pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, Pay, strikes

Members meeting 01/02/2023

Our strike re-ballot arrived on 16 January 2023 to give us a chance to tell the Tories that enough is enough. In support of this PCS is holding a members meeting about the ballot on Weds 1st Feb 1630-1730.

It is a chance to ask us your questions about the ballot, national strategy, or about a potentially upcoming strike.

This also coincides with the TUC national day of action – with many areas telling the government their economic approach to pay and employment rights is not good enough.

Members can join online via Zoom, or in person at regional PCS Office, Town Centre House, Merrion Centre, Leeds LS2 8LY.

The zoom link is contained in the email to all Leeds members sent on 26/01/2023.

Solidarity.

pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, Pay, strikes

Face-to-face member’s meeting – 26/10/2022 @ 12:00 – guest speakers, Q&A, free food, cash prize draw

Members are invited to an open meeting of PCS Leeds R&C Branch on Wednesday 26 October. It will be held at Quayside House, Canal Wharf, LS11 5PS opposite ‘Waterlane Boathouse’. We will meet outside 7/8 Wellington Place by 12:00 noon (look for a PCS flag) and walk over, however it is just 8 mins walk from the office and you can choose to meet us there.

The meeting will discuss our industrial action ballot for a living wage, fair pensions and job security, which runs until 7 November. There will be guest speakers from the TUC, UNISON, UCU, and the CWU, to talk about how our ballot fits into the wider industrial picture and how we can win. There will also be a Q&A session, along with a cash prize draw for all attendees for 3 prizes of £40, £20 and £10.

This meeting is a great opportunity to ask questions you may have about the ballot, learn how you can get more involved, and meet reps and fellow members face-to-face. Members are advised to register for the meeting using the link in the email sent 20/10/2022 by Yorkshire and the Humber Hub. Please also let us know if you are attending on the facebook event.

We hope to see you there.

pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, Pay, strikes

How to request a replacement ballot paper

If you are a PCS member, by now you should have received your ballot for the vote on strike action running from 26 September to 7 November 2022.

If you are a PCS member and you haven’t received your strike ballot, you can request a replacement, but you must do this before 24 October 2022.

Requesting a replacement ballot paper can be done via your membership record on PCS Digital. Before requesting, please check your address is up-to-date, as an incorrect address may be the reason you never received your ballot in the first place.

If you have any questions about the ballot, you can check out our Strike FAQ, or contact us.

pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, Pay, strikes

Payday rally 30/09/2022

PCS Leeds branch are holding a rally at noon on payday – the 30th of September. We need members and non members to join us and come say hello outside 7/8 Wellington Place at 12 – we’ll have flags at both exits. This is about raising awareness of the absolutely crucial pay ballot that starts on the 26th. Because we can’t use employer systems to discuss it, many people will be unaware this is happening.

At 12.15 we’re going to then walk to the post boxes opposite Crowne Plaza Hotel on Wellington Street to post ballots – bring yours if you’ve not already posted it.

Please come down, and tell your colleagues to bring their ballots

There is an event on Facebook here https://fb.me/e/4H3RjZgxI

Our FAQ on the ballot is on our website here https://pcsleedshmrc.home.blog/ballot-FAQ/

PCS logo flag
pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, News, Pay, strikes

Strike Ballot – Frequently Asked Questions

PCS goes to a national ballot from the 26th September – 7th November 2022, and there has never been a more important time to join, or participate.

We have created a ‘Ballot FAQ’ page that members and non-members can be directed to, to answer some of the questions we are hearing about the ballot

Below are the questions currently listed. We intend to keep this up to date and welcome members and non-members idea for other FAQ that should be listed.

pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, News, Pay

We demand better: demonstration on 18 June

After 2 years of devoted service and hard work to keep our country afloat during the pandemic, Civil Servants have been thanked with the scandalous news that they will be subject to 90,000 job cuts.

This is unacceptable. And it doesn’t end with the Civil Service: living standards are plummeting while costs are soaring, wages are stagnating across the board, and workers’ rights across the UK are under threat—just take a look at what they did to workers at P&O.

On 18 June, workers are uniting in London to deliver a clear message to this government: we demand better. This is a march and rally, organised by the Trades Union Congress, telling our government we need:

  • Real pay rises and a real living wage
  • A ban on dodgy working practices like zero hour contracts and fire and rehire
  • Taxes on the billionaires and energy companies, whose wealth and profits grew during the pandemic while we suffered
  • An end to racism and discrimination at work
  • An end to the government’s agenda to destroy workers’ rights and unions

Activists and reps from PCS Leeds will be travelling to London on 18 June to let our voices be heard. We ask our members to join us.

