I’ve reached another payday, which is always reason to celebrate. I would celebrate more if we had a decent pay rise.
Here is the latest news.
Annual General Meeting
Our AGM will be on Teams this year. We will hold it on Tuesday 23 February 2021 starting at 13:30. It should last no more than 2 hours. Please block out your diaries. The calling notice and nomination and motion documents are attached. Closing date for nominations is Tuesday 2 February 2021. Please consider becoming an officer, site rep, health and safety rep, union learning rep, or an advocate. And this year as guest speaker we have booked Martin Cavanagh, our DWP Group President. He will definitely be worth a listen.
Site AGM
The date for your site AGM should be coming out very soon. For example the CMG site AGM is on 16 February 2021 at 13:00.
If you have not heard please ask your site rep. A list of reps is on the branch blog.
Brook Street Agency Workers
Agency workers have fewer rights that directly employed staff. We have a number of Brook Street Agency staff at our Saxon House site. PCS has lobbied for contract extensions and is now trying to make those contracts permanent.
If you work at Saxon House please encourage your colleagues to join PCS so we can better represent you all. See this circular for more details.
Pay
Pay will be a major campaign of 2021. PCS and other unions representing key workers in the public and private sector will fight against a pay freeze.
I’ll update you with our next steps as the campaign develops.
Attend the pay rally at lunchtime today. It’s on Zoom starting at 13:00. E-mail midsbargaining@pcs.org.uk to register.
Coronavirus
We have been actively negotiating with managers at local and national level. We have argued for as many people to work from home as possible. Jobcentres will still need to provide a service for the very small number of vulnerable people who cannot deal with us in any other way than face to face. We are in the process of agreeing bare minimum numbers, the best way to do that in city and county, and if this service can be staffed by volunteers only. Members who should be shielding should work from home or be on Special Leave with Pay if they cannot. Local managers appear to be pretty close to being of the same opinion.
We are arguing for stopping Saturday working in Jobcentres but this decision will be a national one.
CMG have agreed to increase the amount of staff working from home as well. I believe that the CMG centre are moving quickly to enable this.See here for more details.
We are still key workers but many staff will have their children at home for a number of reasons. Please discuss any problems this may cause you with your manager.
The latest PCS circular on coronavirus is here. Please read it.
If you have any concerns about any of the issues above, or anything else, please get in touch with us.
We continue to meet with both CMG and Jobcentre managers on a regular basis and advocate for the safety of our members. We don’t always achieve everything that we want but we will keep on trying.
Flexi Credit for Office Based Workers
The one hour a week flexi credit for office based workers has been extended to April. Please make sure that you claim it if you are entitled. The expenses for homeworkers is still available as well. Please make sure that you claim it if you are entitled.
Support for Carers
The guidance has been updated. If you are a carer or a manager for someone who is please read the PCS circular here. During this coronavirus pandemic normal caring arrangements can break down at very short notice so it is a good idea to be prepared.
Free Flu Vaccinations
Flu is still a serious disease and flu at the same time as Covid-19 increases the effects of both. If you cannot get a free jab from the NHS all DWP staff can reclaim the cost of having one. See here for details. PCS encourages ALL members to get vaccinated unless you have had medical advice not to.
BAME Risk Assessments
Initial numbers suggest that uptake is lower than expected so far. The process is here. If you are BAME or if you manage BAME staff please read the procedure. We strongly recommend that managers encourage their BAME staff to have this risk assessment.
LGBT History Month
February is LGBT History Month. Why not join Proud, the PCS grouping for LGBT+ members?
Green Tip of the Week
Our branch Green Rep, Donna Pellegrini, gives some hints and tips on green issues.
Join the Build Back Better campaign. Please see the web site for events and campaigns. This campaign is backed by PCS and we are on the steering committee.
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a lot of things up in the air, but one positive that seems to have come out of it is its subsequent effect on the environment. Specifically, on global CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions. Lockdowns, closed workplaces, and the lack of travel have caused global emissions to fall by 4.6%. This is one of the biggest declines in global emissions since the second World War. There was also a decrease of 3.8% in fine particle pollution, and 2.9% in sulphur dioxide (can lead to respiratory issues) and nitrogen oxide (leads to smog) air pollution.
And even though lockdowns and a pandemic might have meant the environment is not seen as a priority by most, a lot of people have taken up activities that have a positive impact on the planet. One activity that has really flourished is gardening and growing our own food. 42% of people took up gardening in lockdown, whilst a third of a million searched for tips on growing plants on the Royal Horticultural Society website. The most searched for crop being the potato!
However, with positives such as a reduction in aviation - a big contributor to emissions - and green energy on the up, the problem of waste and plastic pollution is still a huge issue. And especially with the increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE). We’ve all probably noticed disposable face masks littered in parks or the odd glove on the street. According to a study in Environmental Science and Technology, an estimated 194 billion disposable masks and gloves are being used worldwide every month. And a lot of these are ending up on our streets, in our parks, and even in our oceans. They can’t be recycled due to them being considered medical waste, so they either end up in landfills or are incinerated. Therefore, even when they are disposed of correctly, they’re still contributing to having a negative effect on the planet.
Therefore, a simple thing that most of us can do is invest in a reusable face mask, rather than use the plastic single use/disposable ones. Reusable face masks are available pretty much everywhere now and are relatively inexpensive.
This of course doesn’t include health care workers or other workers who are required to use PPE in their line of work.
JOIN PCS
REMEMBER in times of crisis it is more important than ever to join a union. Ask all your colleagues, friends and relations to join a union and if any of your colleagues are members but don’t get this e-mail ask them to e-mail me and ask to be put on the list.
PCS Branch Reps
There is a list of reps on the Branch Blog. Please find out your local one. If you don’t have one on site why not volunteer?
PCS Records
It’s a good idea to make sure that your details are correct, both to comply with GDPR and so that PCS can contact you. You can use the update function, here and or log on to the PCS web site to register or check and update your details. If you cannot update your details please get in touch.
If you get an e-mail, a text, or a call from PCS to check your details and ask about your participation it is genuine. Please say hello from me and help our PCS team.
Communications
It is essential that members know what is going on in the union. Please talk to your colleagues and your nearest rep (if you have one on site). There is also information of the web sites. If you register as above you will receive information about campaigns and what is going on in PCS.
Recruitment
The more members we have the stronger we are. We are planning an extra push on recruitment.
If your colleagues are not members ask them to join. If they don’t receive these e-mails ask them to drop me a line and I’ll put them on my distribution list.
Facebook
PCS also has a national and local branch Facebook page but you cannot view these on DWP equipment. Log on to your Facebook account and search for PCS DWP Leicestershire Branch. If you are not a recognisable member of the branch you won’t be added so let me know your real name if you use an alias on Facebook.
Other News
Other news is, as usual, on the relevant web site.
The branch blog,www.pcsdwpleicestershire.blogspot.co.uk.
How to get help with a personal case
Please follow the instruction on the branch blog. Do NOT contact me personally or it may slow down your case. DO NOT SEND THE FORM TO THE PCS LEGAL E-MAIL ADDRESS.
In order for us to effectively negotiate on your behalf please let us know of the issues in your workplace by replying to our PCS branch mailbox or by clicking reply to this e-mail.
For those of you doing Veganuary, try and keep it up at least part of the time. For those of you doing Dry January, don’t go mad on Monday.
Please stay home and please stay safe, look after yourself, your family, your friends, and your colleagues, and whatever you are doing make a difference.
Chris Willars
Branch Secretary PCS DWP Leicestershire Branch
