COVENTRY SAYS NO MAUDE ATTACKS ON OUR RIGHTS AT WORK

In October, Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude was met with a 15-minute walkout by more than 250 staff as he visited Revenue and Customs offices in Sherborne House Coventry. The rank and file protest, organised by local activists, has caught on spreading across the union on the 14th November on the day of the European General Strike against austerity and was inspiration for the 30th November on the national PCS day of action. Maude, who is spearheading attacks on civil servants' terms and conditions and looking to drastically cut the amount of time union representatives can spend on vital work such as negotiating with employers, representing members and dealing with health and safety issues, had previously suggested unions could hold 15-minute stoppages instead of full days of action. Thousands of civil servants are angry about the government's plans to review all their terms and conditions, including hours, holidays and family-friendly policies such as flexible working and part-time. This is on top of cuts to jobs, pay and pensions already hitting many public sector workers. PCS rep Ian Hough, who helped to organise the walkout with fellow rep Pat Cowling, said members wanted to show the minister their anger about the plans to rip up terms and conditions. Ian said: "In November last year, Francis Maude kindly suggested that instead of strike action, it would be OK for people to do a walkout for 15 minutes. So we followed his advice and showed him we can let him know how we feel in 15 minutes. It was a fantastic turnout, especially considering we only found out he was visiting on Monday. We thought we couldn't let this pass as if we hadn't done anything he (Maude) would have taken it as a green light, so we had a quick meeting and got together a leaflet to publicise what we were planning. The walkout sent a message to him (Maude) that we don't want you messing with our terms and conditions. We have got what we have got and we want to keep what we have got. I think any worker in the country would have been there to let someone like that know how we feel about the attack on our terms and conditions." Three reps also had a 10-minute 'question time' with the minister during which they raised their concerns about the attacks.

Andrew Lloyd
Regional Secretary Tis the season of goodwill or lack of it!
The DWP ballot for action against the 43 compulsory notices is in my opinion is about as important as it gets. Compulsory redundancies in our biggest department is the line in the sand. If the DWP get away with this, then it will mean that no PCS member job is safe from the threat of compulsory redundancy. PCS has often been the stand alone union fighting redundancies, we have given the lead to many other unions to challenge redundancies, that is why we have to win this ballot, if youre not from DWP please support your colleagues, often said but never more true, their fight is definitely our fight. This week the NEC will decide on the next stage of the National Campaign, it is already known that there will be a re-focus of the campaign that will look more closely at the major threat to Terms and Conditions. 30th November was the start of this re-focus, and whilst there were some who were not convinced about the impact of the 15 minute demos, it cannot be ignored that it caught the imagination of many including that of the media, covered by both Nottingham and Derby BBC Radio stations, the Derby Telegraph and also on the front page of the Birmingham Mail. Added to that at many places the walkout meetings led to discussions about our future industrial action strategy and how it could be more innovative. I started to list the events that have occurred since the last newsletter, but they began resemble the festive 12 days of Christmas song. This newsletter covers most of the events that have happened in the last three months, this region is incredible in what it has delivered. 150 activists to Pay & Pensions Briefings, 300+ members to the Tory Demo in Birmingham, 700+ to London for the A future that works march, and 1000+ at meetings on 30th November. There are too many activists that I want to thank for their efforts over the last couple of months, but I do feel I have to mention Debbie Elson for not just winning the TUC award for learning, but in amongst the sea of other activities she organised another awards night for over 70 members at HMRC to pick up their NVQs from their apprenticeship negotiated by PCS with Dudley College, it was a privilege to hand out the certificates. I also want to pay tribute to Nigel Bayton who was also nominated for an award at the TUC event. This was for the campaign he led to ensure the Chainmakers Festival was twice the event it was last year. Two other reps that I believe have made a major impact are Pete Collier, stalwart of both the Nottingham Town Committee and the DFT group, a group that continues to lead on industrial action, and finally to Ian Hough the inspiration behind No Maude cuts event at Coventry HMRC. Finally I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and look forward to 2013 where hopefully we can give this Government the kicking it deserves!