Transport will be arranged by PCS so members can attend without cost on the day, so if you are a member and want to attend, please get in touch with one of our reps, who will keep you informed. We cannot talk about this using R&C systems, so please be mindful of this.

pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, News

Leeds May Day 2022

On Saturday 29th April, many of our reps and activists will be attending the May Day worker’s demonstration organised by the Trades Union Congress (TUC). This demonstration is a display of solidarity between trade unions members and workers, campaigning for much-deserved pay rises and the implementation of a living wage.

Speakers include Richard Burgeon MP, and Tosh McDonald Aslef (TUC President). The demo assembles at 11:30 outside the Art Gallery Victoria Gardens on the Headrow.

If you are interested in attending, please see the Facebook Event and contact one of our reps.

pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, Guidance, News, Pay

Your Consultative Ballot 2022

If you are a member of PCS, you should have received your Consultative Ballot today. We advise you vote YES.

The Consultative Ballot is a crucial part of PCS’s Pay and Pensions campaign. It asks if you would be willing to take part in industrial action to support the campaign for fairer pay and pensions. A Consultative Ballot is a way of finding out members’ views, and a second ballot is always held before any strike action is taken.

Throughout the campaign, please remember that under the employee relations agreement you cannot use HMRC systems to talk about industrial action.

Why you should vote YES

PCS urges you to vote YES on both options on the ballot. If PCS have a clear message from members saying they would be willing to take industrial action, the union will be in a much stronger position when it comes to negotiating everything—not just pay and pensions—as it proves members are willing to stand up for these issues. Voting YES at this stage does not oblige you to take action at a later date, but it does give us more negotiating power before proceeding to a strike.

Your Ballot

Voting ends on 21 March. The ballot should have been emailed to you on your main registered email with PCS. If you have not received the ballot, the details PCS hold about you are probably out of date, and you need to update them on PCS Digital.

If you are a PCS member working in Leeds, and want to know more about the Pay and Pensions campaign and the voting process, please contact one of your union reps, or alternatively get in touch using our contact form.

Find out more:

pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, Guidance, News

The Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the Leeds & District Revenue and Customs Branch will take place on Tuesday 1 March 2022.

It begins at 10:30am at the Ground Floor Business Events centre of 7/8 Wellington Place. It lasts 2 hours, and all members are invited to attend. It will be possible to attend the meeting virtually, so members not working from the office will be able to come. It is a great opportunity to discover what your branch has achieved over the past year, and to have your say in the decisions that shape our future. With the PCS Pay and Pensions ballot fast approaching, this year’s AGM is as important as ever.

Whilst the branch strives to make the AGM as accessible as possible to all, the topics covered and terms used in the meeting can be confusing, especially for new members not experienced in trade unionism. If you come in knowing what to expect, chances are you’ll find it easier to follow and contribute. Below is a guide to what will take place in your AGM:

  1. The Branch Chair gives opening remarks, greeting and welcoming members and union reps.
  2. Apologies are given from reps and members unable to attend the meeting. The Branch Annual report and accounts are circulated, giving insight into your unions actions over the past year, and transparency over its finances.
  3. An open forum is provided for discussion of matters arising.
  4. Branch Officers are elected; these are the people who will work to make your union branch the best it can be, and represent you in personal cases for the year to come. If you are a member, you are entitled to vote.
  5. You are also given the opportunity to vote on our nominations to Group and National officers: the people who will shape the national direction of the union for both HMRC and the Civil Service as a whole.
  6. Motions are submitted and voted on. These motions instruct how your union branch is run, and if you are a member, you are entitled to vote.

If you are a member and HRMC employee, you are entitled to time away from your post to attend the meeting; however, this is to be treated as your own time and not time at work. We encourage all members to attend, so you can have your say and help us in the fight towards a fairer workplace.

We hope to see you there.

pcsleedshmrc Campaigns, Pay

The Great Pensions Robbery: How Much are You Losing?

If you work in the Civil Service, chances are you are overpaying your pension by 2%. This means you lose on average £500 a year, and this money should be paid back.

This much money makes a huge difference, and with the upcoming cost of living increases and hikes in National Insurance and energy prices, for many members it could mean the difference between living comfortably and struggling. If PCS’s Pay & Pensions campaign is successful, it could mean getting your overpayments repayed to you, backdated from April 2019 when the contribution rate was incorrectly changed.

By using the Pensions Loss Calculator, you can find out exactly how much you are losing each year. The answer will probably shock and anger you, and the best thing you can do is to vote in the upcoming consultative ballot. This way, you can tell PCS what you are what action you would be willing to take to make a change.

In order to vote in the consultative ballot, you will need to make sure your details are up-to-date on PCS Digital. If you work in HMRC Leeds and want more information on how to do this, or how to get involved locally in the campaign, speak to a one of the Leeds union reps.

Further Info: