We’re dealing with people’s livelihoods

What does your job involve?

I’m based in Cheadle Hulme and currently work in the ‘leavers’ team, which deals with people who have left employment in any of the ways you can leave other than retiring or dying. It’s my job to calculate their pension benefits, and ensure they’re clear about their options, including preserving their benefits, receiving a refund of contributions or transferring to another scheme.

A lot of the time we’re looking out for any discrepancies in the figures on our system; we liaise with the employer and sometimes the member. We’re making sure we have the most complete picture.

A couple of years ago, we had to start enacting the ‘remedy’ for the McCloud judgement. It has meant that many of our systems are no longer fit for purpose. Many cases have to be calculated in a bespoke way. It’s made things very difficult.

What do you get out of it?

I really feel the job is worth doing. Okay, it’s a so-called “boring” job. When people ask what you do and you tell them, the conversation tends to move on very quickly! But ultimately, we’re dealing with people’s livelihoods at quite a vulnerable time in their lives, when either they’re choosing not to work any more because they’ve got older or they are having to retire due to ill health or other reasons.

It’s up to us to make sure their income has been calculated correctly, and they’re able to make all the choices that they need to.

It’s a meaningful job and it’s one that I enjoy. Also, there’s a massive amount of camaraderie and mutual respect within our teams here; we all pull together.

Are there negative points?

We have always understood we’re being paid below market rate. After we started to enact the remedy protocols and then MyCSP lost the civil service pension contract, a lot of people left because they felt they could be paid better elsewhere for a less complex and uncertain job.

Also, since Equiniti became the majority owner of MyCSP, pay rises became minimal, designed to keep up with the National Living Wage only, without recognition of skills and experience. Last year, staff who performed well received a small bonus which then excluded them from a pay rise, which caused a lot of unrest. It feels like we’re being hung out to dry in a lot of ways. There seems to be a disconnect between us and upper management and any sense of equality. They are saying it’s their way or the highway.

Why did you join PCS?

My family was very anti-union, so I didn’t really understand what it entailed. In the past couple of years I have seen what’s happened and I’ve talked to people – then I thought, ‘you know what? I don’t have a lot of money, but I need to be part of the union’. I wanted my rights to be protected.

When we found out MyCSP was refusing to recognise PCS for the Capita transfer it proved I’d made a good choice. We want this transfer to be done fairly, with union oversight ensuring our contractual terms and conditions are preserved.

What’s it like to strike and join the picket line?

When I first went out to the picket line I was nervous because I didn’t know if people would be sneering or shouting at us. But it’s been very calm. We get lots of friendly honks from car and bus drivers, and passers-by have been curious and supportive. So it’s strange for me to be doing this, but it feels very important. I like being part of this communal activity.

How is the dispute going?

We have around 80 people on strike overall and we understand that it’s made a huge impact. 

We have been keeping our spirits up, but ultimately we all want to be back working.

I’m optimistic. We might not get everything that we want, but I think we really are getting somewhere. There are so many of us that are willing to just stick to this to the end.