Fair Deal ballot briefing 1 – Vote YES/YES

The verdict of members is clear – we refuse to accept pay cuts. Our recent consultative ballot delivered an overwhelming mandate to move forward with our Fair Deal campaign. More than 98% supported the campaign objectives, with over 77% willing to take industrial action to deliver them.

We are now balloting members on that action and these briefings will concentrate on each of our key campaign objectives to show why members should vote YES/YES.

Feedback from the consultative ballot and workplace meetings shows that members have had enough of the pay freeze and the decline in pay in the Ministry of Defence. Inflation continues to increase, eroding the small increase that those earning below £21,000 recently received and leaving those who got nothing for the second year running further adrift. The recent gradual recovery in the value of wage settlements in the wider economy, coupled with the incremental increases awarded to the armed forces, has increased the sense of grievance among defence sector members.

Every member has their own story to tell about what the pay freeze has meant to them, but unless we secure pay rises at least in line with inflation, the MoD will soon have members of staff working hard by day but queuing for food parcels at night.

How our pay has been cut

The impact of a pay freeze is hard to see because it is slow and subtle, but it is huge. The table below shows what our pay should be if the MoD and this coalition government wasn’t devaluing our pay year on year:

Grade (National)	Maximum £	Maximum if kept pace with RPI inflation since start of pay freeze in 2010*	Difference – pay cut in real terms £
B1	69,409.00	76,696.95	7,287.95
B2	57,245.00	63,255.73	6,010.73
C1	42,565.00	47,034.33	4,469.33
C2	34,936.00	38,604.28	3,668.28
D	27,973.00	30,910.17	2,937.17
E1	20,676.00	22,846.98	2,170.98
E2	17,584.00	19,430.32	1,846.32

* RPI inflation of 10.5% from Apr 2010 to Sept 2012. Source: www.statistics.gov.uk

Pensions

Unfortunately our employer has actually reduced our take home pay, through increased pension contributions. The April 2012 increase was the first of three, with more to follow each April until 2014. We now pay more and work longer for a smaller pension when we eventually retire.

Other factors

Pay restraint for the foreseeable future and mooted proposals for regional pay, will push more members below the breadline. Using the same timeframe (Apr 2010 to Sept 2012) we can see just how far our pay has fallen behind the real cost of living:

Product or Service	Apr 2010 price	Sept 2012 price	Increase £	Increase %
Gas *	£600 per year	£720 per year	£120	20%
Electricity *	£500 per year	£590 per year	£90	18%
Petrol	120.5p per litre	140.2p per litre	19.7p	16.4%
Public transport (based on London 7 day travelcard zones 1-4)	£36.80	£41.80	£5.00	13.5%
Childcare (based on 25 hours per week)	£88.00	£101.00	£13.00	14.8%
Average weekly shopping basket	£65.80	£77.00	£11.20	17%

 * These figures do not include the recently announced energy price increases.

Conclusion 

Working in the MoD at present is bad for your wallet. But we have a chance to do something about the hurt we are all suffering, by forcing the MoD to change course.

By voting YES/YES in our ballot, we can force the department to take our concerns on pay seriously and to demand fair pay as part of a Fair Deal in Defence.

Make your voice count and vote for a fairer future, where all staff are treated with dignity and respect and all who work in defence receive at least a living wage.

The statutory ballot runs from 19 November – 5 December. If you haven’t received a ballot paper by 27 November, then please contact 0207 801 2634/2645.

It’s time to vote for a Fair Deal

Regrettably the meeting with the Permanent Secretary failed to take place yesterday as Jon Thompson was unwell. We were therefore unable to press him on our campaign objectives.

We have been unable to re-arrange the meeting so far, as it is unclear when he will return.

We have already had several meetings with Mr Thompson and other senior MoD management on our Fair Deal objectives without achieving a breakthrough, so we have now decided to go ahead with the ballot for industrial action and action short of a strike in the Ministry of Defence. This will commence as planned on Monday 19 November and will run until 5 December.

We have written to the PUS making it clear that if meaningful talks commence during the ballot period, then we will be prepared to suspend the deadline to commence industrial action so that an agreement can be reached.

Make your vote count, vote YES/YES for a Fair Deal in Defence

Please make sure that you vote in this important ballot. It takes minutes to do so, but the positive effects of winning our campaign could last for years. 

A convincing YES/YES vote will strengthen our hand at the negotiating table and gives us a mandate for effective industrial action across the department in support of a Fair Deal should those negotiations break down.

Branches will be holding meetings about the ballot during this period. Please make sure you attend, or ask your rep to set one up if there is not one in your workplace. There will also be regular updates about why you should vote and support our Fair Deal campaign. To be added to our electronic distribution list and receive yours, email modo@pcs.org.uk and tell us your home email address and mobile number.

