Civil Service union - PCS - votes for strikes over pay

[poster342002]

When DWP were last on strike management reported EVERY single office open. Yes that's true, because they open it and staff them with 3 staff, none of whom can do anything.

Whereas many of the other depts open their offices with a nigh-on full compliment of staff apart from the TU reps.

From what I hear, outside of the DWP there's no meaningful strike action of any sort on strike days. Just one or two reps standing outside the office while everyon else works as usual. Now that's a SHIT situation, but one that won't go away by downplaying or ignoring it just so the trots can make themselves feel better.

 

[Zachor]

So you'll cross the picket line then?

What picket line? I'm not a member of PCS. How does a pcs picket line affect me? Not my problem.

Its not as if I'm crossing my own unions picket line is it. Oh I see its this mythical 'solidarity' bollocks. Sorry that don't exist outside the minds of union activists.

PCS showed no solidarity with its members so fuck them.

 

[Fedayn]

From what I hear, outside of the DWP there's no meaningful strike action of any sort on strike days. Just one or two reps standing outside the office while everyoen else works as usual. Now that's a SHIT situation, but one that won't go away by downplaying or ignoring it just so the trots can make themsleves feel better.

'From what you hear', yet more usueless anecdotal evidence. From what you hear.... rumour HQ must be fucking buzzing.
I suggest you actually bother to find out for yourself. HMRC, Home Office, DEFRA, Schools, Scottish Office and other departments all overhwlemingly supporting stirike action when they have it.
I would agree that there is a lack of staff participation ie on the picket lines and at the rallies.
I am not downplaying anything so stop fucking projecting your own hysterical prejudices.

 

[Fedayn]

What picket line? I'm not a member of PCS. How does a pcs picket line affect me? Not my problem.

Its not as if I'm crossing my own unions picket line is it. Oh I see its this mythical 'solidarity' bollocks. Sorry that don't exist outside the minds of union activists.

PCS showed no solidarity with its members so fuck them.

Are you in a union where you work? Does the office where you work have an agreement that PCS is the union that negotiates for staff? If your union membership doesn't get you negotiating rights andf you simply left PCS in a fit of pique and you cross the PCS picket line then yes you're a scab. The last line of your post being pretty clear on that.

 

[poster342002]

'From what you hear', yet more usueless anecdotal evidence. From what you hear.... rumour HQ must be fucking buzzing.
I suggest you actually bother to find out for yourself. HMRC, Home Office, DEFRA, Schools, Scottish Office and other departments all overhwlemingly supporting stirike action when they have it.
I would agree that there is a lack of staff participation ie on the picket lines and at the rallies.
I am not downplaying anything so stop fucking projecting your own hysterical prejudices.

Oh, go on then - maintain all your delusions. See what toss I give, ultimately.

Clearly all those people telling me about dismal levels of strike action are just imagining things. Fortuntely they have people similar to yourself and their union pamphlet to inform them of the correct version of what happened. Doubleplussgood.

 

[Fedayn]

Oh, go on then - maintain all your delusions. See what toss I give, ultimately.

Clearly all those people telling me about dismal levels of strike action are just imagining things. Doubleplussgood.

Are you really as thick as you clerarly paint yourself out to be? I suggest you pick your knuckles up of the floor and punch some fucking sense into yourself, then maybe, just maybe a discussion based on what I said rather than what you think I both think and say can take place?!

But you are convinced that I am imagining things aswell. So what's your point?

 

[ethel]

Are you in a union where you work? Does the office where you work have an agreement that PCS is the union that negotiates for staff? If your union membership doesn't get you negotiating rights andf you simply left PCS in a fit of pique and you cross the PCS picket line then yes you're a scab. The last line of your post being pretty clear on that.

i'm not in PCS as they don't represent my grade. i'll no doubt cross the picket line, again.

 

[Fedayn]

i'm not in PCS as they don't represent my grade. i'll no doubt cross the picket line, again.

You FDA or Prospect? If so then they're not in dispute so it's a fair bit different to Zachor aka keyboard jockey.

