SPVA Unity

MoD JPA system at risk of cyberattacks

2010-08-13T09:43:00.003+01:00

The accounting officer for the Ministry of Defence has said that data losses and weaknesses in the department's information infrastructure has left it vulnerable to virtual attacks.

In the MoD's resource accounts for 2009-2010, Bill Jeffrey says that although the department is working to improve awareness of potential online attacks, the risks to its cybersecurity is still a worry.

The department's Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system, which provides services including payroll functions and centralised records of service, is also singled out as a problem area by the accounting officer.

He says that despite a number of steps being taken to improve the system, "there are still concerns over the quality of elements of the underlying data set".

"This has meant that we still have a number of unresolved issues to do with payments and visibility of data on the numbers of army reservists. As part of plans to address these, the army will be undertaking a major data cleansing exercise," Jeffrey concludes.

The New Statesmen Interview: Alan B'Stard, former MP

2010-07-29T10:55:00.002+01:00

Were you elated at the collapse of New Labour?

Actually, I had mixed feelings. It's not widely known, but New Labour was my invention, a party designed to be even more accommodating to the interests of big business than the Tories. Tony understood. Gordon never got it.

Peter Mandelson claims that he was the architect of New Labour.

Well, he would, wouldn't he?

Did you vote in this year's election?

Let's just say I helped to influence the outcome.

Do you think the coalition will succeed in turning around the economy?

I'll do the jokes, thank you very much.

Will the Lib Dems survive the coalition?

I refer you to my answer of a few moments ago.

What's your opinion of the proposed changes to the voting system?

I'm in favour of them. The Alternative Vote is quite a complicated system, requiring electors to rank candidates in order of preference. This should deter a largely bovine and innumerate electorate from attempting to cast their ballots, which can only improve governance. Surely it's no coincidence that this nation's decline commenced around the time the right to vote was extended to women and the working classes.

What are the main challenges facing the new government?

You mean apart from a total lack of political nous and knowledge of the real world? The central problem is the lack of true radicalism. When this country was great, we didn't have the welfare state, a National Health Service or free education. What we did have was an empire, no income tax and a f*****g big navy. You don't need a PhD to work it out, do you?

And if the government asked for your advice?

I'd tell them to start thinking outside the box. For example, Rupert Murdoch told me in confidence that he would throw his weight and cash behind the coalition if only Vince Cable would change his name to Vince Satellite. And yet the man refuses. I'd also tell Dave to get out of Afghanistan as quickly as possible. There are far safer places where one can obtain top-grade opium.

Are we in for a double-dip recession?

We'll be lucky to get away with double. Banking and property were the only profitable sectors of the economy, and these are the very industries that the coalition is about to destroy. Either Butter Osborne has no idea or he's a secret Trotskyite.

How can you say banking was profitable?

The state bailed out banks to the tune of £750bn.The banks may not have made money, but bankers made a fortune, and spent their bonuses on enormous houses. If you ever sold your pathetic flat in north London at a profit, thank a banker for ramping up the market.

Are you opposed to tax increases, then?

Yes, but only on principle, as I don't pay tax.

You're a non-dom?

No, I just don't pay tax.

Are you taking an interest in the Labour leadership election?

Yes, in the same way I take an interest in London Zoo's attempts to persuade giant pandas to mate. The process is long-winded, pathetic and bound to end in failure.

Who is going to be the next Labour leader?

Does it matter? The party has no policies or reason to exist. And consider the candidates: three men too spineless to oppose Gordon Brown when he was driving the party bus over the cliff, one man who - amazingly - actually thought Brown knew what he was doing, and Diane Abbott, known mainly for appearing on late-night TV with those other left-wing firebrands Michael Portillo and Andrew Neil.

Now that you have retired from full-time politics, how do you spend your time?

Mind-boggling quantities of sex, mostly. But that doesn't mean I have renounced politics, as Sarah Palin will confirm if you drop 5mg of something into her drink. There's a girl who really swings to the right. And I mean swings.

What about your business interests?

I have a vast and complex business empire, manipulating world markets in several commodities. It can be hard work - it's tricky organising catastrophic oil well explosions, you know. But I simply wasn't prepared to pay full price for BP, soon to be rebranded B'Stard Petroleum.

Was there a plan?

