Benefit Centre to Become CMG

Today's news that Leicester Benefit Centre is to become a Child Maintenance site has come as a shock to most members.

Although it is not contact centre work, it will involve a lot of telephony work with many of the restrictions on flexible working & breaks that can involve.

PCS locally and nationally will continue to oppose any negative changes to your terms and conditions, and the service to our claimants, through negotiation and campaigning.

And remember the more we all support our union, the better it can support us.

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Teachers Dispute

I managed to catch some of the well attended NUT rally in Town Hall Square here in Leicester today.

They are striking because they are being asked to pay more & work longer for less pension.

They are striking because pay restraint means that their pay is being cut in real terms.

They are striking because their jobs are being privatised.

They are striking as they don't have enough staff to do the job effectively.

They are striking because idealogical changes introduced by their Secretary of State are making it harder for them to help the people that they serve.

If this sounds familiar, then the case for a united and coordinated programme of action by ALL public sector unions is unanswerable.

Unity really is strength.


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Manchester Rally

50,000 trade unionists from all over the country, including many from Leicester, are in Manchester today. They are protesting outside the Conservative Party conference against austerity and for the NHS. Those of us not there in person are there in spirit.


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International Brigade

I went to the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the death of one of the International Brigade. They were fighting fascism in the Spanish Civil War as volunteers.

I think we owe those brave people to continue to oppose fascism and racism in this country and throughout the world.





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OVERTIME BAN

The new overtime ban starts on Monday 1 July 2013.

Overtime just masks staffing deficiencies and a lack of basic pay.

If we all refuse to work overtime the whole system would cease to function.

DON'T WORK OVERTIME.

Show Cuts the Red Card

Some protesters from around the branch.























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Strike Day 3

It's been a very successful day so far. We are now leafleting the public at the clock tower with our HMRC colleagues.


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Strike Day 2

The number of pickets has increased.


The number of people in work hardly has.

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Strike Day

We've started bright & early.


A lonely picket & hardly any staff turned up yet. And we've turned one of those away.

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Campaigning Against Racist EDL

Anti-fascist protesters were out in force this morning at Leicester clock tower (including members of our branch) to show that we will not allow the EDL to cynically use the brutal murder of Lee Rigby to foment racism & Islamophobia.


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STRIKE ON WEDNESDAY 5 JUNE

We are out on 5 June with our colleagues from HMRC.

I'll update you with details of picket lines, events, etc. as soon as these are finalised.

For further details on the campaign please check out the PCS web site.

TOGETHER WE CAN WIN.

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Close of Conference

The annual conference closes for another year.

I'll see you all back in Leicester.

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Guillotine Motions

All motions were carried unless otherwise noted.

Motion A50 calls for opposition to charges for Employment Tribunals.

Motion A506 calls for shared services to be in the public services.

Motion A6 calls for research on the digitalisation agenda.

Motion A71 calls for a check on the value of using Baxter Hoare for PCS travel.

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Guillotine Section

These motions are often fast & furious so I will cover them in a single post later on.

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Motion A95

This motion calls for the contract for WCAs to be removed from ATOS.

This motion was remitted as the motion should be talking about taking the work back into the public sector & revising the WCA process.

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Motion A94

This motion calls for bringing residential care homes into public ownership.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A93

This motion calls for PCS to continue to campaign on green issues & the ways to do that.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A92

This motion calls for the opposition to Universal Credit sanctions for part-time workers who refuse to look for an increase in their hours.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A540

This motion calls for a campaign of opposition to the bedroom tax.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A533

This motion calls for non-cooperation with benefit sanctions.

Our branch opposed but the motion was carried.

Motion A90

This motion calls for a campaign against the unfair changes in the Welfare Reforms

This motion was carried.

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Motions A519, A87 & A89

Motion A519 calls for a special conference for Scottish branches on the issue of the Scottish independence referendum.

Motion A87 calls for PCS to actively not take a view on independence.