 

[Groucho]

'From what you hear', yet more usueless anecdotal evidence. From what you hear.... rumour HQ must be fucking buzzing.
I suggest you actually bother to find out for yourself. HMRC, Home Office, DEFRA, Schools, Scottish Office and other departments all overhwlemingly supporting stirike action when they have it.
I would agree that there is a lack of staff participation ie on the picket lines and at the rallies.
I am not downplaying anything so stop fucking projecting your own hysterical prejudices.

You are right on both counts. This coming action will be the most difficult yet though, and we have our work cut out between now and 10 Nov. PCS NEC have taken absolutely the right decision to call action. This one is make or break.

 

[Zachor]

Are you in a union where you work? Does the office where you work have an agreement that PCS is the union that negotiates for staff? If your union membership doesn't get you negotiating rights andf you simply left PCS in a fit of pique and you cross the PCS picket line then yes you're a scab. The last line of your post being pretty clear on that.

Although pcs is the recognised union that doesn't mean that it is represtative of the members. I'm a union member just not a member of pcs. As a member of a non recognised union then I am not covered against problems if I do strike.

So the PCS can have their little piss poorly supported strike and quite frankly I don't give a fuck.

 

[Fedayn]

So the PCS can have their little piss poorly supported strike and quite frankly I don't give a fuck.

Or more accurately fuck the PCS members I work with cos I don't care abiout them. You don't give a fuck about anyone but your slimy scabby self do you sunshine?!

 

[Zachor]

Or more accurately fuck the PCS members I work with cos I don't care abiout them. You don't give a fuck about anyone but your slimy scabby self do you sunshine?!

Not at all. I care about much more than myself. Its just that I refuse to support actions that DON'T FUCKING WORK!

If the pcs had a) paid strike pay and b) took more notice of the grass roots rather than just the Gen Secs ego then I and many others might not see them as anything other than a pointless talking shop.

 

[ethel]

You FDA or Prospect? If so then they're not in dispute so it's a fair bit different to Zachor aka keyboard jockey.

I'm in FDA. god knows where i'll end up working on strike day.

 

[Fedayn]

Not at all. I care about much more than myself. Its just that I refuse to support actions that DON'T FUCKING WORK!

If the pcs had a) paid strike pay and b) took more notice of the grass roots rather than just the Gen Secs ego then I and many others might not see them as anything other than a pointless talking shop.

So who voted for the strike action then? Did Serwotka's ego cast all the votes himself? Easy question WHO voted FOR the action?!

Take your time to come up with some bullshit response as usual.

 

[Fedayn]

I'm in FDA. god knows where i'll end up working on strike day.

Well you're not in dispute so shouldn't get any grief. I'd ask you not to cross but wouldn't get arsey if you did.

 

[poster342002]

You FDA or Prospect? If so then they're not in dispute

Has PCS made any effort to get them involved? Maybe it might be an idea to try and at least get the other CS unions on board before farting around after the NUT or UNITE, for instance.

 

[Zachor]

So who voted for the strike action then? Did Serwotka's ego cast all the votes himself? Easy question WHO voted FOR the action?!

Take your time to come up with some bullshit response as usual.

DWP members who are more activist and follow the GS line much more than other depts IMO.

 

[ethel]

In HMRC ARC (our section of FDA) had a vote and accepted the pay deal for 1 year only on the basis that negotiations on next year's deal started immediately.

 

[poster342002]

So who voted for the strike action then? Did Serwotka's ego cast all the votes himself? Easy question WHO voted FOR the action?!

From what I understand, a grand total of arournd 35% of the entire membership cast a vote - of which a slender majority was for strike action. Play it how you like, but to call a strike on such a pitiful mandate is asking for problems.

It would be very interesting to see a department-by-departmnet breakdown of this vote as well - to see in just what deparments the vote was won and lost.

 

[ethel]

just realised that i'm on leave on strike day. perfect.

 

[Fedayn]

Has PCS made any effort to get them involved? Maybe it might be an idea to try and at least get the other CS unions on board before farting around after the NUT or UNITE, for instance.

Well there was talks with bot Prospect and FDA, Prospect unilatrally pulled out of joint actuion. A mate of mine is a Prospect full time official, she was angry with her leadership for opposing jopint action. So yes PCS DID approach and have talks with Prospect. Prospect wanted to settle and not kjoin other CS unions. Next question?

DWP members who are more activist and follow the GS line much more than other depts IMO.

