Shared Services Message

TO ALL PCS MEMBERS AND REPS IN SHARED SERVICE CENTRES IN DEFRA AND DWP.
TO ALL PCS BRANCH SECRETARIES IN DEFRA AND DWP GROUPS  

TO ALL GEC MEMBERS IN DEFRA AND DWP

ANNOUNCEMENT OF ISSC2 PRIVATE SECTOR PREFERRED BIDDER

1.   By now, you should have seen a message from Stephen Kelly, the government’s Chief Operating Officer, confirming that the Government's preferred bidder for the delivery of shared services, HR and Finance transactions is Steria UK.  The message was released 5.30pm yesterday, and may have been cascaded differently in different departments. 

3. The purpose of this note is to give you a brief update on shared services, pending a more detailed bulletin and further members meetings.

4.  Thank you to all of you in the shared service centres who have come to meetings across the country to hear an update and feed in views to the work we are doing around the Governments proposals to transfer the HR and finance transactional services into the private sector. We have had at least one meeting in the vast majority of areas impacted by this and it is clear that the overwhelming majority of you do not want to transfer to the private sector, and remain extremely concerned about your futures and your job security.  This is on top of issues such as the future of your pension, conditions of service, PCS recognition and location, to name but a few.

5. Hopefully you will have received the bulletins and leaflets that PCS has already issued, but if you haven't then please contact Leeds@pcs.org.uk

6. The purpose of this note is to inform you of all of the following:

·      we already have a meeting with Steria UK pencilled in on 16 September. It is clear from the talks that we are having with the Cabinet Office that they remain determined to plough ahead to privatise this work  and this is very disappointing .  We remain equally determined to stop them.  The plans to off shore and privatise make no financial sense at all and we will continue to press this home, not only in talks with the Cabinet office but also with MP's and our Parliamentary Group.  Those of you who have been in touch with your local MP have already helped increase the pressure and we must continue to do this. 

·       to reassure you that all issues members have raised with us have been taken to the Cabinet Office as part of our talks. However, PCS continue to have very serious concerns about government proposals, not only because proposals include transferring work out of the public and into the private sector and all that brings with it but also because of the leaked proposals to send this work overseas (off-shoring) which the Cabinet Office, when we challenged them, confirmed had not been ruled out.

·      we have written to the Permanent Secretaries of each department impacted by this asking for a guarantee they will not allow off shoring and that staff will retain their civil service status. If we do not get this assurance we will be in dispute with each of these employers. 

·     the role you play is crucial so please continue to raise questions with local management, write to your MP and offices arrange delegations to meet local MPs. Letters and e-actions can be found here www.pcs.org.uk/savesharedservices 

·       Please continue to encourage non-members to join PCS - the stronger we are the more likely we are to win.

7. Additionally national and group representatives will be meeting your branch committees and holding further meetings with you to update you and gain your input.

In the meantime if you have any issues you want to talk through then please get in touch with your local rep in the first instance or alternatively

CHRIS BAUGH and MARION LLOYD NEC

For further information DWP members should contact –

Sam Hall 01349 812412 sam.hall@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Steve Cawkwell 0113 200 5300 stevec@pcs.org.uk