Motion A89 calls for PCS to oppose independence.

Motion A519 was carried & A87 & A89 fell.

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Last Morning of Conference

Delegates assemble, a little tired but ready to do business.


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Motion A84

This motion calls for a boycott of Israel to pressure the state to give full rights to Palestinians in Gaza & the West Bank.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A83

This motion calls for the support for Fiat workers in Italy & their trade unions.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A520

This motion calls for support for the War on Want campaign for the victims of the Bangladesh building collapse.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A70

This motion calls for a new category of miscellaneous for branch accounts.

This motion went to a counted vote. I'll update when I know the result.

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Motion A69

This motion calls for negotiating with GMB to employ our full time officers at a much lower rate of pay.

This motion was lost as PCS should not be in a position that we are arguing for a large pay cut.

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Motion A68

This motion calls for looking at subscription rates for part-time members to make them fairer.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A67

This motion calls for contingency procedures to be put on place if check off is stopped.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A526, A527 & A545

These motions are about the removal of the right to strike in the new National Crime Agency.

Motion A526 was carried as it is the only motion that calls for full opposition to this.

Motion A527 fell

A545 called for the group to be balloted.

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Motion A525

This motion calls for a campaign against management setting up a staff association in the National Crime Agency as a rival to PCS.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A49

This motion calls for a campaign against facility time cuts.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A48

This motion calls for disability champions in every branch.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A270

This motion calls for a review of the various equality strands within PCS.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A47

This motion calls for support for equal marriage in Northern Ireland.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A46

This motion calls for support for equal (including same sex) marriage.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A39

This motion calls for the rules to be changed to reduce the size of the NEC.

This motion was lost as it does not alter the amount of people that can come from any one group. It could mean that people from smaller groups could lose their voice on the NEC.

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Motion A37

This motion calls for the rules to be amended to allow for only 2 senior posts, General Secretary & Assistant General Secretary.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A36

This motion changes the language in the rules to include bisexual & trans members as well as gay & lesbian members.

This motion was carried.

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Card votes

Motion A30 & A31 were both carried which means merger talks with Unite can go ahead.

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Motion A33

This motion calls for mergers with other trade unions such as FDA & Prospect.

This motion was lost.

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Motion A32

This motion calls for the NEC to start talks with Unite.

This motion was lost in spite of our support.

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Location:Duke Street,Brighton,United Kingdom

Motion A31

This motion sets out the principals that we should adopt in merger discussions with Unite.

This motion was also a card vote.

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Motion A30

This motion enables the NEC to start merger talks with Unite. Any merger would have to be agreed by a conference & then endorsed by a membership ballot.

There was a card vote.

This means that each branch has a vote equal to the number of members that it has. These will be totalled & the result announced shortly.

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Motion A29

This motion endorses the organising strategy.

This motion was carried.

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National Conference Day 2

Up bright & early. Still no time to go on the Brighton Eye.


I've got work to do.

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Motion A22

This motion calls for effective policies to protect members going through the menopause.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A27

This motion calls for the NEC to develop a policy on people who work part-time as sex workers.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A21

This motion calls for civil service pension contributions to be based on actual salary rather than full time salary.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A20

This motion calls for support of carers and carers week.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A19

The motion opposes changes to mobility rules.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A18

This motion calls for opposition to an appraisal system with a quota & a boycott of the staff survey.

We voted against as we don't think we should boycott the staff survey.

The motion was carried.

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Motion A5

This motion calls for an anti-privatisation campaign.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A518

This motion is a criticism of the campaign.

This motion was lost.

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Motion A518

This motion is a criticism of the campaign.

This motion was lost.

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Motion A127

This motion calls for bringing HMRC out on strike supported by a levy.

This is against our mandate so we voted against.

This motion was carried as it is one tactic as part of motion A510.

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Motion A3

This motion calls for further tactics to support the campaign & supports the last motion carried.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A510

This motion replaces A1 & is similar to it.

