Claimant numbers to increase in DWP Jobcentres from Monday; defend your rights!
On 8th September DWP announced to all staff their intention to bring claimants into Jobcentres who don’t require an emergency appointment. Jobcentres have been open throughout the crisis, but this has been limited to a small number of vulnerable people. The emphasis of the DWP announcement was to give local managers a great deal of latitude in whether they decide to do this, and how they decide to it.
In Glasgow, for example, DWP senior managers are planning to bring small numbers of the claimants in the 18-24 age group into Jobcentres. Union reps are very clear that there is no good reason for doing this and members, who were told on Friday 18th September about new face to face interviews with claimants commencing on Monday 21st September, have expressed their anger that this group are being dragged in for no good reason.
Senior managers in multiple areas, such as Greater Manchester, have indicated that because they are under ministerial instruction, they have no choice but to proceed to increase the number of claimants coming in. This is not true. It is open to managers to analyse the risks for their areas and to agree that no additional claimants will be brought into offices, particularly in locations where Covid-19 is resurgent. Handling appointments by telephone is safe and effective.
While some area managers are suggesting that the approach will be voluntary, this is not true everywhere. Some staff are simply being told that they will have appointments, as if they have no choice. The union’s advice is very clear: this is a voluntary matter both for you and for claimants and if you are worried about safety, do not volunteer.
Lack of consultation with PCS – don’t volunteer!
Local management are obliged to consult union reps and Health and Safety reps about this change, but insufficient time has been allowed for this by national DWP managers. Our advice, as PCS reps, to all members in Jobcentres is to:
· Insist that your line manager provides you with confirmation that a review of the Jobcentre Front Facing Risk Assessment has been carried out with TU present.
· Contact your local union rep and TU-appointed Health and Safety rep to make sure they have agreed the risk assessment.
If there has been no risk assessment, or it has not been agreed because managers have not put in place safety measures insisted upon by the union’s Health and Safety reps, we urge members to refuse to be involved with the appointments.
Given that the Group Executive Committee were aware of these changes, the union branch bulletin that was published late in the afternoon of Friday 18th September has come out much too late to support branches in organising an effective response ahead of the morning of Monday 21st. Despite this inadequately timed response, the GEC bulletin contains a useful list of questions and safeguards that can be discussed by reps with members and put in place through local negotiations with management.
Broad Left Network supporters who are PCS reps in DWP are strongly opposed to management’s plans to ramp up the face to face work in Jobcentres. It is unnecessary and unsafe. We urge union members not to volunteer to be involved with these appointments until all steps are taken to ensure members’ safety at work.
DWP ballot – time to ramp up the campaign
The union in DWP has recently conducted an informal ballot over this issue; nearly 80% of all staff said they would be willing to take action against the measures DWP are taking, including extension of operating hours, which the union believes are threatening health and safety. It is vital that all members look after each other and collectively insist on safety at work.
The view of BLN supporters in DWP is that the DWP Group Executive Committee should proceed to a statutory ballot. Further, the Group Executive Committee must now authorise and support all necessary measures, including leafleting outside offices in a socially-distant, safe manner, car park meetings and ensuring where members are being put into dangerous situations, we ensure that everyone understands their rights under H&S legislation and we fully back our members taking action to protect their safety. This robust approach will build the support we need to beat the 50% turnout threshold imposed on union ballots by the 2016 anti-union laws.
PCS in DWP would then be able to prepare legal strike action should DWP continue ploughing ahead with changes which threaten the health and safety of our members and that of the public.
It is clear from the indicative ballot that members are deeply unhappy and are prepared to take action. That force must now be brought to bear against DWP which is also determined to bring in late opening and Saturday working to put even more pressure on our members and adversely impact safety. With the Cabinet Office insisting that all staff must work at least one day from the office, it is likely that without a serious campaign from the union, there will be a steady erosion of the safety measures we currently have in place.
A robust response from the union is therefore necessary, challenging every breach of safety legislation by DWP and developing a collective response across vulnerable areas like the Jobcentres and Universal Credit. Only this will force DWP to put safety first and protect our members in their offices.
PCS Broad Left Network 