Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEconomics, government & businessChange managementDispute resolutionEmployee relations

HR boss at DWP admits to mistakes in pay dispute

by Mike Berry 31 May 2005
by Mike Berry 31 May 2005

The head of HR at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has admitted to making mistakes during last year’s bitter pay dispute with the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union.

In an exclusive interview with Personnel Today, Kevin White, HR director at the DWP, said he could have communicated the department’s planned strategies more clearly to its staff.

“The main lesson I learned was that while it is vital to remain committed to principles that you think are right, it is important to remember that disputes have to be settled,” White said.

“There may have been more times during the dispute when [the DWP] might have moved more quickly to seek common ground,” he added.

The 16-month pay dispute at the DWP led to six days of official strike action, a campaign of non-co-operation with a controversial performance development system and several unofficial walkouts.

White and the department’s senior management came in for some heavy criticism from both the union and its own staff during the dispute.

Last year’s DWP staff survey – obtained by Personnel Today – showed that more than four out of five employees had no confidence in senior management.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said that even though agreement was reached on some points, a perception emerged that, for some senior managers, implementing the performance system “had become a personal battle with the unions”.

“We have quite a constructive relationship with the HR department, but problems emerged when areas of consensus were overruled by management,” he said.

Both sides now seem keen to move on and White said: “There is an effective relationship which both sides are keen to build on.”

For a full interview with Kevin White go to www.personneltoday.com/indepth

Avatar
Mike Berry

previous post
Teacher turnover highest in worst schools
next post
M&S set to change work contracts

You may also like

Kristie Higgs succeeds in bid to remove LGBT...

5 Jul 2022

‘Low flight risk’ designer wins £100k age discrimination...

5 Jul 2022

Rail signaller discriminated against by staff who watched...

5 Jul 2022

The ultimate guide to payroll for small businesses

5 Jul 2022

More government support to help over 50s back...

5 Jul 2022

NHS to end full pay for Covid-19 sick...

4 Jul 2022

Government childcare plans aim to reduce cost of...

4 Jul 2022

Whistleblowing lawyer awarded £423k by Foreign Office

4 Jul 2022

Diversity and inclusion: where does the buck stop?

4 Jul 2022

Quarter of workers feel unsupported after bereavement

1 Jul 2022
  • The ultimate guide to payroll for small businesses PROMOTED | You’ve started a business that has expanded to the point of requiring more staff to meet demand. Congratulations!...Read more
  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+