It endorses the NEC campaign & as it is in line with the mandates agreed at our mandating meeting our delegates voted in favour.

This motion was carried.

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National Conference

We have arrived back in the hall.

A protest by a disability rights group stopped the traffic outside.

Leaflets have been given out & papers sold.

It's time to crack on.

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Close of DWP Group Conference

Just the presentation of the Group accounts & the vote of thanks.

There will be a short break & then I'll be back with news from the national conference.

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Guillotine Section 2

The motions were all carried.

A80 calls for improved suicide policies including training.

A160 calls for improved training and awareness of HIV.

A28 calls for a campaign against privatisation of parts of PIP.

A176 calls for changes to the keeping in touch guidance in cases of mental illness.

A157 calls for opposition to whole office PIPs.

A82 calls for security guards to be given stab vests where the risk assessment recommends them.

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Guillotine Section

This part of the agenda picks up motions that were missed due to lack of time.

It can be very quick so I'll report on them together shortly.

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Motion A285

This motion calls for extra personal case training.

This motion was remitted as it is not known if facilities will be available for it.

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Motion A281

This motion calls for information to be given to branches on how to call local industrial action and the pros and cons of doing so.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A274

This motion calls for a recruitment campaign in the private Work Programme providers that we work with.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A273

This motion calls for negotiations to enable PCS to use official facilities to communicate with members.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A268

This motion calls for the continuation of the recruitment & involvement campaign, Count Me In.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A267

This motion calls for a rule change to support the new election procedures for OSN trade union sides.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A266

This motion calls for a rule change to reduce the size & frequency of advisory committees to save money & due to reductions in facility time.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A265

This motion calls for a rule change to reduce the size of the GEC to save costs.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A263

This motion calls for reinstatement of paid breaks.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A260

This motion calls for a staffing campaign in Child Maintenance Group (CMG).

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A254

This motion calls for improvements to guidance on staff attending court on behalf of DWP.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A253

This motion calls for partial retirement to be granted after a maximum of 6 months.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A250

This motion calls for the Electronic Media Policy to be rewritten to give members more protection from getting disciplined for security breaches.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A247

This motion calls for improvements to child care provision.

This motion was carried

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A244

This motion calls for improvements to the voluntary transfer process.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A238

This motion calls for improvements to the managing poor performance policy.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A237

This motion calls for improved procedures in HR decision making.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A236

This motion calls for HR decision makers to be local managers from the wider DWP rather than the same part of the business from further afield.

This motion was carried.

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A233

This motion calls for HR decision makers to be properly independent.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A224

This motion calls for improvements to the chances of getting part-time & part-year working patterns.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A217

This motion calls for improvements or scrapping of annual leave quotas.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A208

This motion calls for protecting & improving terms & conditions.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Conference Day 2

The weather looks better this morning


Another long day begins.

DWP Group conference this morning & National this afternoon.

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Motion A181

This motion calls for a pay claim in line with the national pay claim & a programme of action to back this.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A164

This motion calls for supporting disabled members by improving attendance management procedures.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A163

This motion calls for the retention of an equality duty on management & effective collection of statistics to support this.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A175

This motion calls for keeping in touch arrangements to be strengthened where people live alone.

This was remitted as it could be intrusive & used to harass people who are sick.

A remittance is where the general meaning of the motion is accepted but the detail of the motion could cause difficulties.

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Motion A171

This motion calls for improvements to the attendance management procedures.

This motion was carried.

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Motion EM11

This emergency motion calls for non-cooperation with benefit sanctions be considered as part of our current campaign of action short of a strike.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A146

This motion calls for the continued campaign against targets for sanction referrals & unjust sanctions.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A145

This motion calls for the ending of GWFM.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A144

This motion calls for a list of improvements in conditions in contact centres to be negotiated.

The motion was carried.