Picket the big

100 picketers took part in a load, vibrant and militant protest outside a Conservative Party Conference fringe meeting, which was organised by the Coalition for Marriage (C4M), an organisation dedicated to the opposition of equal marriage.
The protest was called as a result of an open statement initiated by PCS PROUD and West Midlands Love Music Hate Homophobia and was also rapidly backed by local LGBT community groups, Birmingham City Councillors, trade unions and student unions. The (C4M) rally was addressed by Ann Widdecombe, Lord Carey (former archbishop of Canterbury) and David Burrows MP, drawing attention to the disquiet which exists amongst the Tory right and prominent figures in the church over equal marriage for same sex couples. PCS union activist Jan Baxter who is also the LGBT executive member for the Midlands Trade Union Congress said We believe allowing same sex couples the opportunity to marry will have a positive impact on wider public attitudes towards LGBT people and ultimately contribute to a more inclusive and accepting society. Despite massive strides in legal reform, LGBT people continue to find themselves under attack. This rally is a sharp reminder of the backwards bigotry and homophobia which still exists in society even among senior and prominent figures. It calls into question whether the Conservatives were ever really serious about equal marriage and comes at a time where LGBT people find themselves bearing the brunt of vicious cuts and austerity All three speakers have defended gay cures, a practice widely condemned by medical professionals including The British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP). David Burrows MP is reported to be linked to the

Debbie Elson wins first TUC Midlands award for Learning

gots
Christian charity CARE which sponsored a London event in 2009 offering healing for gay people. According to the charity Stonewall, Anne Widdecome has opposed 93% of LGBT legislation in support of LGBT rights. This ranged from equalising the age of consent to the prevention of bullying in schools. Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury describes equal marriage as amounting to one of the greatest political power grabs in history Kirat Raj Singh from Vice President of Birmingham City University Student Union said David Cameron claims the Tories are different from the homophobes who introduced Section 28 under Thatcher. Yet, since poor local government election results, the bigots have been allowed to come out of the woodwork. Some Tory ministers now oppose marriage equality. Cameron is giving Tory MPs a free vote so homophobic Tories will vote against it. We are concerned that the Conservatives are not prepared to take on homophobia in their party or at senior levels of the church as they believe this would alienate their traditional voting base.

Midlands City in Focus: Nottingham

Broxtowe Save Our NHS campaign calls for the general election to be a referendum on the NHS 100 people attending a local campaign meeting in Boxtowe on the 2nd November, heard how the Health and Social Care Bill would open the door further to the marketisation of the NHS which started under new Labour. This has been accelerated by the Con-Dem coalition towards a privatised health care service where quality of care is dependent on ability to pay. The Notts Trades Council sponsored Broxtowe Save our NHS campaign was officially launched at the meeting with funding coming from the TUC Midlands Region as a direct result of a PCS motion. Notts Trades Council have chosen Broxtowe the marginal constituency of Tory MP and ex-Central TV presenter, Anna Soubry, who was recently promoted to junior Health Minister. An NHS campaign offered a great opportunity to bring together different unions, campaign groups and local people under a united banner. Notts TUC president Liam Conway said that success depends on the ability of the trade union movement to build a genuine community campaign. He added that Notts Trades Council want the 2015 election in Broxtowe to be a referendum on the future of the NHS. Ex-Broxtowe Labour MP, Nick Palmer, gave a chilling vision of a health service to come. He stated should he be returned to Parliament, he would oppose any further privatisation but not seek to undo the restructuring of the NHS allowed by the Health and Social Care Bill. He believes a future Labour Government should end the pressure on hospital managers to open services up to private patients and introduce a presumption against private providers in the commissioning of health services. Sharon Vasselin speaking as a Unison shop steward at Nottingham City Hospitals gave a history of the creeping privatisation of health services over the last 10 years and sketched out a post-Bill future of increasing private ownership, increasing costs, and a driving down quality and leading to abuses like that at Winterbourne View. Anne Pridmore, a disabled user of the Independent Living Fund and Disabled People Against Cuts activist, talked about the proposed closure of the service would jeopardise the independence of thousands of disabled people across the UK and that the privatisation of the NHS will disproportionately affect 10 million disabled people in the UK today. Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Arun Chopra, speaking in a personal capacity, described a publically owned NHS as a statement of social solidarity adding, most people dont understand the severity of the threat of privatisation. Further activity is planned in Broxtowe throughout the next six-months and, it is hoped, will build into a public showdown between Soubry and Labour shadow Health Minister Andy Burnham sometime next year.

