Many of our union’s members have contacted us asking what is happening with the pay negotiations. The majority of these members are at the E1 and E2 max who face getting their max’s slashed on 1st May 2009.What does all of this mean for members in the MOD?
A special PCS MoD Group Executive Committee (GEC) has been called for Monday 6 April. At this meeting the GEC will receive a detailed report on pay negotiations in MoD and will discuss what action should now be taken. The GEC will also receive an update on the status of national agreement that was agreed in December last year. The national agreement allowed money from efficiency savings to be put back into departmental pay pots to improve pay.
MoD negotiations
Members are starkly aware that in 2002 and 2006, the MoD imposed their pay offers on our union’s members. As you know our members were so angry we felt the need to take strike action in March 2007. This was the first such strike action, outside of national action, in MoD history.
When our union negotiators started the 2008 pay negotiations, we insisted on a set of principles in which these negotiations were conducted. This is called the Pay Bargaining Agreement. The Agreement should mean that both sides conduct the negotiations in good faith. The department agreed to this set of principles as it is in all parties’ interests to work together.
As part of the process MoD gave PCS assurances that they would engage with the union – in good faith - on a number of issues where we were not in agreement:. On that basis the Department proceeded to pay the first tranche of 2008 award. The areas our union have sought to make progress on since then are:
· Pay proposals for E1 and E2 max and the pay protection allowance
· Removal of ILW for overseas Staff
· Agreed process for ongoing pay discussions
· Additional progression and the application of the payments
· Equal pay and age discrimination issues
· MoD admin costs budget
· 2009 Treasury Remit guidance
Our GEC will receive a report back from our pay negotiators against these headings next week. We will report back to members following that meeting.
What can I do?
Pay is the one issue in the MOD that is generic to all members. PCS wants all union members to get involved in our union and especially in our pay campaign. There are many ways that you can get involved and it doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time:
Attend all members meetings – Our union will always be a democratic organisation. Once we have further news on MOD pay, as well as issuing pay circulars such as this, we will be convening all members meetings in MOD branches. Please contact your branch secretary for details of your branch meeting.
By being an active member - maybe you don’t want to get too involved. You can still play a really important part in your union by just being an active member and recruiting others into our union, attending union meetings and have your say, and by telling us about problems in your office and ask what you can do to help.
As a workplace union rep - being a PCS rep in your workplace is not as complicated as you might think. The main jobs of a rep are to listen to members and make sure that their views are represented, to keep members informed and to tell new staff about the union and ask them to join.
As you gain experience and confidence you can get more involved in dealing with management and helping members with problems if you want to. You would get time off work and full support and training from PCS.
As a contact or a distributor - You don’t have to give up too much time. You can help, get involved and keep yourself up to date about what is going on by just being a contact point or a distributor and giving out some union circulars in your work area. You will get time off away from your desk to do this.
As a young member’s rep - PCS has a young member’s network. All branches are being asked to elect a young members rep. If you are 27 or under and have ideas about building a better union this could be for you.
As an equality rep - PCS campaigns on a wide range of equality issues.
As a health and safety rep - Union heath and safety reps do a really important job. Carrying out workplace inspections and risk assessments. You would have to be trained and get time off for training.
As a union learning rep - Union learning reps get time off to help staff develop and take up learning opportunities. ULRs cover everything from basic skills to computer skills and CV writing.
Next Steps on MoD Pay
As we have stressed on numerous occasions: our union has not accepted the MOD pay offer. The current position therefore is that nothing has changed - the pay offer has not been accepted by PCS and once we believe negotiations can go no further, we will ballot members at that time.
A further update on pay for PCS members will be issued immediately after the 6 April GEC.
Yours sincerely
Paul Barnsley Group Secretary
Chris Dando Group President
K C Jones Vice President