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Motion EM4

This emergency motion calls for more mixed work in contact centres & monitoring the agreement reached after the dispute.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A114

This calls for the reinstatement of sacked PCS rep Lee Rock.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A112

This motion calls for regional committees to be retained.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A111

This motion calls for negotiations to clarify that a site can have more than one health & safety rep.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A110

This motion calls for defence of statutory time off for health & safety reps.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A105

This motion calls for a new learning agreement to be negotiated.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A103

This motion criticises the GEC negotiators for management's decision to not allow facilities for conference.

This motion was lost as it is merely seeking to shoot the messenger.

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Motion EM7

This emergency motion calls for continued opposition to attacks on facility time.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A86

This called for distinguished life membership to be awarded to a number of members.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A78

This motion calls for a zero tolerance policy on aggressive behaviour towards DWP staff & to prosecute in all cases.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A73

This motion opposes DWP staff working on programme provider premises as they are not suitable or risk assessed.

This motion was carried.

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Motion EM 10 & 13

Emergency motion 10 calls for the GEC to withdraw from the new generic H&S risk assessment & consult branches.

Emergency motion 13 calls for further consultation with branches.

Both motions were carried.

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Motion A68

This motion calls for a review of TDA and for permanent promotion after 12 months if TDA was awarded on fair & open competition.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A67

This motion calls for Universal Credit decision making to be made at EO level.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A62

This motion calls for opposition to downgrading.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A43

This motion calls for the recruitment of an additional 20,000 staff & permanent promotion to replace TDA & reduce spans of control.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion EM5

This emergency motion calls for DWP to work with HMRC to take part in rolling regional one day strike actions during week commencing 3 June.

This will be Wednesday 5 June for the East Midlands.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A41

This motion calls for opposition to the closure of Bletchley Jobcentre.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A39

This motion calls for the GEC to continue to campaign against office closures including the Norcross site.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion EM6

This emergency motion calls for opposition to the privatisation of shared services.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion EM6

This emergency motion calls for opposition to the privatisation of shared services.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A34

This motion calls for the return of outsourced contact centre work.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A21

This motion calls for WCA to be done in house and revise the qualifying conditions to make the assessment fairer.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A19

This motion calls for opposition to conditionality for part-time workers.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Motion A16

This motion calls for a campaign against detrimental changes to our members jobs, terms & conditions as a result of the introduction of Universal Credit. It also calls for a campaign with claimants organisations to oppose detrimental changes to claimants.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A12

This motion calls for a campaign to oppose the privatised & inefficient work programme & bring the work back to DWP.

This motion was carried.

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Motion A1

This motion calls for opposition to punitive & unfair changes to welfare provision.

This motion was carried.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Start of Conference

We are getting under way.


Tony has made the top table.

I'll post the results as we go.

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Arrival in Brighton

The branch delegation (Noel Corry, Alan Groves & Chris Willars) have arrived in Brighton.


The station roof is fabulous.

Tony Church is here already as the GEC meets the day before conference & we'll catch up with our trainee delegate (Ashraf Haji) later.

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Location:Charlotte Street,Brighton,United Kingdom

Workers Memorial Day

Today is Workers Memorial Day.


It's the day to remember all workers who have died or been injured at work.

Health & Safety is not a joke or a waste of time. The factory collapse in Bangladesh shows this. This government is changing legislation for the worse as I post this.


It's time to remember but it's also time to fight back.

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PCS Policy Clarification

I have been asked by some members for clarification of the policy on help for members who do not take part in strike action or observe the overtime ban.  

Where you are not at work on a strike day but are still paid because you are on leave of any description or it is a non working day, you will be treated by PCS as supporting our action.  If this is the case we would ask that, where you can, you make a contribution to the hardship fund.

If you want any details about the hardship fund or want any further clarification of the policy please discuss it with your rep.

The following is what was agreed by conference and is now included in the page on this blog on how to ask for help with a personal case.

PCS policy is that support is a two way process.  You support the union and the union supports you.