Just the usual. World domination. Infinite sex. Immortality. So far, so good.
What would you like to forget?You. And England's pathetic performance in the World Cup. But mainly you.

Are we all doomed?

You're all doomed. I'm going to be fine.

Defining Moments

1987 Elected to the seat of Haltemprice, becoming the then youngest Tory MP at 31
1989 Attempts to assassinate Gorbachev
1990 Following (true) reports of his affairs with teenage girls, sues the Times - and wins
1992 Kills Robert Maxwell, having smuggled him out of Britain for a large fee
1993 Orchestrates Black Wednesday
1997 Tony Blair, his protégé, comes to power
2007 Abandons New Labour to become head of the World Bank

Auditors refuse to sign off MoD accountes

2010-07-27T11:22:00.000+01:00

National Audit Office says 'systemic' problems mean defence ministry is unable to account for £6bn of equipment

The National Audit Office today refused to sign off the Ministry of Defence's annual accounts, for the fourth year in a row.

The spending watchdog said the MoD was unable to account properly for more than £6bn of equipment. The head of the audit office, Amyas Morse, said that despite efforts by the MoD to tackle the issue, there remained "systemic and deep-rooted" problems with its asset management system.

He said it had emerged that the problems were more extensive than previously thought as the work done to track down the equipment brought fresh difficulties to light.

The NAO found the MoD was unable to account for the whereabouts of £5.5bn of spares and other stocks, and £752m of military equipment, including firearms and 5,961 Bowman radios worth £184m.

"Despite action by the department to improve its asset management and accounting, the issues I have identified are systemic and deep-rooted," Mr Morse said. "The level of control exercised by the department is not yet sufficient to enable me to provide an opinion on a significant proportion of assets reported in the financial statements."

The MoD said that the issues raised by the NAO had no impact on the provision of essential equipment to frontline troops. "The National Audit Office has recognised that the MoD has improved procedures for inventory management and, by the end of March this year, had completed a full reconciliation of Bowman radios," a spokesman said. "We are continuing to work hard to improve our inventory management and ensure our accounting systems become compliant with financial reporting standards, but recognise that both issues will take time to be rectified."

Corporate Greed Before Public Services... Again!

2010-04-07T13:41:00.002+01:00

30 more British corporations have unsurprisingly come out in favour of Tory plans to give them tax breaks at the expense of what they euphemistically term "government waste" and we know to be our jobs, our pay and our pensions.

To counter this, we suggest that we could all do our personal bit towards protecting our jobs, our pay and our pensions. The immediate and most effective way would be for us all to boycott goods and services of all of those companies with immediate effect. Companies such as easyJet and Travelodge, as well as the more usual suspects such as Virgin and B&Q. Even better would be to write or email such companies and let them know how you feel.

The full list of greedy corporations sucking up today to gain the patronage of the percieved victors of the next election are:Kirby Adams, Chief Executive, Corus; Surinder Arora, Chairman, Arora International Hotels; Stefan Barden, Chief Executive, Northern Foods; Robert Bensoussan, Executive Chairman, LK Bennett; Simon Blagden, Chairman, Fujitsu Telecommunications (Europe); Tony Brown, Chief Executive, Beales; Chris Dawson, Founder and Managing Director, The Range; Sir John Egan; Ralph Findlay, Chief Executive, Marston’s plc; Stephen Goodyear, Chief Executive, Young & Co’s Brewery PLC; Anthony Habgood, Chairman, Reed Elsevier; Andy Harrison, Chief Executive, easyJet; Peter Harrison, Chief Executive, Furniture Village; Grant Hearn, Chief Executive, Travelodge; Peter Hindle, Chief Executive, Jewson; Neil Hornby, Chairman, Hornby plc and Umeco plc; Luke Johnson, Founder of Risk Capital Partners and Chairman of Royal Society of Arts; John King, Chief Executive, House of Fraser; Richard Kirk, Chief Executive, The Peacock Group; Simon Lockett, Chief Executive, Premier Oil Plc; Rick Medlock, CFO, Inmarsat Plc; Mike Norris, Chief Executive, Computacenter; Tony Pidgeley, Group Chairman, Berkeley Group Holdings Plc; Jamie Ritblat, Chief Executive, Delancey; Nick Robertson, Chief Executive, ASOS; Tim Steiner, Chief Executive, Ocado; Michael Turner, Chief Executive, Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc; Tom Wells, Chairman, Charles Wells Ltd and Muntons plc; Nick Wheeler, Founder, Charles Tyrwhitt; Bob Wigley, Chairman of Sovereign Reversions plc.

