Unite Community and other protesters are holding a national day of demonstrations on 19 March 2015 in various towns and cities against the benefit sanctions regime.

Members should be assured that the protesters are opposed to the government policy of sanctions and are demanding their abolition. As the union, through conference decisions, shares these positions we support the protesters’ demands – and have made that clear to them.

Nevertheless we would like to make members aware of this planned day of action on 19 March and to be extra vigilant on the day in the event of any incidents that could occur. We recognise that the governments’ sanctions policy has affected the lives of thousands of people across the country and can understand that emotions can run high as a result of this highly controversial policy. Sanctions poison the relationship between claimants and Job Centre staff and distract our members from the real job of helping people into work.

PCS has been at the forefront of the campaign against sanctions, particularly in exposing the sanctions targets, or ‘expectations’, that members have had imposed upon them. PCS has used the media, worked with other campaigning organisations and given evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee to get this message across. Increasingly more people are becoming aware of what sanctions mean and are joining the campaign against them.

PCS will continue to campaign against benefit sanctions and will continue to raise the issue politically through our work within the PCS parliamentary group and the media. Any reps or members who are concerned about benefit sanctions or about how they are being applied in their office are encouraged to contact PCS via charlesl@pcs.org.uk.

Details of where the demonstrations are to be held can be found on the Unite Community website.

http://www.unitetheunion.org/growing-our-union/communitymembership/day-of-action-against-sanctions/