PCS calls for ministerial intervention as DWP staff strike

The
general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)has called
on government ministers to intervene to end the ongoing pay dispute in the
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). 

Mark
Serwotka made the plea as more than 90,000 PCS members working for the DWP in
Jobcentres, benefit offices, pension services and at the Child Support Agency
begin a two-day strike today.

The
walkout is the third in a long-running dispute over the imposition of the
controversial Performance Development Scheme (PDS), and pay levels, which the
union described as ‘appalling’.

The
PDS system relies on quotas rather than benchmarks to determine results,
meaning that staff who perform well could achieve poor results and receive a
lower performance-related bonus, said the union.

"Any
disruption to the public is regrettable, but the divisive and unfair nature of
the performance bonus scheme is there for all to see. Allied with continuing
low pay it represents a double whammy for staff," said Serwotka.

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"Senior
management have seriously misjudged the level of opposition to their tactics of
imposing discriminatory and derisory pay deals and their continuing refusal to
engage with the union to sort this pay mess out," he added.

By Michael Millar