Redundancy Payouts Cut to Statutory Minimum

2010-04-07T09:06:00.002+01:00

QinetiQ's new chief executive wants to cut redundancy payouts to the statutory minimum – a maximum of 30 weeks' pay for older workers – later this year, as the company plans to make 1000 of its 6500 workers redundant. He also wants to cut the notice period of six months for compulsory redundancy, along with other staff terms and conditions.

These are the same minimum terms that are being forced upon us under the new terms of Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

Read more here.

Waste report - MoD

2010-01-11T08:03:00.000Z

Members will be aware of a new wave of civilian job cuts being planned by MoD. We believe a minimum of 10,000 jobs are at risk. It is imperative therefore that we all play our part in countering the arguments by the main political parties that justifies their plans to slash our jobs.

The Guardian newspaper on 6 January reported that the MoD Equipment Programme is £35 billion over budget and five years behind schedule. This is the real waste that needs to be cut in MoD and our union believes that MoD can find many ways to make savings that do not involve yet another round of site closures and job cuts.

Our message regarding procurement is clearly having an impact.

Billions of pounds have been wasted by MoD with an over reliance on contracting out and privatising services. The Hadden Cave report released at the end of 2009 directly criticised the department’s obsession with privatisation and cuts. Our union is telling the government loud and clear that we are not prepared to sit back while members' jobs are cut and the vital services provided to the frontline are run into the ground.

We are now looking to build a dossier to support our messages of where savings could be made in the MoD. This will give all members the opportunity to report where they see real waste in the Department. The message we want to continue to get across is that the Government should not be looking to cut jobs and services but should improve efficiency by addressing the waste issue.

Examples might include high costs and delays for services supplied by contractors, expensive consultants and IT failures.

If you have any stories please feed them by email to wastereport@pcs.org.uk. All entries will be treated with the strictest of confidence.

Please help our union build our case and protect our jobs, sites and communities.

PCS pressure forces MoD U turn on sale of Kentigern House

2010-01-07T10:49:00.003Z

As we go into what could be the most difficult year ever for MoD members, our union starts the New Year by welcoming the news that the department have done a complete U turn regarding the sale of Kentigern House in Glasgow.

Our union has campaigned from day one to have this sale stopped, as although it would have netted approximately £40m in the short term, the estimated cost to the taxpayer over the 20-year lease would have been in the region of £150m. Our union quite correctly pointed out that this was a complete waste of taxpayer’s money and another example of MoD’s irrational short term thinking.

Although our union was told there was nothing we could do to stop the sale going ahead, we campaigned on a number of fronts:

Members in both the PCS MoD and PCS EDS/Hewlett Packard branches in Kentigern House petitioned their local MP’s to stop the sale.

The PCS Scotland committee lobbied MSP’s, both in writing and in face-to-face meetings
The MoD GEC arranged via the PCS parliamentary group for parliamentary questions to be raised in Westminster concerning Kentigern House.

The MoD GEC members in Defence Estates have brought up the proposed sale at every opportunity in recent months.

The sale of Kentigern House was one of the main topics of discussion at the Make Your Vote Count (MYVC) hustings event for the recent Glasgow North by-election.

Our union is in absolutely no doubt that all of this campaigning work has put pressure on the Ministry of Defence.. Our union will continue to ensure that any further MoD proposals like this have true value for money for the taxpayer; if not, we will fight them vigorously.

In 2010, we face the continued national threat to our redundancy terms; we face £180M of job cuts as a result of the current spending round and plans (PR10)) and we face a general election with all mainstream parties seemingly on a path of public sector destruction and devastation.

Our union will continue to fight all of these threats. As we have seen with the proposed sale of Kentigern House, if members are up for the fight and if we campaign in a co-ordinated, determined manner we can and will win these battles ahead.

PS - The proposed sale of neighbourhood five in Abbeywood has also been cancelled as part of this decision.

Conference Season?