LGBT cuts wreck lives

30% of young homeless people in urban areas identified as LGBT according to the homeless charity Crisis. Twice as many LGBT people are forced to work after 70 which will only be compounded by the recent cuts in pensions and rise in pension age. Research suggests trans unemployment could be 3 times the national average and 60% of those working live on less than 10,000 per year. The Stonewall charity last month found that 3 percent of gay men have tried to take their own lives in the last year. That compares to 0.4 percent of men in general. The national union of students states recent cuts Education maintenance allowance and a rise in tuition fees disproportionately impact on LGBT young people as they are more likely to be estranged from their parents or receive no financial support from them.

The TUC awards dinner was attended by unions across the Midlands and politicians including Margaret Beckett and Birmingham MP Jack Dromey (see pic right). Debbie was won her award for her exceptional work on apprenticeships in the Midlands.

Join the alternative Christmas carol singing event on Beeston High Street, 10am Saturday 8th December

OCT 18thFrancis Maude was met with a 15-minute walkout by more than 250 staff as he visited Revenue and Customs in Sherborne House

Coventry.

NOV 14th Hu for 15 minutes the European

14th NOVPCS R& Nottingham

30 November Department for Transport National Strike

30 NOVNottingham DSA and DVLA strikers

30 NOVPCS R&C West Mercia Wolverhampton Deansgate

undreds walk out s on the day of n General Strike

NOV 30th One year on from the largest strike since the 1926 General Strike, thousands of PCS members protest. Department for Transport members strike. A reminder of the need for national co-ordinated action against austerity

&C East Midlands Branch m Castle Meadow

30 NOVPCS DWP Derbyshire

Organising to Win
Steve Battlemuch, Regional Organiser

did not mind being leafleted. I suspect the events of the previous day showed who really look after staffs interests. 9-30am arrived at Apex Court in Nottingham to deliver 300 leaflets for the first PCS all members meeting to be held there its a new office combining a lot of different departments and agencies. Managed to contact national press office and DfE group about the closure news I had picked up that morning.

11-00am Visited Castle Meadow site of the HMRC HQ in Nottingham who were having a 15 minute protest about the A day in the life of a regional organiser changes to Term and Conditions. (see pages 6&7). This was the day of the general strikes in parts of Europe and whilst we Wed 14th November were not on strike it is great to see members here (and in Wolverhampton HMRC) making a protest against our own cuts 7.45 am arrive at the Department and in solidarity with others. for Education office on the 11-30 am back to Apex Court to get the photos of the University of Nottingham campus (see photo). Probably the best view protest sent off to the local paper and to PCS HQ. We now live in the age of instant communication so was keen to upload the I have had when leafleting for PCS over the years. This is the office of photos to Facebook and Twitter too hopefully this gets information directly to activists who follow PCS on these the National College for School Leadership which has been platforms. brought into the Civil Service by the Government yes hold the front page an office previously outside the Civil Service PM the rest of the day was spent catching up on emails and now a part of it!! messages, the most important of which was the case of a member working for MITIE in Telford who was rightly pointing The day before DfE had announced the closure of its linked office at Ruddington about 8 miles away. The Ruddington staff out that MITIEs promises around pensions have proven to be would have to move here. I was leafleting about the PCS cam- false I contacted the PCS branch and the Commercial Sector paign against the performance management changes that DfE group to agree a way forward. Finally I finished the day are bringing in. Plenty of members and non members stopped preparing a presentation I was giving the following day to a public meeting in Derby on austerity. Note to self when I got to talk and seemed interested in what we had to say. After a while a facilities manager from Sodexo came to see me and the job no one told me I needed to be an expert on economics! However re reading the recent PCS booklet on Austerity suggested I move on! I politely refused. He wanted to know who had given me permission and I pointed out that I was only helped enormously and I now felt able to give the speech a giving leaflets out and that nobody seemed to mind. He went good go. Just then an email from the meeting organiser arrives and reminds me that I have no more than 10 minutes for the off to talk to someone to see if he could get me removed. presentation .. So back to the drawing board After this a member came out and offered me a coffee and told me to ignore the man from Sodexo - staff had said they Steve Battlemuch

Check your factsa guide to PCS pamphlets

Two years ago PCS argued there is an alternative to the cuts. This pamphlet not only argues how we need this now more than ever but damningly illustrates how the ConDem austerity programme is not working. With simple illustrations of how income inequality has widened this pamphlet not only tackles head on the impact of massive bonuses and pay increases for the rich but the impact of regional pay, cuts and austerity on the rest of us. This vital pamphlet examines the impact of austerity on everything we hold dear in our welfare state from cradle to grave. It concisely highlights the dangers but also presents an alternative.

