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IMPORTANT NOTICE

Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch

Proudly Present:

The 2013 Annual General Meeting

Date: Thursday 28th February 2013.

Venue: The Thornton Lecture Theatre.

Time: 1.15pm.

Free transport provided.

QUIZ RESULTS Hi Pop-pickers, Jacqui here with the answers to my quiz about late 70's early 80's pop music. I loved that era of music, I’ll have you know.

Here are the answers;

Answer 1: Denis was off the album Plastic letters. Answer 2: Stuart Leslie Goddard was better known as Adam Ant Answer 3: Andrew Ridgeley was the other half of the duo Wham! Answer 4: Tears for Fears sang about a mad world Answer 5: “Call Me” by Blondie was off the film American Gigolo Answer 6: Adam and the Ants first UK top 40 single was Dog Eat Dog. Some people think it was Kings of the Wild Frontier, however that reached only number 48 on its initial release prior to Dog Eat Dog, reaching number 2 the following year on re-release.

The winner was Adam Everall from Norcross who received a mystery prize of chocs, as it was Christmas I also awarded bonus runners up prizes of chocs to Cathy Griffiths from Norcross and Lesley Tague from Warbreck.

Jon Says When our intrepid reporter asked Jon Calgon if he had made any New Year’s resolutions, Jon said:

Yeah.

Asked what it was. Jon said:

Not to answer every question with “Nah”.

Asked if he had kept the resolution, Jon said:

Nah.

Well 2013 will definitely be the year of change within the Branch, this Annual General meeting (on 28th February 2013) sees two Officers leaving from their roles: the Equal Opps Officer, Gloria Hodgkinson and the Branch Chair, Martin Jones.

They have been here since the mergers that formed this Branch. They were keen on the mergers and knew that one geographic Branch across the Fylde had to be the way forward. They ensured that the Branch was a success, often in very, very trying circumstances.

I would also like to make particular reference to Martin Jones who as Branch Chair had to show a greater tenacity and resilience than would ever normally be expected of a Branch Chair. Thanks for ensuring that your legacy will be one of a democratically based Branch.

Thanks for all the work over the period.

Now turning to this edition of the Hard Copy, I hope that the members find something of interest, we do try and balance the newsletter, but also keep the campaigning items to the fore.

There may well be a couple of quizzes to have a bash at. Duncan Griffiths

The following details have been supplied by PCS HQ.

Putting our demands for fair pay -

New campaign and pay claim stress the great value of our members

The fact that job cuts are biting and workloads are increasing is familiar to many people and is even acknowledged in a government-commissioned pay report.

In work by the Hay Group published in December the civil service AO grade is now aligned with a larger job size to “reflect the growing levels of accountability and responsibility” of workers in the role. This reflects that every day PCS members show in the face of adversity their great value even though their pay does not reflect their true worth.

In spite of this the government has done nothing to acknowledge the increased workload and responsibility of many people by implementing a pay freeze/cap and raiding our pensions.

Civil service surveys show public sector workers are interested in their work but, understandably, the greatest concern for many of them is pay as they are struggling to make ends meet and borrowing hundreds of pounds a month just to cover the basics, such as paying the rent. There was plenty of dissatisfaction over pay from civil servants in the 2012 Civil Service People Survey with:

74% of respondents feeling their pay is unreasonable

69% of those surveyed feeling their pay does not adequately reflect their performance

67% of people were dissatisfied with their total benefits package.

Challenging the freeze The real value of pay has fallen dramatically since the start of the pay freeze. In a survey of our members, 70% told us that they were worse off, on average, by £100 a month in the face of soaring living costs and further pension rises.

So the union has written to the Cabinet Office with our pay claim for 2013, which is for:

A minimum increase of £100 a month, or 5% on your salary

The introduction of the living wage on government contracts

No cuts to pensions. Our claim is fair, affordable and right. Our members do the jobs that make this country work. They are worth every penny.

Inequalities Contrary to the media and government claims that civil servants are better paid than

their private sector counterparts, research shows that basic pay within the civil service is on average 4.4% lower than the external market.

The 2012/13 civil service rewards survey by analysts Croner Reward showed 99% of civil service respondents had a pay freeze, while 43% of private sector comparators had a 2–2.9% pay increase and 38% had a 3–3.9% increase.

