Members of the Public Services, Tax and Commerce Union (PTC) and the Civil and Public Services Association (CPSA) in Customs and Excise at Gatwick airport are striking in a long running row over shift rosters. Members voted for a day’s action after management imposed a loss of rest days from the current roster.
The strike follows a two day action twelve months ago. Union officials said that management’s action was the latest in a long series of detrimental changes to the annual hours worked contract.
Anger is growing in the Civil Service at the threat to jobs and conditions posed by the Government’s use of the Private Finance Initiatives. Messengers at the Home Office HQ struck for four days at the start of November. Messengers have already been subject to two efficiency reviews. The announcement of a third (to be conducted by a private company brought in to manage the service) followed by a PFI project was the last straw.
The PTC recruited 16 members in the messenger grades after deciding on a strike ballot. All 70 members participated in the strike — bar two on long term sick leave.
Members of PTC and CPSA in the Department of National Savings took part in a one-hour stoppage last month in protest at plans to transfer them to a private company under PFI. Members voted also not to volunteer to co-operate with visits from companies bidding for the contract.
The current PFI plans would mean companies taking over the whole National Savings operation, affecting over 4,000 staff. Bidders include familiar names such as EDS, Siemens and ICL.
Ministers in the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) have decided to transfer their Procurement Prequalifications Systems Division (PPSD) to the private sector from 1st April 1998. PPSD is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the registers of approved building firms used by Government Departments and local authorities.
DETR has stated that the transfer will be a public sector/private sector partnership rather than privatisation. PTC officials have ridiculed this: as the public sector half of this partnership seems likely to consist of DETR retaining ownership of the registers and both staff and operations will transfer to the private sector, this is a privatisation. DETR has admitted to the trade unions that the Government’s spending limits are one of their motivations. Transferring PPSD will help the Department stay within budget.
PTC stated that no serious considerations had been given to other options for the future of PPSD, such as executive agency status or removal of the Treasury bar on charging for its services. Union officials have reminded DETR of the commitment by Secretary of State John Prescott to a new and better Department and valuing the work of public servants.
In the event of privatisation proceeding, PTC will be demanding guarantees on severance terms, pension rights, conditions and trade union representation.