2010-01-06T11:19:00.002Z

I know it is only January and the PCS Group and National Conferences take place in May, however, motions need to be written and members standing for the Group elections need to ensure their nominations and election statements are prepared in advance.

Full details of this and a timetable for MoD Group Elections and Conference can be seen at this link.

Kevan Jones responds over Kentigern House

2009-12-21T12:34:00.003Z

Kevan Jones has responded to our concerns over the future of Kentigern House.

You can read his response by downloading the PDF scan of his letter here.

This particular response was sent via Dr Liam Fox, who as Shadow for Defence was the first to gain a reply on the issue. Closely followed by Brian Simpson MEP for the North West.

Kentigern House campaign update

2009-11-12T14:36:00.004Z

Labour MEP for the north west, Brian Simpson has written to The Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth – Secretary of State for Defence on our behalf over the sale of Kentigern house. You can see his letter here .

This was a pretty quick response and we are very happy to have him on board. He promises an update when he gets a response from Bob.

Remember them...

2009-11-11T08:35:00.001Z

Unlucky for some?

2009-11-09T14:53:00.005Z

On this Friday, the 13th, to 'celebrate' the start of the HP SPVA Interim Contract, HP have arranged a complimentary breakfast for all SPVA staff. (Unless of course you aren't at core sites... sorry IPPH and VWS!)
We think that this scheme smacks of corporate hospitality. (Should we enter it in the gift book?)

We also believe that we, the taxpayer, will pay for it (indirectly) if we haven't paid for it already.

We think this idea is nuts, and that there are easier and more ethical ways of getting a breakfast.

What do you think?

Kentigern House Sale

2009-11-09T12:56:00.003Z

The sale of Kentigern House in Glasgow is going ahead.
A 20 year lease is being sought in exchange for £47 million pounds. (We understand an offer in excess of £50 million has already been received.)

The actual cost to the taxpayer however over the 20 year lease period will be in the region of £140 million when rent and maintenance costs are calculated.

We believe this to be entirely unacceptable and have sent letters to our Parliamentary representatives in protest and urge all members wherever they are based to do so.

The Veterans Agency branch have written to MPs, MSPs and MEPs and urge all members to do so. A draft letter can be viewed and retrieved here. Please ammend and personalize for your particular location. You can easily send your representatives an electronic letter through writetothem .

Cartoon of the day...

2009-10-27T10:27:00.000Z

Cartoon of the day...

2009-10-23T09:24:00.001+01:00

Cartoon of the day...

2009-10-16T14:36:00.000+01:00

You can take in the VA Branch thoughts on this here.

We are all in this together...

2009-10-08T11:11:00.002+01:00

...Yeah, right!

'Tory Boy' George Osborne claimed at the Tory conference that "we are all in this together." He gave the very real impression that merely a pay freeze, a longer working life and piffling attacks on our pensions would be THE price's we will pay to support the bankers, Old Etonians and dying millionaire's heirs. Yes we are all in this together, unless, it seems, we are in the MoD.

Todays Times reports that the Tory's plan to make 25% cuts in the costs of running the MoD, with no plans to cut uniformed personnel; "instead sweeping cuts would be applied to the 89,300-strong workforce of civilian staff employed. "

By my reackoning thats around 22,325 civillian jobs to be disposed of in the MoD.

So who, exactly, is in this together?

Cartoon of the day...

2009-10-02T09:31:00.000+01:00

The axe man cometh

2009-09-16T14:42:00.003+01:00

Yesterday the Mail published an article attacking facilities given to trade union representatives in the civil service.

Yet another area that is targeted to be axed by whichever government we eventually work for?

Read the article here

Cartoon for the day

2009-09-15T08:08:00.000+01:00

Unison forced to cut final salary schemes

2009-09-07T09:58:00.001+01:00

One of Britain’s biggest unions — which has campaigned fiercely against government cutbacks to public sector pensions — is to cut back its scheme for its own staff, says todays The Times.

Unison, which represents 1.3 million local government and NHS workers, can no longer afford its final-salary scheme for employees and has set out initial proposals to cut costs.

Unison officials accused their bosses of “sheer hypocrisy” as the union has been so aggressive in opposing similar cuts in public sector pensions.

