Suspensions and intimidation of the fight by civil servants in the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to improve their earnings and to resist a new performance related pay system. The dispute directly challenges Tony Blair's plans to savagely prune the civil service and make staff work longer and harder for less money.
Despite another solid two-day strike by workers in April organised by the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), senior managers of the Department acting on behalf of the Government have refused to increase their 2003 pay award.
They are also pressing ahead with PDS, a controversial new system designed to increase the share of performance related pay in future awards.
Union leaders at the DWP have responded by setting several new strike dates. However they have been slow to escalate a dispute that should have been fought last year.
They were reluctant to call out members before February (for an award that should have been paid the previous July) and this encouraged the employers to think they
could take on the union.
The union's campaign of non-co-operation against the new performance related
pay system has also been half hearted. Line
managers were requested not to write
reports for staff under PDS but were ...... advised to comply if threatened with suspension.
In the last week of April, over 20 line managers decided to suffer suspension without pay rather than dirty their hands participating in a performance related sys... .. Irvine in Scotland - including areas wher no line manager has yet been suspended.
Already senior managers Department have written to the unio complaining about branches organising thi "wildcat" action. They have been trying t intimidate staff and have threatened to dis cipline the thousands taking part, but thi risks inflaming a highly volatile situation.
Rumours suggest they are even consider ing suspending flexible working policie throughout the Department, in order t stop people leaving altogether after cor time (3pm in many offices).
Activists are pressing PCS leaders t build on the current walkouts and conside selective action that has a real impact on th employer. The union, they argue, shoul overturn its approach to PDS, back mar agers who get suspended by paying the wages, and develop a principled campaig of non-cooperation.
It must be ready to strike back again management wherever any member is dis ciplined for supporting the pay struggle
More money must be raised for futur strike action by DWP staff through a levy all members of the union and branch har ship funds should be strengthened
A victory for members in the DWP seen as essential if the union's 2004 nation pay claim across the Civil Service is to be success. Otherwise DWP will still mea Doing Work for Peanuts.
The left-led PCS National Executive h started to coordinate pay struggles acro government departments and civil servan are urged to back Left Unity candidates the current NEC elections to continue th work.