I watched Question Time and was fairly pleased with what I saw, although I still believe that he should not have been invited.
The only way to expose Nick Griffin's views was to confront him, which was what happened.
He tried to imply that his party is not what we think it is by splitting hairs and evading the question.
He tried to deny being a holocaust denier, then tried to deny that he was denying being a holocaust denier and ended up looking shifty and foolish.
He denies being a nazi and a racist by making up his own definition of those words. Make no mistake, by the definitions in my dictionary, he is both.
He was not too happy as he wanted to be treated as a normal politician, which as a racist and a fascist, he is not. He claims that he was subjected to a lynch mob.
I find this very offensive. If he wants to know what a lynch mob is I suggest that he asks his friends in the Ku Klux Klan.
Saturday 24 October 2009
Thursday 22 October 2009
Leicester Contact Centre
I know the news came as a shock to many people but we need to act quickly if we are to try and influence the implementation of the move from a Benefit Delivery Centre to a Contact Centre.
PCS will try and fight this decision at national level (local management were no more involved in deciding this than we were) and we at local level need to highlight our hopes, fears and problems so we can try and sort them out.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the meetings on Wednesday. The issues highlighted are recorded below.
Everyone has a chance to comment on this blog so if you have any further issues or just wish to comment or let off steam please post a comment.
Please remember that this is a public forum, particularly if you post from a work PC.
Our issues:
1. Health Issues - what happens to those with health issues who cannot do phones ?
2. FTA - What is their position next week and long term in CCD ?
3. Surpluses - eventually there may be some who will take these members ? Especially as other business units in DWP and OGD's cutting headcount
4. BDC Leicester is large building can take up to 600 staff only 270 envisaged for CCD - will partners such as CMEC and Local service be pushed out to make a 'super CCD' with 600+ staff at some stage - what will happen to the other regional CCD's in Lincoln and Derby ?
5. Band C's mainly team leaders in CCD - what happens to appeals EO's ? Will those who do not want to team lead be declared surplus ?
6. Role of Band A's - less needed in CCD's job uncertainty - this is also same in othe parts of DWP so limited scope for transfer.
7. European CC Award - means little to members as pay not reflected by this award DWP lowest paid as usual.
8. Role for Social Fund on site in future ?
9. Will it be 8 till 8 like pension centres in near future ?
10 Need to know breakdown of staff by grade for new CCD, need to know training program for CCD.
11. RECIPE Role - handling any surplus DWP and OGD
12. Due to current pressures - management unlikely to release to other parts of DWP so members stuck in CCD.
13. Why spend money training on processing now if becoming CCD staff ?
14. Stress / uncertainty - need counselling / stress risk assessments.
15. Voluntary transfers - at members expense cannot afford as other regional BFD's will be expensive to travel to at own expense and if care issues not feasible anyway.
16. Not long enough to absorb significance of announcement should have been longer lead in to help members adjust.
17. Why not voluntary ? Some may prefer phones it should not be imposed.
18. BFD processors will sit tight 'as no one likes phones' there will be little turnover so less scope for transfer.
PCS will try and fight this decision at national level (local management were no more involved in deciding this than we were) and we at local level need to highlight our hopes, fears and problems so we can try and sort them out.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the meetings on Wednesday. The issues highlighted are recorded below.
Everyone has a chance to comment on this blog so if you have any further issues or just wish to comment or let off steam please post a comment.
Please remember that this is a public forum, particularly if you post from a work PC.
Our issues:
1. Health Issues - what happens to those with health issues who cannot do phones ?
2. FTA - What is their position next week and long term in CCD ?
3. Surpluses - eventually there may be some who will take these members ? Especially as other business units in DWP and OGD's cutting headcount
4. BDC Leicester is large building can take up to 600 staff only 270 envisaged for CCD - will partners such as CMEC and Local service be pushed out to make a 'super CCD' with 600+ staff at some stage - what will happen to the other regional CCD's in Lincoln and Derby ?
5. Band C's mainly team leaders in CCD - what happens to appeals EO's ? Will those who do not want to team lead be declared surplus ?
6. Role of Band A's - less needed in CCD's job uncertainty - this is also same in othe parts of DWP so limited scope for transfer.