Croner estimated the pay medians at £27,737 in the civil service and £29,000 in the private sector – a difference of £1,263. This is compounded in individual grades – admin officers are paid 21% less than people doing comparable jobs in the private sector, and executive officers are paid 18% less.

Find out more about the campaign:

http://pcs.org.uk/wortheverypenny

Key Points:

£100 - Monthly salary increase called for in the PCS pay claim. 70% - Percentage of PCS members who told us they are worse off. £8.55 - Hourly living wage rate in London £30bn - Amount given by government to business in tax cuts. 3 million - Number of women in the UK earning less than the living wage £754bn - Amount of money UK big business is sitting on. 13% - Percentage by which annual income per head has been suppressed since 2008, according to ONS analysis.

Demanding a living wage The living wage is an essential demand for PCS and the whole trade union movement. It is fair and not only affordable but essential if we are to rebuild the economy.

The public sector spends billions through procurement with the private sector and yet there still exists a concentration of low-paid workers providing facilities management, security and cleaning. Research by Queen Mary University in London has shown that more than 80% of employers believe the living wage has enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, while absenteeism has fallen by approximately 25%.

PCS is campaigning to make the living wage a mandatory part of government pay policy – applicable to all directly- employed civil servants and to any worker sub-contracted to the private sector.

The living wage is about human dignity, guaranteeing workers a decent standard of living and giving them the respect they deserve for the work they do.

Birmingham case proves significant Equal pay legislation has been in force in the UK for more than 40 years but a recent case helps to clarify time limits for claimants who have had their employment terminated.

The difficulty in enforcing the legislation has recently been emphasised by the comments of Lord Justice Mummery in the case of Haq v The Audit Commission, when he described the area as “fraught with danger and difficulty”. The legislation has broadly operated by incorporating an equality clause into employees’ contracts.

The Equal Pay Act 1970 envisaged that cases might be progressed through both an employment tribunal – with a primary time limit of six months, or, as there might be a breach of contract claim, through the courts, where the time limit would be six years.

However, even though this dual jurisdiction was envisaged, only recently have cases been progressed in the High Court.

Victory in Birmingham In the case of former employees of Birmingham City Council their claims would have been out of time if progressed before an employment tribunal. The council argued that because of this, those claimants should not be allowed to take the case through the High Court, as this would be an abuse of process.

In pursuing this line, Birmingham focussed on a provision of the Equal Pay Act – now replaced by the Equality Act 2010 – that where a court thought that the operation of an equality clause could more conveniently be disposed of by an employment tribunal, the court could direct the claim be struck out.

The High Court would have none of it and neither would the Court of Appeal. A Supreme Court decision in late November dismissed the council’s appeal and found that a claim in respect of the operation of an equality clause can never more conveniently be disposed of by the tribunal if it would then be time-barred. Although in one sense the case only clarifies an option that has been available for claimants for many years, it is nonetheless a significant victory for claimants, confirming that equal pay claims may be taken in the High/County Court, at the latest, within six years of the termination of their employment.

For further information visit: http://rjw.co.uk

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Enterprise Bill 'stacks odds against workers'

Government plans to change workplace law are a license for rogue bosses to let safety standards fall, personal injury experts have warned. Not-for-profit group the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is lobbying against a government amendment to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, which would end a right to compensation for an injury following a criminal breach of safety law by an employer without proof of negligence. The call came on 14 January, ahead of a debate on the Bill in the House of Lords. 'The government is trying to overturn 100 years of legal procedure by making the injured worker have to provide all the evidence to prove that the employer who's injured him was at fault,' said APIL president Karl Tonks. 'This is grossly unfair as it tilts the playing field in favour of negligent bosses'. Commenting on the government push to remove this 'strict liability' route to a compensation claim, he added: 'Employers always have the upper hand as they are the ones who control the workplace and the work equipment, and who hold all the information about what systems they have in place. The injured person, who has none of this

knowledge at his fingertips will have to gather the evidence himself to prove his case and the odds will be completely stacked against him, where now the law is fair and looks after the vulnerable individual.' He estimated the proposals would affect 70,000 cases in Great Britain.