To organise a brief training session for workplace activists on Count me in or a 1 day Organising for branches course for your branch please contact the Midlands Regional Office on 0121 643 4342 today.

Originally published in 2010. Over 250 000 copies of this pamphlet have been distributed with many more reading online. Whilst sadly the concerns it has raised have proven to be right and credible so too are the alternatives, making them all the more important to fight for.

Jointly produced with UNITE, NUT, UCU and the national pensioners convention this pamphlet thoroughly addresses the issue of fair pensions. Whether state, private or public there should be fair pensions for all tackling the argument one should not be at the expense of the another

If history has taught us anything, it is never to turn our back on the threat posed by racism and fascism. This pamphlet tackles the challenges of the cuts, defends a multicultural UK, highlights PCS policy, campaigns and our partners.

An introduction to...

Agnieszka Grulkowska Bargaining Unit Asst.

What does your job involve? - As part of the Midlands team my role is to provide support to the officers. I am currently assisting the Learning Organiser on the trade union education programme. Tell us something about yourself that your colleagues dont know? - I can sometimes be very quiet! What makes you angry? - Laziness especially my husband! If you had a fantasy dinner party, which 6 people would you invite and why? - My colleagues from the Regional Office the North West and London regions
th th

th PCS MIDLANDS REGION ROUND UP October 20 - 15 buses sent from the

7th OctoberExcellent turnout for the Demonstration at the Tory party conference, 300+ PCS members mainly from the region, with delegations from

region, with an 700 + members at the march, good reports from across all town committees about the day. Regional Banner and Town banners carried on the march.

7 NovemberCorby By Elections HustingsA successful event with 4 Stoke Public Meeting Tuesday 9 OctoberThe region sponsored a public candidates attending, two others sent in statements, the only no-show the meeting held jointly with local trades Labour candidate! Over 30 in council reps, but in chief organised by attendance, 25 of these PCS members. the Stoke town committee, Mark The newish Town and County committee Serwotka was one of the main gust speakers, the meeting attracted over 150 Northampton were very pleased. Details of the evening and the answers were people from Stoke, at least 40 of these placed on the website. were PCS members.

What is the best bit about working for PCS? - The staff and being able to help members. If you were granted 3 wishes what would they be? Working full time, lose 20lb and give health to everybody What is your favourite book? - I read lots of books, particularly crime novels. What is your favourite film? - Twilight

PCS Organisers and Learning Reps vote to suspend standing orders at the Midlands O&L Conference to hold an emergency discussion in their lunchtime to discuss the attacks announced at the Conservative Party Conference on Civil Service terms and celebrated a concept around learning that is not about acting in isolation but conditions and facility time.
The conference held Leicester in October saw 59 ULRs and branch organisers meeting to discuss the learning agenda. Challenging ULRs and organisers alike to consider their role in the engaging potential of the learning agenda both to up skill and empower. Lay activists brought alive the national Count me in campaign in a way that was practical and meaningful for workplace activists and the conference reinforced, clarified and

The conference agreed to organise headline Learning events around:

Black History Month in October Disabled History Month in December LGBT History Month in February International Womens Day in March International Workers Day in May Chainmakers Festival in June

has always been part of the union tradition. This was concretely illustrated by examples from an excellent MOJ project by Helen Penn Berkeley and Mark Robinson which resulted in 6 new ULRs, 6 new H&S reps and the reinvigoration of two moribund branches. Debbie Elson held a session on apprenticeships in the workplace, and delegates fed back from the various learning events and networks in their localities.

Help with Count me in aims for:

2% increase in density in 2012 Increase ratio of reps 1:26 to 1:25 +150% or +60, 000 members with

personal contact details on Commix