7. European CC Award - means little to members as pay not reflected by this award DWP lowest paid as usual.
8. Role for Social Fund on site in future ?
9. Will it be 8 till 8 like pension centres in near future ?
10 Need to know breakdown of staff by grade for new CCD, need to know training program for CCD.
11. RECIPE Role - handling any surplus DWP and OGD
12. Due to current pressures - management unlikely to release to other parts of DWP so members stuck in CCD.
13. Why spend money training on processing now if becoming CCD staff ?
14. Stress / uncertainty - need counselling / stress risk assessments.
15. Voluntary transfers - at members expense cannot afford as other regional BFD's will be expensive to travel to at own expense and if care issues not feasible anyway.
16. Not long enough to absorb significance of announcement should have been longer lead in to help members adjust.
17. Why not voluntary ? Some may prefer phones it should not be imposed.
18. BFD processors will sit tight 'as no one likes phones' there will be little turnover so less scope for transfer.
Sunday 18 October 2009
Postal Strike
I was going to write about next week's postal strike but after reading Victoria Coren's article in The Observer today I realised that I couldn't do better.
Click here to read it.
Click here to read it.
A Platform for Fascists
Nick Griffin, leader of the fascist BNP, will appear on Question Time this Thursday.
Some people think that as a democratically elected MEP he should be held to account in the same way as any other elected politician.
However, I don't believe that society should give a platform to racist fascists. A show such as Question Time will not allow time for taking anyone to task & will just give him time to air some well rehearsed sound bites.
The broadcast is likely to feature disruption from supporters & opposition to the BNP which will give Griffin an excuse to bang on about democracy.
Whatever he may say the BNP constitution bans membership from anyone who is not white, opposes any kind of integration or anti discrimination legislation & campaigns for the removal of non white people from our country.
Sadly, the BBC's decision is unlikely to change & therefore I will be watching as I will feel a need to know what he says in order to better counter his arguments.
Others will not be able to watch for fear of having to destroy their TV.
Whatever the result of the debate, PCS will oppose all racists and fascists. It is our policy that no one can serve the public as a civil servant with the necessary impartiality if they hold those views & therefore membership of the BNP should bar someone from working for the civil service.
Join the campaign.
Some people think that as a democratically elected MEP he should be held to account in the same way as any other elected politician.
However, I don't believe that society should give a platform to racist fascists. A show such as Question Time will not allow time for taking anyone to task & will just give him time to air some well rehearsed sound bites.
The broadcast is likely to feature disruption from supporters & opposition to the BNP which will give Griffin an excuse to bang on about democracy.
Whatever he may say the BNP constitution bans membership from anyone who is not white, opposes any kind of integration or anti discrimination legislation & campaigns for the removal of non white people from our country.
Sadly, the BBC's decision is unlikely to change & therefore I will be watching as I will feel a need to know what he says in order to better counter his arguments.
Others will not be able to watch for fear of having to destroy their TV.
Whatever the result of the debate, PCS will oppose all racists and fascists. It is our policy that no one can serve the public as a civil servant with the necessary impartiality if they hold those views & therefore membership of the BNP should bar someone from working for the civil service.
Join the campaign.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
General Secretary Election
I've just come out of the meeting to nominate for the PCS General Secretary.
The meeting was small but the feeling was strongly that we should nominate Mark Serwotka to continue.
The meeting felt that we needed an articulate campainging General Secretary to head up a campaigning union.
With the threats that we face as civil servants this is not the time to elect someone who is not fully committed to defending members, nor for someone inexperienced at the top levels in our union.
This, of course, is only the first step. The important thing is to vote for Mark when you get your ballot paper (from 19 November).
Re-elect Mark Serwotka. The campaign starts here.
The meeting was small but the feeling was strongly that we should nominate Mark Serwotka to continue.
The meeting felt that we needed an articulate campainging General Secretary to head up a campaigning union.
With the threats that we face as civil servants this is not the time to elect someone who is not fully committed to defending members, nor for someone inexperienced at the top levels in our union.
This, of course, is only the first step. The important thing is to vote for Mark when you get your ballot paper (from 19 November).
