Scottish Activist
- Scottish government pay talks hit the rocks
- Holyrood reception
- Parliamentary end of term report
- National campaign
- Pay disputes across the union
- Scottish ministers' pay policy
- Management in need of education on learning
- STUC annual congress
- STUC youth conference
- Organising conference
- Increasing Scottish apprenticeship rights
Scottish government pay talks hit the rocks
Pay negotiations between management and the unions in Scottish Government covering almost 4,000 PCS members have dramatically broken down.
The employer is not prepared to countenance the joint union claim by PCS, Prospect and FDA, either on minimum pay nor our demand for 6% on all pay points, because to do so would be in breach of Scottish Ministers pay policy.
Whilst PCS was not surprised by this statement, we do find it ironic that a Scottish Government formed by the Scottish National Party is discriminating against its own workers by holding their cost of living increase to 2% at most – an approach entirely consistent with the UK government.
Why are Salmond and Swinney enforcing Gordon Brown’s public sector pay policy?
Unless the first minister and his finance minister rapidly take the opportunity we have given them to deal differently with public sector pay policy in Scotland by separating out pay progression costs from cost of living costs, our members in Scottish Government may answer the question for them by taking the only route forward in the circumstances and withdrawing their labour.
It seems that the one thing that never changes over the years, is that whether the government be Tory, Labour, or SNP; whether it be a UK government or a Scottish government, our members have to continue to struggle for fairness and justice for themselves and their families.
Holyrood reception
The PCS reception presented the first public opportunity for Mark Serwotka to speak of the union’s new policy on the voting system for parliamentary elections.
PCS guests at Holyrood’s Garden Lobby included twenty Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), two Scottish Government ministers, employers, parliamentary staff and leading political reporters.
Policy agreed by PCS annual delegate conference in May makes PCS the first national union to support proportional representation (PR) for Westminster elections. Given that Scotland’s parliament and local authorities are already elected by PR, it was apt that the Holyrood reception marked the first step in building wider support for our new policy.
The general secretary also praised the no compulsory redundancy guarantee won by members in Scottish bargaining areas but warned that throughout the UK, PCS members will not accept pay cuts or imposed pay offers whilst their housing costs, fuel prices and food bills spiral upwards. Marlyn Glen MSP noted the tenth birthday of PCS.
2008 also marks ten years since the passing of the Scotland Act which created the Scottish Parliament. Marlyn applauded the important work PCS members carry out in delivering public services in the face of job cuts and office closures and she offered support to PCS members in the ongoing campaign on public sector pay.
Parliamentary – end of term report
PCS continues to have a high profile in the Scottish Parliament thanks to the support of our MSP and MP groups and others speaking up for PCS at Holyrood and Westminster.
- March - PCS Scottish Courts Branch gave evidence to the Justice Committee on the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Bill and its implications on staff continuing as civil servants.
- April - PCS members of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency came to Holyrood in uniform on 23 April day of action to build support for their petition for fair pay for emergency workers.
- May - Sarah Boyack MSP spoke up for PCS members in the Crofter’s Commission whose jobs may be under threat in the debate on the Shucksmith report on the future of crofting. • Scottish Affairs Committee looks into the future of the Glasgow Passport Office
- June - Sandra White MSP leads a Member’s debate supporting PCS members on the future of the Glasgow Passport Office.
National campaign
This summer the national PCS campaign on pay will heat up as the union moves towards a national strike ballot of 280,000 members across 200 government departments and agencies over capping public sector pay below inflation.
The union will ballot on a programme of rolling industrial action including a national one day civil service strike.
Not like with like…
Activists should remember that unlike other parts of the public sector, pay increases for civil and public servants cost in progression costs. We must make sure that our members are aware that percentage increases for other public sector workers are just cost of living increases – incremental progression increases are awarded in addition.
PCS believe that the double discrimination faced by our members should end.
Progression is deferred pay and that the maximum is the rate for the job.
