Leicester
Lockdown
We
are still trying to get the full details and implications of what it means for
members who live and/or work in the area affected.
A
number of our branch reps were on a PCS conference call yesterday and will be
talking to our health and safety community and negotiating with local and
national management. It’s a bit ad hoc and chaotic at the moment while both PCS
and management are seeking advice and considering what measures need to be in
place.
As
a first action PCS asked DWP at national level to not open up city Jobcentres
next week as initially planned. We are still awaiting a response. To be fair to
managers this was before the official announcement last night.
Our
understanding is that, in the main, the lockdown measures which are in place
will stay in place with non-essential shops shutting. Schools should still
remain open for key workers which includes all of DWP. Essentially this seems
to mean that members will be asked to keep on working as they have been since
lockdown started.
We
recommend, even more strongly, that you strictly apply 2m social distancing and
that guidance of handwashing, public transport, etc. is followed more
rigorously than ever.
I
would urge all managers and staff to err on the side of caution in keeping
people safe. If anyone has particular problems related to this issue please
speak to your manager. If you cannot resolve the issue please talk to a rep or
drop an e-mail to the PCS shared mailbox.
Check
for updates on the branch
blog and Facebook page. I’ll send out my Friday e-mail as usual and another
special edition if I have anything significant to report.
Branch Secretary PCS DWP Leicestershire Branch
No comments:
Post a Comment