As volunteers the branch reps are not compelled to represent members who chose to ignore democratic decisions of the union such as taking strike action and action short of a strike including not working overtime during periods when PCS call an overtime ban. 

Legally all members are entitled to representation by their trade union but if they have chosen to not support their union then they will still get help but not from a local rep.

Return to Work

PCS HMRC colleagues in Leicester return to work to end this weekend's action.


The fight goes on.

DON'T WORK OVERTIME.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

WALKOUT UPDATE

A good turnout. Some members are started to assemble for a short meeting


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JOIN THE WALKOUT AT 1

Leafleting before work


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WALKOUT ON FRIDAY

We are due to walkout at 13:00 on Friday 5 April 2013. Please support your colleagues and do so.

Remember, if the government really cared about our claimants they would not be reducing benefits in real terms, cutting Council Tax Benefit, scrapping The Social Fund and introducing The Bedroom Tax.

If you don't work a standard 7:24 day please make sure that you read the guidance on the PCS web site.

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DON'T WORK OVERTIME

We now have a ban on overtime. It undermines the campaign if you do so and the recent ballot result showed an 80% response in support of an overtime ban.

We should be paid enough to live on without overtime and we should have enough staff to deliver our service without having to work overtime.

SUPPORT PCS & YOUR COLLEAGUES - DON'T WORK OVERTIME.

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Strike Day 7

The rally is now over


Stay strong for 5 April.

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Strike Day 6

The Rally is about to start



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Strike Day 5

We've done the picketing, recruited some new members and done the media interviews.


We are now warming up prior to the rally.


More on the rally later.

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Strike Day 4

Greetings from Eldon Street.



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Strike Day 3

Charles Street picket.


Even the rain and snow won't put us off.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

We now have picket line up at all city Jobcentres and some in the county.


Including our first for a long time in Market Harborough.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Strike Day

The pickets have started to assemble.


A decent start at this early hour.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Bedroom Tax Demonstration

A demonstration took place in Leicester today to oppose the bedroom tax. This is yet another attack on the poorest and most vulnerable in society.

The three largest PCS branches were represented, Martin from the DWP Leicester Pensions Branch, Martin from the Leicester HMRC Branch and our very own Tony.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone 5

Back the Action

AGM Thanks

Thanks to everyone who came to the AGM, including our speaker Helen Flanagan.

The new committee is listed to the right of this post.

We are still looking for more reps particularly in Loughborough and Charles Street.  If you are interested please let me know.

We raised quite a bit for the hardship fund which will help members with the costs in the battles ahead,

The next one is the fight over pay and conditions.

If you have not voted yet, there is still time.

VOTE YES, YES.  TOGETHER WE CAN WIN.

Vote Yes, Yes

Ballot papers have arrived.


Vote Yes, Yes to defend pay and conditions.

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Helen Flanagan is one of the DWP group vice-presidents (and a NEC member) and will be the guest speaker at our AGM this year, which will be held on Wednesday 20 February at 1.30pm in the Leicester Adult Education College, Wellington Street, Leicester. All members get 1.5 hours to attend and travelling time is available. It would be great to see you there.

Pay Campaign

The pay ballot opens on 8 February 2013


We've asked for real, national negotiations but so far ministers are refusing to talk to us.
We’re focusing on a range of demands including:
A pay increase of £1,200 or 5% for 2013
An end to the pay freeze/cap
Scrapping plans to rip up our terms and conditions
An end to the raid on public sector pensions.

As our pay increases for the last 5 years have been 2%, 0%, 1%, 0% & 0% I think these demands are more than modest.

Our last ballot result got management to negotiate. Let's get an even stronger mandate this time.

VOTE YES

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A WIN

We did vote yes and management started talking to us again.

As a result of that we now have a commitment to avoid redundancies and the members who wanted to go have been able to take a package.

It's just a shame that we had to win a ballot before this happened.

Now for that pay campaign...