Ballot papers will be despatched by our independent scrutineers from Monday 19 November. If you haven’t received a ballot paper by 27 November, please phone 0207 801 2634/2645.

Fair Deal in Defence campaign

This Thursday our union will be meeting with the Permanent Secretary to attempt to progress our concerns over the theft of our bonus payments; changes to terms and conditions and the impact of job cuts on remaining staff.

PUS will be left in no doubt that PCS members now demand a Fair Deal in Defence, where staff are treated with respect and given the tools and support to carry out their job without being exploited.

We have made it clear that if we do not achieve meaningful progress in achieving our Fair Deal objectives through dialogue, then we will have no choice but to move forward with a ballot for industrial action to achieve our aims.

Accordingly, if we do not achieve a breakthrough on Thursday, then a ballot for industrial action and action short of a strike in the Ministry of Defence will commence on Monday 19th November until 5th December. Further details will be announced on our website on Friday.

Our union recently hosted a successful summit meeting of all defence trade unions which secured wider support for our Fair Deal objectives and a commitment to develop a joint bargaining agenda on issues of common concern framed around those objectives. Our sister union Unite will shortly be holding a consultative ballot in support of our campaign. 

This growing consensus gives us a real opportunity to co-ordinate the potential for joint campaigning and effective industrial action across the department in support of a Fair Deal.

Condem Pensions attacks steals a third of public sector pension scheme's value

The implications of the Coalition Government’s reforms for members of the public service pension schemes have been recently investigated by the Pensions Policy Institute.

The Pensions Policy Institute (PPI) is an independent, apolitical, educational research charity with a charitable objective to inform the policy debate on pensions and other provision for retirement. 

The Coalition Government’s proposed reforms include linking the pension benefits for public service workers to average salary rather than to final salary, linking the Normal Pension Age (NPA) to the State Pension Age (SPA) for the four largest schemes: NHS, Teachers, Local Government and the Civil Service and increasing the average contributions to be made by scheme members.

In June 2010, the Coalition Government changed the inflation measure used to uprate public service pension benefits. From April 2011, public service pensions in payment and pensions accrued are uprated in line with changes in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), instead of the Retail Prices Index (RPI) as had been the previous policy. The CPI typically rises more slowly than the RPI because different formulae are used to calculate each index and because the CPI excludes housing costs.

The PPI’s analysis suggests that the Coalition Government’s imposed reforms to the NHS, Teachers, Local Government and Civil Service pension schemes will reduce the average value of the benefit offered across all scheme members by more than a third, compared to the value of the schemes before the Coalition Government’s proposed reforms. 

Is it any wonder the civil servants feel they are being made scape goats for the incompetence of bankers who created the deficit by a government that is driving forward a political agenda to destroy the public services.

In the Ministry of Defence we are campaigning for a Fair Deal in Defence that values the civilian component of defence capability. 

However; the attacks continue with the recent announcement to take our contractual terms and conditions of service and rip them apart for no other reason than political ideology.

It is time to stand together and protect our jobs, our families livelihoods and our terms and conditions of service.

Join the Public and Commercial Service Union: https://www.join.pcs.org.uk/en/join-pcs/index.cfm

Marching against austerity and demanding a Future that Works

Thousands took to the streets of London today to protest against the austerity cuts that are destroying lives and livelihoods.

The PCS Defence Sector group was there in the thick of it with a great turn out of members from across  the country.

We marched together in solidarity demanding a Fair Deal in Defence and an end to austerity.

Less than 24 hours to go - final preparations 20th October 2012

The mass anti-cuts TUC march tomorrow will see tens of thousands of people uniting against the government and its vicious cost-cutting agenda

Every working day for the past four weeks we have been suggesting an Activity of the Day for reps and activists to ensure the demonstration on 20 October is one of the most successful ever.

Activity No.20: It's time for a final check on materials and make sure you have details of members attending and all transport arrangements are finalised.

Then take a look at our comprehensive guide to the big day to ensure you haven't forgotten anything.

MPs' expenses threatens public trust again

Given how damaging the expenses crisis was in 2009, many will be shocked to learn that MPs are attempting to block the publication of information that appears to be a cover up of a loophole which allows MPs to pocket extra expenses cash by renting out their homes to one another.

Before the last crisis hit the headlines the Speaker at the time blocked publication of addresses of MPs who were involved in claims. This made it impossible to identify those who were 'flipping' their second homes. However, someone leaked the details to the Telegraph.

Taxpayers will wonder why MPs are taking advantage of the loophole not to cover legitimate expenses but to profit at their expense. Though technically within parliamentary rules, MPs have to know what a dim view their constituents will take of what is effectively profiteering.

Would you trust our politicians?