PCS: Home Office management misled staff before announcing job cuts
Senior management at the Home Office misled staff about its plans just days before announcing hundreds of job cuts, the Public and Commercial Services union says.
Following the union’s announcement of its intention to ballot members for industrial action in opposition to job cuts and the victimisation of two of its senior reps, the director general of human resources at the Home Office, Kevin White, said they were “committed to dialogue”.
In a message to all staff on 24 February, he wrote that the “decision of PCS to ballot its members is very disappointing, particularly given that the permanent secretary has already agreed to meet the union at the end of March to discuss their concerns”.
He went on to say: “We are committed to continuing this dialogue.
This ballot can serve no useful purpose at a time when we are working hard to finalise workforce plans in response to the demands of the spending review and when we have already committed to avoiding the use of compulsory redundancies wherever possible.”
Today, in advance of any talks, the Home Office announced to staff in Croydon that it wants to cut 776 UK Border Agency posts from a pool of 1,453 staff working in casework resolution, migration and immigration teams. The way it plans to do this significantly increases the likelihood of compulsory redundancies, the union says.
A similar announcement about restructuring was made at the same time in offices in Liverpool and Sheffield, but the department would not offer any detail or assurances about its redundancy plans for these cities.
As a result of the government’s spending cuts, the Home Office has said it will cut 8,500 jobs by 2015. In November 2010, the department imposed a new redundancy policy which the union has described as a ‘sacker’s charter’ because it allows the employer to pick and choose who it fires and makes compulsory redundancies much more likely.
PCS has an agreement with the Cabinet Office designed to help departments take steps to avoid compulsory redundancies. The Home Office confirmed to the union today it had not met the Cabinet Office to discuss its plans – the first step which should be taken.
A ballot for industrial action short of a strike opened on 23 February in opposition to cuts and to the sacking of Mark Hammond – PCS’s most senior rep in the Home Office – and Sue Kendal, on what the union says were trumped up charges.
– Read the media release announcing the ballot:
The ballot is due to close on 23 March but the union has not ruled out stepping up a ballot for strike action in the event of any compulsory redundancies.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “It is clear the Home Office has had its plans finalised for some time – it simply refused to tell us about them.
“This is a disgraceful way to treat your workforce at any time, but it is particularly shameful when people’s livelihoods are under huge threat because of the government’s ideological decision to cut public spending.”
ENDS
Notes
– For information and interview requests contact PCS national press officer Richard Simcox on 020 7801 2747 or 07833 978216
– The Public and Commercial Services union represents civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies, and in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK’s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich
– Follow PCS on Twitter
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