The cricket went the way my heart wanted and England won against India. Roll on the second test.
Irrespective of if you follow cricket or not 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 agenda is attached which includes the link to join the meeting. Nominations have closed but there are still gaps at some sites so please consider standing. The deadline for motions has also passed but I can still accept emergency motions. And this year as guest speaker we have booked Martin Cavanagh, our DWP Group President. He will definitely be worth a listen. Full details were included in the e-mail I sent out earlier this week. Please let me know if you want a full set of documents.
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.
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.
Join the Branch AGM to get the very latest on pay from our DWP Group President, Martin Cavanagh.
I’ll update you with our next steps as the campaign develops. Watch out for all member Zoom meetings on paydays.
The latest PCS circular on pay is here.
Covid-19 - Free Legal Advice and Support for PCS members
If you have been affected by coronavirus at workplease read the circular here. PCS is looking at what legal redress members may have.
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 should now be working with bare minimum numbers, staffed by volunteers only. Members who should be shielding should work from home or be on Special Leave with Pay if they cannot. If this is not happening in your site please get in touch with us.
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.
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.
Brook Street Staff
PCS is still negotiating hard for Brook Street staff.See here for the latest.
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.
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.
Many people who have the capability of working from home are being urged to do so over the coming weeks and months. Not going into the office is considered to be an effective way of preventing the spread of the virus because it reduces the risk of people coming into contact with others. But using more gas and electricity while working from home is inevitable.
Lighting our homes makes up about 10-15% of our annual energy bills, switching from traditional bulbs to energy saving bulbs can reduce this by a quarter
You can save up to £49 on your annual energy bills by switching off the lights when you leave a room and switching to energy saving light bulbs, (£14 turning off the lights and £35 switching to energy saving light bulbs).
You can also look on the intranet to find if you can qualify for claiming back some of your energy costs back while working from home, see https://intranet.dwp.gov.uk/page/temporary-policies-claiming-expenses-1-june#Household expenses
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.
This week is packed with events. Today is Chinese New Year as we move into the year of the ox. Happy New Year to everyone who is celebrating it.
Sunday is Valentine’s Day. If you have a partner have fun. If you don’t, take the opportunity for a bit of self-care.
Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras. It is celebrated in different ways in different cultures, often with carnivals, dancing and feasting. In the UK it is Pancake Day which may be dull in comparison but can still be easily done in your home during lockdown. I’ll be having pancakes as usual this year.
Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent for Christians. Lent is a period of partial fasting and abstinence for 40 days before Easter.
If you are observing some, all, or none of these events please stay home, stay safe, and look after yourself, your family, your friends, and your colleagues. Whatever you are doing make a difference.
Chris Willars
Branch Secretary PCS DWP Leicestershire Branch
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