Read more here

Thought for the day

2009-09-02T10:32:00.000+01:00

MoD lied to cover-up £200m Chinooks blunder?

2009-08-25T08:21:00.002+01:00

As reported in an exclusive in the Times today:

The shortage of helicopters in Afghanistan can be traced to a “disastrous” Ministry of Defence decision to try to economise by designing its own software, The Times has been told.
The MoD agreed in 1995 to buy eight Chinook Mk3s from Boeing for £259 million. The avionics software would have cost a further £40 million, but defence insiders say that the ministry wanted to fit its own software — in spite of a warning from Boeing that it might not work.
When the aircraft were delivered six years later, the ministry found that it could not design the software which meant that the helicopters could not fly in difficult decisions. They have been stored in climate-controlled hangars ever since, in spite of two military conflicts, and when they finally come into service the total bill will be at least £500 million.

Whistleblowing in Whitehall should be encouraged, say MPs

2009-08-11T11:40:00.002+01:00

"Whistleblowing within the civil service needs to be encouraged if the government wants to stem leaks, a cross-party group of MPs recommends."

So reports the Guardian yesterday. If you believe that, you might be interested in a bridge I have for sale?

Read the article here

News From The Sandpit

2009-08-10T09:56:00.005+01:00

Private Eye No.1242, 7-20 August, HP Sauce

" The Ministry of Defence doesn't just find itself having to rely on Russian-built and Ukranian-crewed helicopters to fill the gaps in its transport aircraft fleet in Afghanistan (see last Eye). Civilian airliners are being contracted, too.

The aprons of RAF Brize Norton and RAF Lyneham are often home to unusual aircraft, civvy planes from Oman Air and other Middle Eastern carriers among them. These aircraft augmented the tired fleet of air transport Tristars operated by 216 Squadron - a fleet so old and maintenace heavy it is known by soldiers kept waiting while new parts are bolted on as the RAF's static display team.

They fly troops from the UK out to bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, where they are transferred to military C-17 Globemasters and C-130 Hercules transports for the final leg of their journey to Kandahar. The transfers are necessary because only these military aircraft have the defensive suites built in to counter threats from surface-to-air missles and, to a certain extent, ground fire that could be encountered on their final approach in Afghan airspace. They carry flares and chaff to confuse heat-seeking missles, as well as other electronic countermeasures.

But now it emerges that two civvy airliners are flying directly to Kandahar, even though they have no defensive suites fitted. Surely this can't continue? 'Squarebasher'. "

Private Eye

You don't have to be MoD to work here...

2009-08-10T09:36:00.003+01:00

Check out the latest Eye for the lowdown on MoD accounts, and our part of the business in particular.

Read it here

The hidden truth behind drug company profits

2009-08-05T09:24:00.002+01:00

This is the story of one of the great unspoken scandals of our times. Today, the people across the world who most need life-saving medicine are being prevented from producing it. Here's the latest example: factories across the poor world are desperate to start producing their own cheaper Tamiflu to protect their populations – but they are being sternly told not to. Why? So rich drug companies can protect their patents – and profits. There is an alternative to this sick system, but we are choosing to ignore it.
To understand this tale, we have to start with an apparent mystery. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been correctly warning for months that if swine flu spreads to the poorest parts of the world, it could cull hundreds of thousands of people – or more. Yet they have also been telling the governments of the poor world not to go ahead and produce as much Tamiflu – the only drug we have to reduce the symptoms, and potentially save lives – as they possibly can.
In the answer to this whodunnit, there lies a much bigger story about how our world works today.
Read the article here

MoD challenges soldiers' compensation

2009-07-28T08:33:00.002+01:00

The Government launches an appeal today over two soldiers who won massive increases in compensation paid for injuries.
Light Dragoon Anthony Duncan, who now walks with crutches after being shot while on patrol in Iraq, was originally awarded £9,250 which was increased to £46,000 by an appeal tribunal.
Royal Marine Matthew McWilliams fractured his thigh in a military exercise and was awarded £8,250, increased to £28,750 on appeal.
The High Court upheld the higher awards, ruling that the Ministry of Defence argument that there should be a distinction between the original injury and later complications was "absurd".
Now the MoD is taking the case to the Court of Appeal, where lawyers are expected to claim the pair should be compensated only for the initial injuries and not subsequent health problems.
Read the article here

We still have no helicopters.