Wo are themswelves rank and file members. Yopu can't get angry because people voted and it's not to your liking. I'd much rather much much much more took part. personally i'd return to workplace ballots which has much greater participation.

 

[poster342002]

Well there was talks with bot Prospect and FDA, Prospect unilatrally pulled out of joint actuion. A mate of mine is a Prospect full time official, she was angry with her leadership for opposing jopint action. So yes PCS DID approach and have talks with Prospect. Prospect wanted to settle and not kjoin other CS unions. Next question?

Well without the other CS unions, you're out on a limb and very much fucked, I'm afraid.

Wo are themswelves rank and file members. Yopu can't get angry because people voted and it's not to your liking. I'd much rather much much much more took part. personally i'd return to workplace ballots which has much greater participation.

You're missing the point that the "yes" vote is disproportionately coming from the DWP - which is not healthy. It's certainly not good to interperet this as being mass support for action from the rest of the CS.

 

[Fedayn]

From what I understand, a grand total of arournd 35% of the entire membership cast a vote - of which a slender majority was for strike action. Play it how you like, but to call a strike on such a pitiful mandate is asking for problems.

Bit like nearly every government who never gets a majority. Yeah it's low, worryingly low. But what do you actually suggest, that those who didn't vote have more of a say than those who did because that's your logic.

It would be very interesting to see a department-by-departmnet breakdown of this vote as well - to see in just what deparments the vote was won and lost.

I'd agree on that, it would also be useful for PCS reps in each department to start to think how to re-activate and start talkingt to their members in departments where the vote was either just against or overhwlemingly against.

 

[Fedayn]

Well without the other CS unions, you're out on a limb and very much fucked, I'm afraid.

Evidence?

You're missing the point that the "yes" vote is disproportionately coming from the DWP - which is not healthy. It's certainly not good to interperet this as being mass support for action from the rest of the CS.

DWP makes up a 3rd of PCS membership. Are you suggesting that they not vote or that other de[partments votes are weighted? other than that it's not the fault of DWP staff that they vote is it?

 

[chainsaw cat]

What other leverage do we have in the end? It's the only weapon that has any real effect.

So when we went on strike to stop them changing the civil service pension for eveyone and we won it didn't work? When civil servants struck to remove unacceptable performance and sick management regulations and got rid of them they don't work?

I think we should do more than one day strikes mind you.

Work to rule.

Did great in HSE, when all the Inspectors started just doing their conditioned hours and travelling in work time. For example, me - I would routinely get in my car at 8.30, drive for 3 hours to my appointment, carry out the inspection, stop for dinner, re start, then call a halt as it was 2 pm and I would be going over my hours if I were to carry on.

Then go back the next day for the 20 minutes remaining.

Result was a massive shift in the expenses claim:work done ratio and the senior team freaked out a bit.

I hadn't even realised it but I was often doing in effect a free day a week in unpaid overtime up to then. Stopped now.


Last day as an Inspector today btw.

 

[Zachor]

Work to rule.

Did great in HSE, when all the Inspectors started just doing their conditioned hours and travelling in work time. For example, me - I would routinely get in my car at 8.30, drive for 3 hours to my appointment, carry out the inspection, stop for dinner, re start, then call a halt as it was 2 pm and I would be going over my hours if I were to carry on.

Then go back the next day for the 20 minutes remaining.

Result was a massive shift in the expenses claim:work done ratio and the senior team freaked out a bit.

I hadn't even realised it but I was often doing in effect a free day a week in unpaid overtime up to then. Stopped now.


Last day as an Inspector today btw.

This might be more effective in some places than poorly supported strike action.

 

[glenquagmire]

But not all.

And there are already action-short-of-a-strikes going on or planned in various civil service departments.

It doesn't always work though.

 

[chainsaw cat]

I'm just leaving for the private sector and sending a 5 page snot-a-gram to the boss, cc'd to our spineless union.

 

[Zachor]

I'm just leaving for the private sector and sending a 5 page snot-a-gram to the boss, cc'd to our spineless union.

That is what I'm going to do when I leave and go to a new job.

 

[dennisr]

That is what I'm going to do when I leave and go to a new job.

"scab, cut and run" coward

the only time you are brave is when you are posting anonmously isn't it?