the Public and Commercial Services Union, which warned services to the public and businesses would suffer, with tax advice and support “severely reduced”, and tax collection “undermined”.

Evening Telegraph: Dundee could lose HMRC jobs: union

The PCS public service union today warned that 100 jobs could be lost at HMRC’s two offices in Dundee this year and a similar number next year under plans to cut the 10,000-strong UK workforce by almost 30%.

PCS branch chairman Alan Kidd said the closure of the Perth office and the threats of job cuts in Dundee had caused “massive unrest” within the local workforce.

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10 January, Sunday Herald; Alex Salmond is under attack for using an unofficial bodyguard at the taxpayers’ expense.

The First Minister’s chauffeur, a former Metropolitan police officer, is carrying out “risk assessment” duties on official visits.

The criticisms come after PCS, the largest civil service union, repeatedly queried the First Minister’s transport arrangements.

It is understood Mr Cherry was one of Mr Salmond’s regular drivers in the Scottish Government car service (SGCS) until July 2008, when he was made Mr Salmond’s personal chauffeur.

Since January last year, PCS has asked the Government for answers to a series of questions about Mr Cherry’s relocation and a copy of the business case that supported it.

The union is also asking for details of the extra duties Mr Cherry performs, which were part of the promotion, and has requested a meeting since March to discuss the case.

PCS intervened after other chauffeurs in the SGCS complained about not being able to apply for the new post.