PCS members' two–tier workforce highlighted in Westminster

A debate in Westminster Hall today (29) highlighted the problems faced by PCS outsourced members.

A Westminster Hall debate today (29) brought by Andy McDonald MP on outsourcing in government departments, highlighted some of our ongoing facilities management disputes and the deep-rooted issues with outsourcing. 

Andy McDonald highlighted the issue by stating that “allowing private profit-making from public funds, the outsourcing model relies on low pay and a lack of rights at work for its employees, with the costs of tendering and awarding contracts. The Employment Rights Bill is an opportunity to ensure that employers in receipt of public contracts recognise trades unions and deliver rights at work from day one. With a new National Procurement Policy Statement anticipated, the government is now able to set out a roadmap to deliver the biggest wave of insourcing in a generation, restoring pride in a public service provision, with a public interest and social value test for tendering and a new presumption of in-house provision.” 

He also underlined that the chancellor had already pointed out that over a third of public spending, £299 billion is spent on outsourcing. 

MPs emphasised the importance of this crucial debate against a backdrop of opposition by PCS members in facilities management which has led to a two-tier workforce.  

Hundreds of PCS members in various roles – catering, cleaning, maintenance, post room, portering, reception, and security – are currently taking strike action across a range of contracts in several government departments and agencies. 

They are striking, or due to strike, due to the unacceptable and derisory pay offers they have received from highly profitable multinational private firms. Whilst the employers are enjoying huge profits PCS members are having to claim Universal Credit and use workplace foodbanks. 

Outsourced workers are constantly forced to attend work while sick as they cannot afford to take time off since they do not receive access to company sick pay from day one,. 

The inequality of these contracts is evidenced by the fact that outsourced contracts are disproportionately impacting Black, Asian and minority ethnic and migrant workers (while civil servants are mostly white). Outsourcing has also produced institutionally racist outcomes. 

The ‘race to the bottom’ was further outlined by the situation in the Prison Service and the fact that prisoners are living in squalor, employees working in squalor. Andy McDonald revealed that MPs in other countries “thought it was completely contradictory and unacceptable for anybody other than the state to be involved in incarceration” 

In response to the debate and issues raised the Cabinet Office minister Georgia Gould MP paid tribute to outsourced staff who play a vital role in supporting government.  

Following the debate PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: 

 "PCS welcomes the obvious change in tone on outsourcing from one government to the next. But paying tribute to their outsourced workers does not help our members pay their bills and secure access to basic rights like sick pay.  "If ministers intervened in the many facilities management disputes happening under their watch, they would quickly learn about the abject failures of the outsourcing model and the need for follow through on the manifesto promise to carry out the 'biggest wave of insourcing for a generation'. 

 "These workers' pay, terms and conditions are worse than their colleagues on civil service contracts. Many force themselves into work when ill as they do not have access to sick pay. It is time to bring all these contracts in-house so that we can flatten a two-tier workforce, deliver better value for money for the taxpayer and bring an end to the institutional racism at the heart of this employment model.”