Re-elect Mark Serwotka. The campaign starts here.
Friday 9 October 2009
ER Informal
I went to the latest CSD District Employee Relations Informal Meeting last Thursday in Northampton.
These regular meetings are for a frank discussion with district management about what is happening in the district and for an exchange of information. I think that these are open and constructive on both sides in our district.
In order for us to represent you we need to know what is happening in all sites. Please let a PCS rep know if there are problems and we can discuss it with management.
We discussed Revised Service Hours, staffing levels and potential estates problems when all our staff are recruited. Both PCS and management welcome more staff to help deliver an increased service in times of increasing registers and both sides recognise that space is tight and that we need somewhere to sit to deliver that service.
This could be an ongoing issue so if there are any problems with space or the alterations work in your site please make management and PCS aware of the problems.
We also had a frank exchange about the pressure that members felt to reduce breaks due to the numbers of people to see. We may not have agreed over the causes but both management and PCS were committed to staff getting the breaks which they needed, and to try and manage workloads more effectively.
If you want a fuller report on our meetings with management (locally we also meet with BDC management) please leave a comment and I'll see what we can do.
These regular meetings are for a frank discussion with district management about what is happening in the district and for an exchange of information. I think that these are open and constructive on both sides in our district.
In order for us to represent you we need to know what is happening in all sites. Please let a PCS rep know if there are problems and we can discuss it with management.
We discussed Revised Service Hours, staffing levels and potential estates problems when all our staff are recruited. Both PCS and management welcome more staff to help deliver an increased service in times of increasing registers and both sides recognise that space is tight and that we need somewhere to sit to deliver that service.
This could be an ongoing issue so if there are any problems with space or the alterations work in your site please make management and PCS aware of the problems.
We also had a frank exchange about the pressure that members felt to reduce breaks due to the numbers of people to see. We may not have agreed over the causes but both management and PCS were committed to staff getting the breaks which they needed, and to try and manage workloads more effectively.
If you want a fuller report on our meetings with management (locally we also meet with BDC management) please leave a comment and I'll see what we can do.
Tuesday 6 October 2009
Macho Posturing
It looks like I may have been wrong about the parties trying to outdo each other with job cuts. They are trying to outdo each other with pay freezes!
I thought that Labour was trying to set a precedent for lower paid civil servants by freezing the pay of civil servants on £50K+, but the Tories have outdone them.
A pay freeze for all band Cs and above & almost certainly band Bs on the max as well in 2011 is certainly taking on PCS.
We need to make sure that all political parties know that making people who are not well off even poorer is not a way to win votes.
I thought that Labour was trying to set a precedent for lower paid civil servants by freezing the pay of civil servants on £50K+, but the Tories have outdone them.
A pay freeze for all band Cs and above & almost certainly band Bs on the max as well in 2011 is certainly taking on PCS.
We need to make sure that all political parties know that making people who are not well off even poorer is not a way to win votes.
Saturday 3 October 2009
Civil Service Compensation Scheme (yet again)
The branch is trying to organise consultation meetings with all staff about the CSCS.
All members are encouraged to attend.
You will get paid time off of up to an hour to take part.
These meeting should take place in most workplaces in the near future, ask your local rep for details.
All members are encouraged to attend.
You will get paid time off of up to an hour to take part.
These meeting should take place in most workplaces in the near future, ask your local rep for details.
CMEC
I was interested to read that the contract to destroy that fine example of Leicester's industrial heritage, the bowstring bridge, had been awarded to CMEC.
I did wonder why the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission had decided to branch out into demolition work, but they have been trying to demolish many of the terms & conditions of our members since inception.
It is thanks to the robust negotiations of PCS (including our very own Dave Richards) that CMEC management have not got very far.
FOOTNOTE:
The demolition firm is not really anything to do with the successor to the Child Support Agency.
I did wonder why the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission had decided to branch out into demolition work, but they have been trying to demolish many of the terms & conditions of our members since inception.
It is thanks to the robust negotiations of PCS (including our very own Dave Richards) that CMEC management have not got very far.
FOOTNOTE:
The demolition firm is not really anything to do with the successor to the Child Support Agency.
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