Overwhelming ballot result

In the recent consultative ballot, 82% of members in CCS voted overwhelmingly in support of taking further discontinuous strike action while 89% voted to say that further improvements to working conditions in CCS were needed before the dispute could be ended.

Immediately after the ballot result was known the GEC demanded urgent talks to see if there was any way to avoid calling industrial action through a last minute deal with the employer. Unfortunately these talks have not provided that breakthrough and so, when the GEC met on 26th July it decided that further industrial action was now necessary.

GEC Decision

The GEC has not taken this decision lightly. It is over 14 months since the last industrial action in this dispute. This shows that the GEC has done everything possible to secure further improvements for you through negotiations with CCS. We have given CCS management many opportunities to meet our demands but they have failed to do so.

Even worse just days after the result of the ballot was known, CCS management, in an act of extreme provocation, announced their decision to privatise JSA Online work from September, without consultation with PCS.

Last Resort

In this situation the GEC has decided as a last resort to call further industrial action. Members have clearly said they are prepared to take further action and it is now clear that this is the only way to place sufficient pressure on the employer to make the improvements to your working conditions so badly need in CCS.

Indeed, every time we have made progress in improving the working conditions in CCS it has been when we have shown the employer that members are prepared to take strike action.

Accordingly PCS is calling on members in CCS to take the following industrial action, under our existing mandate for discontinuous industrial action:

• A one day strike on Monday 13th August 2012.
• An overtime ban to begin on 14th August 2012.

The GEC will continue to seek a negotiated settlement with the employer. We have made it clear to management that we are ready to meet them at any time but that a meeting is unlikely to be productive without significant and substantial improvements by management.

Our demands

We have made to management what our members want -

• Urgent recruitment of new staff to ease the pressure on staff and to enable CCS to provide a proper customer service
• Measures to integrate processing work into CCS to reduce handoffs, improve customer service and provide the variety of work and skills for our members
• Greater access to flexi time, particularly at the end of the day.
• An end to the privatisation of CCS work and no outsourcing of JSA online work
• A fundamental change to the management culture in CCS to replace current oppressive management approach with one that supports values and respects its staff.

Further action

This action is part of a campaign of discontinuous industrial action.

Further action is planned and will be called if sufficient progress is not achieved with the employer.

Support the Campaign, All Out on 13th August

PCS website