2009-07-20T10:33:00.003+01:00

Defence ministers spurned three separate deals to buy American Black Hawk helicopters which would have helped to plug the dangerous shortage facing British troops in Afghanistan. The most recent rejection came only days ago, the Observer can reveal.
A letter sent last week by the defence equipment minister, Quentin Davies, to Sikorsky, the US manufacturer of the Black Hawk, appears to admit that snubbing its latest offer could delay the introduction of desperately needed helicopters into Afghanistan.

Read the Observer article here

Furthermore, in todays Guardian John Hutton lays into the government over defence shortfalls in Afghanistan.

Read the Guardian article here

PUBLIC SECTOR PAY AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE AUDIT COMMISSION

2009-07-20T08:14:00.003+01:00

On the Parliament UK website last week it was recorded Dai Davis put down the following Early Day Motion regarding Steve Bundred's call for a public-sector pay freeze!

"That this House notes with concern the ill-informed call by Mr Steve Bundred, the unelected chief executive of the Audit Commission, for a public-sector pay freeze; agrees with the sentiments expressed by Mike Jackson, lead negotiator on NHS pay, terms and conditions for Unison, in his Guardian letter of 7 July 2009, that this call is an unacceptable interference, is ill-informed and crass; further notes that under Mr Bundred's watch the Audit Commission admitted in a statement on 16 October 2008 that it had deposited £5,000,000 of its cash balances in Landsbanki Islands in April 2008 and £5,000,000 in Heritable Bank, Landsbanki's UK subsidiary, in July 2008, banks which subsequently failed; finds it incredible that the Audit Commission could assert that investigations indicate that deposits were made in full compliance with the Commission's guidelines on prudent investment; recalls that Mr Bundred's current salary is £246,000, up by 26 per cent., considerably more than inflation, from the £195,000 he was paid when appointed in 2003, and contrasts this with the median salary of registered nurses at £23,345, less than one-tenth of the Audit Commission chair; and believes that if Mr Bundred wants to demonstrate leadership, he should announce the size of the cut he is planning to take in his own salary, based on his deplorable failure to manage his own Office's finances prudently on behalf of the taxpayer, as shown by reckless investment in Icelandic banks without due diligence as to their future security."

It should also be noted that John Cruddas put down the following unrelated but interesting motion...

"That this House notes that the US has not yet ratified International Labour Organisation Conventions 87 or 98 on freedom of association and free collective bargaining, and that harassment of workers trying to form trade unions is widespread and leads to 30,000 sackings every year; believes that the Employee Free Choice Act currently before Congress would give US workers the choice about whether to belong to a trade union which can collectively bargain with their employers; and calls on UK companies operating in the US publicly to support the Employee Free Choice Act and on hon. Members' colleagues in Congress to enact the Employee Free Choice Act without delay."

Japanese salarymen turn to Marx

2009-07-14T08:13:00.001+01:00

Millions of Japanese salarymen, whose fathers and grandfathers initiated this nation's economic miracle, are fully aware that the chaff has already been winnowed out of the domestic workforce.

Read the article here

No Vietnam....

2009-07-10T12:51:00.001+01:00

Myth of a private-sector pay freeze

2009-07-07T10:16:00.004+01:00

There is an urban myth that all pay in the private sector is frozen, and so public-sector pay should be frozen too. In fact, pay awards have continued in the private sector this year - about two-thirds have awarded increases, from 1% to 4% or more. A Guardian article (Chancellor signals pay squeeze for public sector, 6 July) uses misleading earnings figures which seemingly give credence to the urban myth. They write: "Average earnings in the public sector for the three months to March 2009 (including bonuses) stood at +3.6% in the public sector, compared to -1.2% in the private sector." This private sector figure is dramatically negative almost entirely because of a large drop in bonus earnings in the financial sector in February and March. (Earnings growth in finance in February was -28.4% because of the drop in bonuses for high flyers.)

The data for April 2009, using figures not seasonally adjusted and excluding bonuses, shows earnings growth of 2.5% in the private sector and 3.3% in the public sector, consistent with IDS research on pay settlements. In the private sector, the official figures show manufacturing (where most freezes are) at 1% and private services at 2.9%.

