Around 1,200 PCS trade union members at the Capital Building in Liverpool are to take industrial action next month as a result of one of their colleagues being sacked. Kevin Smith’s union believe he was targeted as a result of him being a trade union representative.
Around 1,200 PCS trade union members at the Capital Building in Liverpool are to take industrial action next month as a result of one of their colleagues being sacked. Kevin Smith’s union believe he was targeted as a result of him being a trade union representative.
PCS have warned of a worrying trend developing across the Home Office of union officials being picked off as the union challenges the increasingly hostile employer.
The union blame a culture and management style that has been allowed to grow in the UK Border Agency (UKBA) operation, which has led to Kevin’s dismissal, and now PCS are questioning the motives of the manager who was put in charge of handling the case.
Mike Jones, PCS Home Office group secretary, said:
To dismiss a member of staff for raising a complaint because he felt bullied is a disgraceful act. This is another example of a loss of control by the Home Office to allow a rouge manager to influence a decision that has led to a union representative and dedicated member of staff to be sacked.
We have serious concerns about the capability and motives of the manager appointed to investigate this case. Any question mark over the integrity of an investigator has the capacity to compromise faith in the entire disciplinary system at the Home Office. While our primary concern at the moment is Kevin, we plan to tackle the wider issues his case raises directly with Ministers. I am proud of our members for making a stand.
PCS members will begin an overtime ban on 1st March. This will last for 4 weeks to run up to 28th March. Picket lines and mass protests will be mounted during the week and at weekends outside the Capital Building in Liverpool. The union anticipate this action will be extremely well observed by its members leaving the offices virtually empty, when usually over 1,000 staff regularly do overtime at weekends.
The action by PCS members is intended to disrupt work at a time when the UK Border Agency (UKBA) are already under serious pressure to clear massive backlogs of asylum cases. There has been understaffing of permanent staff within the Border Agency for a long time and, in a panic measure, the Government has temporarily granted extra money and resources, with 500 agency staff drafted in to help tackle the backlog of permanent migration cases. Overtime is being offered seven days a week to deal with the workload. However doubts are already being raised locally as to whether targets set by the Government will be achieved by the 31st March deadline.
An overtime ban by staff could see UKBA not clearing enough cases, leading to Ministers being forced to act on this failure. Serious questions will be asked of senior managers if these targets are allowed to be missed.
Pressure will mount on UKBA and the Home Office if Kevin Smith is not reinstated and his colleagues’ actions, including a work to rule, start to affect the business further.
An Employment Tribunal claim has been filed to challenge the decision to sack Kevin. However even though this is a high profile case, the Home Office have again treated due process with complete contempt and have failed to respond to the claim – resulting in a default judgment being made against the UK Border Agency by the Employment Tribunal Service.
This is yet another example of an arrogant Department that feels it can just flout rules; meanwhile they expect staff to adhere to everything they try to impose on them or face being disciplined. Union members are determined to break the culture of ‘one rule for management and one rule for staff’.
Further action is likely to be called by PCS union if the Home Office don’t seek to resolve the dispute.
Send a message of support
By email: pcshomerseyside@hotmail.co.uk
Via Twitter: @PCSHOMerseyside
Via Facebook: PCS HOMerseyside
Sign the petition
End the culture of bullying and victimisation across the Home Office.
Defend Kevin Smith.
Tell the new Permanent Secretary what’s going on: www.pcs.org.uk/ho
Join the protests
Picket lines and mass protests will be held outside the Home Office Capital Building, Old Hall Street, Liverpool every Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 9am throughout March. Come along and encourage friends and family join in.