- Scottish teachers December 2007 - awarded 7% over 2 years Plus progression
- Scottish police September 2007 - awarded 2.5% Plus progression
- Scottish local government workers June 2008 - offered 2.45% -3.3% Plus progression
Pay disputes across the union
Maritime and Coastguard Agency
Management has imposed a below inflation offer which averages less than 1% for the most experienced, 2.5% for others and ignores pay comparisons with other 999 services. Our members save thousands of lives every year by controlling search and rescue operations, but salaries start on as little as £12,097.
Department for Transport
Below inflation pay offers and widening pay gaps between the predominantly female staffed DVLA and the predominantly male DfT and related agencies. Pay gaps of £2,524 exist and we have called for the DfT to conduct a departmental wide equal pay review under 2006 Equalities Act.
Department for Work and Pensions
As management squanders millions on a divisive bonus system, members are furious about an imposed three-year pay offer which sees them receiving 0% this year, averages just 1% each year, and sees the lowest paid receiving increases which take their wage to only 24 pence above the minimum wage.
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
Negotiations at the government’s conciliation service, whose job it is to resolve industrial disputes, have only just begun for 2007 pay, after management failed to make a pay offer.
Scottish ministers’ pay policy
Pay is centre stage for activists in Scottish bargaining areas this summer.
The first SNP Scottish government pay remit guidance has now been published, and it is already clear that while there are some improvements on the UK Treasury remit, the headline figures remain the same. Alex Salmond and John Swinney have chosen to enforce Gordon Brown’s 2% pay cap rather than showing that the party of Independence might take a different view on valuing its own workforce.
PCS welcomed the no compulsory redunancies guarantees that the SNP have put in place for our members, but we will not accept below inflation pay from either Westminster or Holyrood.
Co-ordinated campaigning is likely this Summer in a number of areas within the remit of Scottish Ministers. This will include the Scottish Government group, Registers of Scotland, Scottish Courts, and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscals Service amongst others.
Key facts about pay
- The UK Labour government is alienating its own workforce with pay freezes and pay cuts in real terms.
- The SNP Scottish government is showing little in the way of independence by merely enforcing the UK Treasury pay cap to its own employees.
- Civil service pay is amongst the lowest in the public sector.
- A quarter of civil servants earn less £16,000.
- Thousands of PCS members are on the minimum wage.
- 40% of jobcentre staff receive no pay rise at all this year.
| Price increases | Percentage increase | Source |
| Retail price index | 4.2% | ONS |
| Food prices since May 2007 | 19.1% | Scotland on Sunday |
| Energy price increases since January 2008 | 15% | |
| Scottish housing prices | 125% | Shelter |
| Housing costs | In 2007 housing costs made up 40% of Scottish household earnings | Professor Steve Wilcox, University of York |
Management in need of education on learning
National learning at work day is an annual awareness campaign, promoting and supporting workplace learning events. As part of adult learners’ week, thousands of members take part in events organised by PCS learning reps, often in partnership with management.
This would seem a fairly non-contentious activity but management in some areas have used tactics to deprive members of the opportunity to access information on learning opportunities available to them, this year within a Dundee contact centre.
Despite management agreeing a date for the learning event that would best suit the business needs, only the day before it was scheduled, staff were refused time off, leaving learning reps with no option but to cancel.
Learning rep Elaine Taylor said: “I made arrangements with local learning providers and agencies to set up stalls on the day. Management seemed to think we could simply cancel the day before and reschedule for another day. It looks bad for the union”
Activists know that management are quick to take the credit for successful events.
The managing director of Scotland’s largest rail franchise announced at the launch of Scottish Union Learning the superb work and support of her company for an initiative to enhance their staffs’ literacy and numeracy skills with very little mention of the tireless work of the union learning reps in raising awareness of the course, enrolling the individuals on it and the extensive negotiations necessary to obtain any support from management.
The director of a major business stream within HMRC announced the support of learning at work day as in previous years.
However, the hour per member of staff, normally given to attend learning events was to be dedicated to a mandatory data security workshop. Members were advised they could still attend other events in their own time.
Rachael Bonner, HMRC regional learning officer reflected: “This was totally against the spirit of the HMRC/ PCS learning agreement and shows a complete disregard for equality and fairness. This was a real disappointment considering the amount of work that goes into organising learning events and the many staff that benefit from them.”
