Photos from Budget day action - - Outpost Corby

What is a single day's pay worth?

One day's pay could help save the compensation scheme. One day's pay could help save your job.

Nobody likes to lose any of their hard earned pay. But if we lose this campiagn it will be easier for any future government to get rid of our staff on the cheap. Isn't it more sensible to sacrifice a little to keep what we have, than to do nothing now and risk everything?

Make Your Vote Count - Members Question Time

As part of the Make Your Vote Count campaign, PCS Northamptonshire have decided to hold a question time event which will allow members to put questions direct to the candidates standing at the General Election.

We have written to all the candidates standing in the Northampton North and Northampton South constituencies, with the exception of the BNP, to offer them the opportunity to speak directly to PCS members about the issues which affect us all.

Our plan is to hold a separate event for each constituency and we will keep you updated with every response we receive.

PCS Write To Gordon Brown

After receiving no reasonable responses from our letter to Tessa Jowell, Mark Serwotka has now written to Gordon Brown in an attempt to seek a negotiated settlement to our dispute.

PCS remain adamant that negotiation is the only way to meet our needs to defend the Compensation Scheme. It would be great if we receive an early promising response from the Prime Minister, but in the meantime, we must continue to prepare for March 24th.

Hope Not Hate March

Although the action to defend the Compensation Scheme is foremost in PCS's priorities at the moment, and we all need to deliver a positive day of action on March 24th, there are still campaigns that need supporting.

One of these is the fight against fascism, and particularly the BNP.

It is predicted that the BNP will field candidates in 400 constituencies during the upcoming general election, and it is vital they win none of them.

To that end there is a Hope Not Hate day of action being held in Northampton on March 27th. The more people that attend this event and say that there is no place for this party of hatred the better.

Cut Bankers Bonuses Not Civil Servants Compensation

Getting Rid Of Civil Servants Is A False Economy

On Budget Day, Do The Maths

Budget Day = Strike Day. National action now set for Wednesday 24th March.

In order to gain the maximum publicity the next day of action will take place on Budget Day, the 24th March. For full details click on the link below.
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/campaigns/cscs/cscs-updates-and-briefings/national-action-now-set-for-budget-day.cfm 
Remember that if you take action on 24th March it will not affect your pay until the end of April.

All Out On March 19th

More information to follow but link to PCS page is here

PCS Northamptonshire Committee - Many branches, one union

Clare Edwards (HMRC) Mark Edwards (DWP) John Andrews (DWP) Lewis Bevan (HMRC)

Regardless of which organisations we work for, PCS members are faced with similar issues and concerns. PCS is the fifth biggest union in the country, but we punch above our weight because we are an active, campaigning union.

The Northamptonshire branches of the Ministry of Justice, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions are working closer than they have ever done before, because we recognise that united we are stronger that we are as individual branches.

We are working to ensure that all the PCS branches in the county are involved in the Northants Committee. In the months ahead we will continue to work together on the Compensation Scheme campaign and in the run up to the General Election the Make Your Vote Count campaign.

It is early days but we are confident that the more we work together, the better things will be for all the PCS members in Northamptonshire.

PCS Strike on local news

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/england/realmedia/eastmidlandstoday/eastmidlandstoday?size=16x9&bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1

A report on local news which includes Northants reps at the rally in Leicester.

Interview on Radio Northampton

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p006pyh8

Lewis Bevan, the Chair of the HMRC branch in Northamptonshire, was interviewed on picket line in Kettering on Monday. Interview starts at 1hour 6 minutes and finishes at 1 hour 11 minutes.

Industrial Action - March 2010

Congrats to all Northants PCS reps for the action delivered over the past 2 days. Good coverage in local media, including Northampton Chronicle and Echo, Kettering Evening Telegraph and BBC Radio Northampton.

R&C Group reps attending lobby of Parliament tomorrow (10 March), including meetings with Northants MPs. report to follow.

PCS Strike Great Success in Northamptonshire

The campaign to prevent jobs cuts on the cheap has received strong support from PCS members across Northamptonshire. With picket lines outside Jobcentres, tax offices and courts we have highlighted the campaign against changes in our compensation scheme. There have been articles in the Chronicle and Echo and the Evening Telegraph, which has raised the profile locally of the campaign. There were also items on the local and national news. Lewis Bevan from HMRC branch was interviewed on the picket line in Kettering by Radio Northamptonshire and one local member was involved in the Victoria Derbyshire debate on Radio Five Live.

Reps and activists despute the claims by managers that most members still went into work. Several branches reported an increase in new members and even new reps. Members who had crossed picket lines in the past stayed at home and many picket lines reported a great deal of public support.

If you want to see more about how the action has been reported, click on the links below:
http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/Strike-disrupts-a-string-of.6133911.jp