The swine are at the trough again

MPs have ignored public anger over the expenses system by quietly introducing new rules which allow them to claim up to £9,125 a year without producing any receipts. This measure has been introduced during a period of what can only be described as an overblown reaction to swine flu. It is almost as if we were being distracted!

Read the article here

Members beware

It seems that Vodaphone is charging it's customers 20 pence per minute to call the swine flu hotline. We therefore advise all members wherever possible to use a landline when contacting the SFH as it is then FREE.

However, we understand that O2, Orange and T-Mobile - have dropped charges for calls to the flu service. However, we advise all members to check with your provider before calling as some people have been waiting in excess of 45 minute for calls to be answered! That could cost a Vodaphone customer £9.00!!!

Our Health Secretary knows nothing!

Just over an hour ago, the Health Secretary Andy Burnham was asked a direct question on the BBC about swine flu, the question being... "How many deaths from swine flu in the UK occurred in patients that had no underlying health problems?"

Mr Burnham was clearly unable to answer this most pertinent of questions!

We find this most worrying. Not because we believe he is hiding something, rather the fact that he appeared genuinely not to know!
Read more here

And even more worrying - It seems that our venerable health secretary has agreed to the NHS paying Glaxo Smith Klien £6 and dose for swine flu vaccine.... despite the fact that it costs them £1 per dose. As well as knowing nothing it seems he is incapable of counting as well!!!

Lies, damn lies and statistics

Members are rightly concerned about the daily bombardment from the media regarding swine flu. Especially now as it is being suggested that it has become more virulent.

However, the following piece by the BBC Medical Correspondent Fergus Walsh puts it into proper perspective. We would advise any members with concerns to read the article...

Read it here

Pay update no 19 - Pay grievances

Legal update - important action for PCS members at E1 and E2

Our union is continuing to progress a major legal challenge to the imposed pay cuts for our members. All members impacted have already been asked to complete a complaint letter; we now need to take the next step and all members are asked to complete a individual grievance and lodge this with the department.

See details here

PCS National Black Members Seminar

‘Ten Years Later’
PCS National Black Members Seminar
23–25 October 2009
Jurys Inn, Birmingham

The annual residential Seminar organised for African, Asian, Chinese, Caribbean, etc, PCS black members will be held from Friday 23 October to Sunday 25 October in the Jurys Inn hotel, Birmingham.

The seminar will commence approximately at 1.30 pm on the Friday, ending no later than 1 p.m. on Sunday 23 October 2009.

For further details of how to attend this event please see the following Link

Cameron cheerleaders urge cuts

Yesterday I blogged about an article that suggested the Tories are planning to make swingeing cuts in the public sector... our jobs! Read it here

And today Simon Heffer a Cameron cheerleader urges 'honest' Dave to do the right thing to restore the public trust in democracy. How? Yep, you guessed it..., by sacking public servants!

He says, "There is no easier way to save money than by sacking people from the public payroll. This will entail more than cutting a few quangos: a defence expert recently told me that 25 per cent of the 100,000 civil servants at the Ministry of Defence could go without any detrimental effect to our defence capabilities. That is just one example."

Of course, our 'defence capability' would not see any detrimental effect if we stopped paying war pensions, to give 'just one example!' But that is hardly the point, is it, Mr Heffer?

Read the Telegraph article here

Nasty cuts or nice cuts, there will be blood

A few weeks ago an extraordinary meeting took place that could determine the future of public spending in this country. The venue was a white stuccoed house in Carlton Gardens. The chairman was Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary. Under discussion was whether drastic cuts in expenditure — of up to 20 per cent — will be needed to tackle the spiralling deficit. In the room were senior officials from across Whitehall and Conservative frontbenchers — but not a single minister.
Read the Times article here

Band E to D Promotion – have your say

As you will be aware MoD is currently reviewing the arrangements in place for promotion from Band E1 and E2 to D.

Specifically, the Department is looking at the future use of the Assessment and Development Centre (A&DC) and what might potentially replace it.

PCS believes that the views and input of staff are critical to ensuring that the proposals that emerge are sensible and attractive.

We have arranged a meeting with the staff from the Directorate of Civilian Personnel (DCP) responsible for taking forward this work.

PCS members can have their say in two ways:
i) By sending comments, ideas and suggestions to our union via email to paulba@pcs.org.uk or writing to the address on this circular (marked for the attention of Paul Barnsley).

ii) PCS Branches will be invited to nominate members to attend the meeting which will be held on Tuesday 21st July, commencing at 2.00 pm, PCS HQ, Clapham. If you would like to attend please contact your Branch.

We particularly want to hear from you if:
· You have previously gone through the ASDC process - whether successfully or not;
· You would potentially like to be promoted but are put off by the process that the employer operates;
· You have strong opinions on how MoD could improve the current arrangements;
· You would like to help to contribute to improving the opportunities of our members to improve their pay and career.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Paul Barnsley
Group Secretary

Doomsday comes to a job near you!

Whitehall are preparing secret doomsday plans for 20% cuts in public spending.

Mandarins (civil servants, not cirus fruits) fearing a prolonged recession and a collapse in tax revenue, have begun planning for severe cuts of up to 20% in public spending.

Read it here

Part Time Workers Research Project

PCS has launched an on-line survey aimed at identifying the issues and concerns of our members who work part time.

Can I ask all members who work less than full time hours to take part in the survey which can be found at the following link:

Survey link