Ben Wallace MP has provided the Branch with a short letter detailing that the closure of the Norcross site is a provisional decision based on suitable transport links being put in place for Peel Park access, a plan needing to be signed off by the Minister prior to DWP giving notice on their contract with … Continue reading Ben Wallace MP speaks to the Minister, Chris Grayling…about Norcross

To all members and potential members of the PCS Fylde Central Benefits and Services BranchThe purpose of this post is to inform members who may not already be aware but today, 27th June 2012, the employer has announced that the DWP Norcross site is to close.The employer in an earlier meeting, and elsewhere has indicated … Continue reading Norcross Closure Announcement

Email gatheringA growing number of PCS activists and members now receive information about PCS campaigns from HQ by personal email. This enables PCS to communicate quickly and efficiently and is increasingly important given the restrictions placed by some employers on workplace communications. Members can now give us personal email and mobile phone details through our quick … Continue reading PCS HQ Email Distribution

The purpose of this post is to inform members of the continuing overtime ban throughout June and July 2012.PCS has done everything possible to resolve the disputes over Pensions, the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, the Pay Freeze (and two more years of extreme pay restraint) however to date there has not been an acceptable outcome … Continue reading Civil Service wide overtime ban from 11th May to 31st July

<!--[if !mso]>st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> Management have today announced the start of meaningful consultation for compulsory redundancy for up to 94 AA’s in DWP. Meaningful consultation is the start of the formal process that leads to compulsory redundancies. The AA’s involved are those that management have deemed to be ‘surplus’. They are spread over all parts … Continue reading PCS condemns threats of compulsory redundancy for AA’s in DWP

First Universal Credit Sites AnnouncedManagement have today (17th May) announced the first tranche of offices that are to become Universal Credit (UC) service centres. 16 DWP sites and 2 HMRC sites have been named. The sites have capacity to house around 8,500 staff. The sites are:DWP Benefit CentresBolton, Glasgow, Wolverhampton, Wrexham, Canterbury, Birkenhead, Cosham, SunderlandDWP … Continue reading Universal Credit

Thanks to all the members who took strike action on the 10th May. Those who did should be proud of themselves, their action and their support ensured that our pay, pensions and jobs got back to the top of the news/ national prominence.

Then a Civil Service wide overtime banfrom 11th May to 30th JuneThe purpose of this post is to inform members of the strike action on the 10th May 2012 to be followed by a Civil Service wide overtime ban from 10th May to 30th June 2012.PCS has done everything possible to resolve the disputes over … Continue reading All Out on 10th May 2012

<!--[if !mso]>st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> Once we were 'poor dears', now we are 'benefit cheats', said a demonstrator at last year's rally of disabled people against the welfare bill neatly summing up the government-instigated hate campaign against the most vulnerable in society.Cameron and Osborne aim to make welfare itself a dirty word implying taxpayers’ money is … Continue reading Welfare cuts: We all stand to suffer

<!--[if !mso]>st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--> Preparations for a public campaign – 68 is too late – linking changes to pension age with changes to public sector pension age are well advanced. The aim is for the campaign, being developed with Unite and the NUT, to be running when the government announces any legislative changes to pensions … Continue reading 68 is too late