Reps from other large sites within this business stream showed their support by cancelling the activities they had planned. Following this action and after negotiation, management eventually backed down and agreed that learning reps could continue with planned events and staff would be given the hour to attend.
A success story with a note of caution for next year’s events.
Scottish union learning
Scottish Union Learning was launched on 1 May.
Almost £4. 5m has been allocated over the next 3-years. It will bring together the work of the STUC skills and lifelong learning team and TUC education in Scotland.
It will also administer SULF and mirrors the development of the TUC’s unionlearn in England. Scottish Union Learning will be run by the unions for the unions and PCS has been involved every step of the way. Joy Dunn is a member of the board.
The driving force behind Scottish Union Learn will be supported by a union advisory group on which PCS is represented by Karen Foster.
STUC annual congress, 14-16 April
Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave an unprecedented address to the 111th Annual Scottish Trade Union Congress in Inverness in April. The First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond also addressed Congress for the first time.
During Brown’s speech, the 14 strong PCS delegation held up placards reading “fair pay for public servants”, which was broadcast in the media throughout Britain.
During the debates, general secretary, Mark Serwotka responded to the Prime Minister by pointing out that the Labour government have cut 77,000 civil service jobs, privatised more services than even Margaret Thatcher and is also penalising public servants with a pay policy which is in effect a pay cut when housing costs, food prices and fuel bills are spiralling ever higher.
President Janice Godrich elaborated this message, informing congress of the scandalous 0% pay increase faced by members in the DWP this year.
Scottish Secretary Eddie Reilly moved a PCS motion on further devolved powers for Scotland in which he called for all options to be in the debate, including a referendum on independence for Scotland.
Other PCS delegates contributed to debates on the trafficking of women, the structures of the equalities and human rights commission in Scotland and data loss in the public sector.
Congress gave unanimous backing to an emergency motion in support of PCS members in the Glasgow Passport Office, who were informed on 2 April that 100 jobs were to be cut.
Eddie Reilly and Joy Dunn were reelected to the STUC general council.
At a reception for local Inverness-based activists during congress, the general secretary and president thanked local activists for their continued commitment to the union’s national campaign.
STUC youth conference
PCS is sending three delegates to this year’s STUC youth conference.
They are Helen McGuigan, Amanda Mather and John Smith. The theme of the conference is “empowering young workers through learning”. It is therefore appropriate that one of the motions submitted by PCS is on the subject of Apprenticeships. Our other motion is on public sector pay.
This year, in addition to the conference elected delegation, three young union learning reps will attend as observers with the support of the the Scottish union learning fund.
Organising conference
The PCS Scotland organising conference was held in Glasgow on 12 June.
A range of speakers and workshop leaders was drawn from PCS lay and full time officials to lead discussions on a wide range of organising priorities.
The keynote address was given by the National President, Janice Godrich, who spoke of the national campaign on pay. Lynn Henderson, PCS Scotland political officer, also spoke on the pay campaign which is building in Scottish bargaining areas this summer.
National organiser, Nigel Venes outlined the PCS national organising strategy whilst Dougie Brownlee, Hamish Drummond and Steve Tolland led pratical sessions. Ritu Chabra introduced workshops on effective equality strategies.
Increasing Scottish apprenticeship rights
John Park MSP, a member of the PCS Scottish Parliamentary required to match its apprentice training levels with its overall Group has a proposal in the Scottish Parliament for a Bill to employment levels.
This has implications for PCS members in establish a right to undertake an apprenticeship for those aged bargaining areas within the remit of Scottish Ministers. between 16 and 18. With only 15 of over 7,000 employees in the Scottish Government
The public sector employs 22.4% of the workforce. One of the under 18, and less than 300 under 24, there is much work to be requirements of the proposed Bill is for the public sector to be done to support training of young people in the workplace.
PCS poll
Please rate how useful you found this page, 1 star for not very useful and 5 for very useful.
Tab Bottom
- Directory
- Contact Us
- Search