The recession has hit some companies extremely hard and others much less. There is a spectrum, within which we have found pay freezes at one end and increases up to 4% at the other. It would be quite ridiculous for an urban myth about the private sector to become the basis of policy for the public sector.

Alastair Hatchett, Head of pay services
Ken Mulkearn Editor, IDS pay report, Incomes Data Services

We remember them

2009-07-07T08:27:00.003+01:00

Today we remember the 52 victims of the London bombings of 7th July 2005, as today sees the unveiling of a permanent memorial in their memory.

Read the article here

New Elizabeth Cross Medal

2009-07-01T15:13:00.001+01:00

Families of 8,000 British troops killed since WWII to be given new Elizabeth Cross medal. The Queen is to recognise the loss suffered by the families of armed forces personnel killed on operations with the award of an honour in her name.

Read the article here

First banks, now railways?

2009-07-01T08:48:00.002+01:00

The government is to nationalise Britains most profitable railway as National Express losses control. Could it be that this government is being forced, through circumstances beyond its control, to do some of the very things our union campaigns for?

Read the Times article here

Male workers win equal pay claims

2009-06-24T22:43:00.003+01:00

A "landmark" legal decision involving three councils in the north east of England could pave the way for 12,000 men to take forward equal pay claims.

Financial settlements had earlier been made on groups of women workers paid less than men doing similar work.

On Tuesday, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that 300 male workers had been discriminated against as they were then on lower pay than the women.

The men, who were working in jobs such as care assistants, caretakers, drivers and leisure attendants, had lodged discrimination claims about bonuses paid to male workers in better paid jobs such as gardeners and refuse collectors.

This was at the same time as women in low paid jobs, who were also claiming that the bonuses were discriminatory.

'Piggy back'

Whilst the women's case succeeded and they were offered financial settlements, the men were not. This left them in a worse financial situation to the women, as well as the better-paid men.

The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that the 300 men should have been offered the same back pay as the women. These claims are sometimes called piggy back claims as the men "piggy back" on the successful women's claims.

'Flipper' elected as Speaker?

2009-06-23T11:28:00.002+01:00

John 'Flipper' Bercow (not pictured opposite) has been elected, by his peers as Speaker of the House of Commons.

So can we expect reform of MP's expenses from a man who 'cannot recall' if he benefitted from non-payment of Capital Gains Tax on the two properties he 'flipped' before selling?

What do you think?

Read it here.

Robbing of Britain, Sustained: Part Deux

2009-06-22T11:47:00.002+01:00

The Royal Bank of Scotland is set to announce a profligate and obscene £9.6 million pay deal for its chief executive, it was reported today.

Stephen Hester is believed to be in line for a salary of £1.2m, £6.4m in long-term share and stock option awards and an annual non-cash bonus of £2m.

You could make it up, but then people wouldn't believe it!

Read it here

Location, Location, Location

2009-06-18T15:05:00.005+01:00

It comes to our attention that in the continuing headlong rush to sell off the family silver, MoD are currently touting Kentigern House to the highest bidders...

...no doubt the nation will be rewarded with a deal that gives everything to private interests and nothing much to the public purse.

Ian Fraser of Scotland West Branch said, "PCS believe that this development will open the door for some departments to leave Kentigern House in Glasgow and head back down south, we are also concerned about the future maintenance of the building by a private sector landlord and whether some building support staff would transfer to the new property owner. Your BEC will be discussing this very worrying development at our next meeting (3 July 09) and I will keep you informed of our plans to oppose the sale of Kentigern House!"

We will keep you fully informed of developments, but if you hear of something first, do let us know.

Fred the Shred let's go...

2009-06-18T14:04:00.003+01:00

...of at least some of his ill gotten gains. He still walks away loaded with more than sections worth of pensions mind!

Read the article here.

Veterans Agency National Branch backs Serwotka

2009-06-17T14:44:00.003+01:00

Veterans Agency National Branch today voted to support the campaign to re-elect Mark Serwotka as General Secretary of PCS.

Read more here: VA Branch blog

Bank worker given double pay by mistake will keep receiving her boosted salary

2009-06-15T10:37:00.002+01:00

Significant ruling in a case points the way to defence of members who receive overpayments in the future.

