As members are aware, PCS have notified the employer regarding plans to hold a half-day strike on Friday 05 April 2013 – part of a ‘long weekend of action’ which forms part of the PCS national campaign to defend pay, jobs terms and conditions. Under the plans, in the case of the Home Office...
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Campaigning for the Home Office We Want to See in Croydon
Home Office management resort to ‘lockout’ tactics
Knee-jerk response will not solve systemic UKBA problems
The government’s knee-jerk response to the latest criticism of the UK Border Agency will not solve systemic problems caused by years of job cuts, the Public and Commercial Services union says. The union has consistently pointed out the failings in the border agency, including huge backlogs in immigration and asylum cases and delays...
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Civil Service Code, RIP?
In 1854 the Northcote-Trevelayn report was instrumental in the establishment of an impartial and professional civil service. A civil service that would faithfully implement the policies of the elected government, putting aside political opinions when doing so. Echoing the original vision of the Northcote-Trevelayn reforms in enacting the civil service provisions of the Constitutional...
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Home Office strike a success, but fight must go on into 5 April
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka hailed the action on 20 March as a ‘stunning success’ as members in the Home Office group delivered massive support for the action in defence of our jobs, pay and terms & conditions. The action that was well supported across our union as a whole, has undoubtedly had a...
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End targets for benefits sanctions
New evidence shows how setting targets for stopping people’s benefits is punishing claimants and staff for economic problems they did not cause. Two years ago the government was forced into a climbdown over targets after work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith had dismissed allegations as “claptrap”. Now The Guardian has uncovered compelling new evidence of how targets...
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Myth of the week: Facility time waste of public money
Many in the media and the government claim facility time is a ‘scandalous subsidy’. The Cabinet Office is now planning to cut the time union workplace representatives spend representing members by up to 60%. A ‘cost-benefit’ analysis by the TUC of the role of union reps demonstrates that this would be a big mistake:...
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Osborne’s budget fails to heed warnings on austerity
Despite repeated warnings, including PCS’s Britain Needs a Pay rise report, George Osborne continues down the failed road of austerity. Growth forecasts have been revised down from 1.2 to 0.6% showing the chancellor must find a plan B, instead of choosing to inflict even greater misery on public sector workers in a budget that...
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Penetration Testing
In Members’ Briefings 40/12 and 97/12 PCS detailed the state of national discussions on the issue of ‘Penetration Testing’....
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North East Relocation
PCS Group Executive Committee (GEC) members met with the North East Relocation Project Team on Friday 25th January 2013....
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We will not be silenced: Message of solidarity for dismissed PCS rep Kevin Smith
The West Croydon branch BEC have unanimously voted to send a message of solidarity for the Merseyside branch’s fight...
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Temporary Migration chaos
Members will be aware that all across Croydon bells are ringing as managers walk the aisles call out ‘caseworkers,...
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Home Office training
On 22nd January 2013 PCS met with UKBA Training and Development unit to discuss their proposals for the training...
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Unfairly Sacked PCS Rep in his own words …
Preamble: The words below were written by Kevin Smith, a young PCS rep who late last year was sacked...
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Temporary Migration: And the forecast is … wildly inaccurate
Members in both Temporary Migration (TM) in Sheffield, and Permanent Migration in Liverpool, cannot have failed to notice the...
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Merseyside branch to ballot over dismissal of PCS rep
ITV News is today reporting that PCS members in the Home Office group (Merseyside branch) are to ballot members...
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UK Border Agency under investigation over alleged data breach
Various media sources were reporting yesterday the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is investigating UK Border Agency for a possible...
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Overtime
PCS have today learned that some managers have been pressurising staff to ‘volunteer’ for...
Asbestos Work on 15th Floor, Lunar House
In October PCS issued a members’ briefing to staff working in Lunar House about...
New Branch Secretary
PCS West Croydon branch are pleased to confirm that following an accepted nomination Jon...
Important Information: Discrimination of part time and disabled workers in Croydon
Reps in the East Croydon Branch have discovered this week that HR have been...
Members meeting about Asbestos concerns in Lunar House, 15th Floor
Within the last two weeks PCS have raised concerns with managers about the department’s...
Performance Management: Member Advice
Members will be aware that the Home Office has now imposed a new performance...
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- The case for a Land Value Tax
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- We need to challenge the myths that poison attempts at progressive change
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Union News
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- Bitter blow for drinks workers in Britvic, Tango closure threat
- “Political attack” on Tube workers could trigger Underground strike – RMT
- Government welfare and spending cuts are having a devastating impact on disabled people, says TUC
- Tube drivers on strike today over working conditions
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Inside Croydon
- Store at beating centre of making Croydon a Heart Town
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- Which? brands SE25 eateries among worst in country
- Croydon hooker manages to come third (with Clare Balding)
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- Oi! Could the Town Hall do the Lambeth Walk under Labour?
- Even in Croydon, the Tories are split over Europe
- How to set-up a busy street market in less than 12 months
TUC
- Government should act on work capability assessments ruling, says TUC
- Chancellor should heed IMF advice and boost capital spending
- Government welfare and spending cuts are having a devastating impact on disabled people, says TUC
- British workers have suffered 8.5 per cent real-term wage drop, says TUC
- Ministers must not ignore failings of the Work Programme, says TUC