Newspaper article

Workers can accrue holiday even when on long-term sick leave, rules House of Lords

2009-06-10T22:27:00.003+01:00

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, said: "This is a victory for common sense."

Newspaper article

Where's Waldo?

2009-06-10T09:44:00.004+01:00

You might, like us , have received the latest copy of @SPVA, the "Norcross Special Edition". And like us, you might be wondering what has happened to the Norcross Trade Union Side, as like Waldo, they seem to be missing ?

Norcross TUS say, "Fear not, we are still here... we just seem to have been overlooked! Again!!!

Should we read anything into that?

Maybe, maybe not... depends how you read One Agency, One Team we guess?"

Say 'no' to fascist civil servants

2009-06-09T09:07:00.002+01:00

Please sign the petition to say 'no' to the BNP in the civil and public service.
Civil servants deliver a huge range of services as part of implementing government policies and programmes.
It is vital that we prevent BNP members from working in public services so the public are assured extremists are not able to discriminate against people including ethnic minorities as well as women, gay people and the disabled.
Staff should instead promote legal public sector equality duties. The prison service and the police service are currently allowed to ban staff from being members of far-right groups and we wish to see a ban extended across the public sector especially in the Home Office.

Link

Make Your Vote Count

2009-05-29T09:06:00.003+01:00

Just a reminder that it is election day on the 4th of June... just two days before the anniversary of the D-Day landings, when men of many nations and all races joined together to strike a decisive blow against nazism.

Let us not forget their sacrifice.

Vote on June 4th, for hope, not hate.

SPVA Branch Structures

2009-05-27T11:15:00.005+01:00

This diagram shows the structure of the PCS in SPVA and the relationships of the branch's to the GEC and NEC. Click on the image for a clearer view.

Blackmail fear as data lost by EDS from Imjin...

2009-05-25T23:02:00.011+01:00

...despite at the time dismissed as routine clerical and pay data seems to have included sensitive details of drug abuse, extra marital affairs and the visits to prostitutes of RAF personnel.

Yet again the wisdom of placing sensitive data in private hands for private profit is called into question.

But will EDS have the size of their cake reduced or face any penalty at all for their routine negligence? Well, given that their partners, our employers in the MoD kept stum about the true contents of the data until a successful FOI request revealed it today, it is highly doubtful!
BBC News
Check out Andy Boylan's (Veterans Agency National Branch) speech to conference on motion A14 that refers:
Veterans Agency National Branch blog

The Robbing of Britain Sustained...

2009-05-25T13:50:00.006+01:00

Royal Bank of Scotland is under fire over new bonus schemes for its chief executive, Stephen Hester, amid yet further 'concern' about the performance criteria attached to multimillion-pound awards by a bank 70% owned by the taxpayer.

The latest theft of public money follows the award of shares worth £5m to four RBS bankers last week. The largest award was to Ellen Alemany, who runs the bank's US business and was given almost 6m shares, worth £2.4m based on Friday's closing price of 41p. Three other bankers had awards of about 1.8m shares each, worth about £750,000 at current share prices.

The shares were awarded during an ongoing review of the pay structure for Hester, parachuted in as chief executive when Sir Fred Goodwin was ousted last year. Goodwin's pension of £700,000 a year continues to cause controversy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/24/rbs-banking-bonus-scheme-criticism"

SPVA delegate addresses conference

2009-05-22T01:30:00.005+01:00

Andy Boylan of Veterans Agency National Branch moves a motion at the annual delegate conference 2009. The photograph is taken from the perspective of an MoD delegate... at the front of conference this year.

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/conference/reports/thursday-afternoon.cfm

Mark Serwotka addresses the opening of 2009 ADC

2009-05-20T23:45:00.001+01:00

http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/conference/reports/

MoD Group Conference 2009

2009-05-19T01:31:00.000+01:00

Mark Serwotka addresses the MoD Group Conference.

SPVA Unity begins.

2009-05-19T01:30:00.000+01:00

At the PCS Annual Delegate Conference 2009 in Brighton, the SPVA branches meet together for the first time and agree to join together and establish an SPVA blog to share unity of purpose of their respective branches and to act as a communication hub for members and branch officers. Ian Melvin of VA branch volunteered to set up a blogger page for the purpose and to maintain it into the future...