MPs back union over coastguard cuts

A committee of MPs has echoed a union's concerns over the loss of local knowledge and experienced coastguard staff as the government seeks to make massive cuts to the service. The House of Commons transport select committee said the government's view on the importance of local knowledge was 'confusing and contradictory.' Coastguards' union PCS said it fully supports the committee's call for the government to rule out any further closures. Following severe criticism of its original proposals, the government is now pressing ahead with scaled-back plans to shut half of the UK's coastguard stations and cut 160 jobs. Drawing on the union's evidence, the transport committee said 'there remains a worrying lack of information' about the role of a new national maritime operations centre (MOC) planned for the south coast and how it will work alongside coastguard stations that remain open. This, and confusion

about new job roles, has damaged morale among staff, with the committee noting 'there is a risk that talent and expertise is being lost'. Committee chair and Labour MP Louise Ellman said: 'The manner in which changes are being imposed has already damaged the service and it is a great concern that the vacancy rate for skilled staff has doubled since 2010.' The committee found 'low morale and disillusionment with management were evident in all of the evidence we received from coastguards, and not just from the trades unions.' PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: 'We fully support the committee's clear call for the government to rule out any further closures in years to come and we expect ministers to provide an immediate and categorical commitment. It is simply staggering that even at this stage the government has so obviously failed to explain its plans to staff, the public, coastal users or MPs.'

Firms getting cooler on new sick notes

The government's attempt to reduce the numbers signed off work sick by GPs is leaving firms increasingly unimpressed. The 'fit note' introduced in April

2010 changed the sick note system to one where a worker would be declared unfit or maybe fit for work, as long as the employer takes certain action. A survey by human resources consultancy XpertHR found the proportion of employers that believe the new sick note regime has been a significant step forward in sickness absence management had fallen from 48 per cent in 2011 to just 38 per cent in 2012. Over two-thirds of employers (68 per cent) said the new sick note programme had helped encourage their organisation to have a more open dialogue with employees about their return to work. However, roughly the same proportion said it had not helped in any way to reduce overall absence.

TUC condemns council inspection free-fall

The TUC has expressed grave concern after the HSE revealed that estimated figures for 2012/13 indicate that Local Authorities will have reduced their unannounced proactive inspections to 16,400. This is a drop of 86% since the baseline year of 2009/10. It is unclear how much of this is a result of the cuts and how much is because of the government's demand that local authorities cut back on proactive inspections in what they claim are 'low risk' premises. The

HSE paper states that 'there is still an issue with targeting in a large percentage of the inspections are to lower risk premises.' A TUC spokesperson said that once again the HSE is confusing low injury with low risk. Many local authority premises have high levels of occupational illnesses, most of which go unreported. Inspections are an important way to ensure that employers get the support and help they need, but are also a way of ensuring that those who are clearly putting their employees' health at risk face sanctions. Rather than trying to copy the HSE's bad practice, local authorities should be ensuring that all premises they inspect have the prospect of a regular inspection.'

The deadly consequences of sectors without inspectors

Whether your job is making people better or making plastics, don't expect a safety inspector to call, a new report has warned. 'Low life', published by the workers' health and safety journal Hazards, says on government orders the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has designated most industrial sectors, from farms to footwear, either too safe for them to bother, or just not worth the effort even if they are

shockingly dangerous. The report includes the first ever consolidated list of sectors excluded from unannounced HSE inspections. It reveals there are now at least 37 designated 'sectors without inspectors', employing the majority of the workforce. The Hazards report says the no-go policy is a result of a hands-off inspection approach laid out in the government's March 2011 'Good health and safety, good for everyone' strategy. Since then, Hazards concludes more than half of all fatalities in HSE-enforced workplaces have occurred in firms outside of HSE's unannounced inspection programme. A Hazards analysis of worker fatalities in the 19 months after the government strategy took effect shows that of the 258 deaths recording in HSE statistics from April 2011 to 21 October 2012, a total of 137 (53 per cent) were in uninspected sectors, compared to just 40 per cent in routinely inspected sectors, with the remainder occurring in jobs where the enforcement situation is unclear. There were 78 construction deaths in this period, or 30 per cent of the total. Deaths in sectors not subject to preventive HSE inspections make up over three quarters (76 per cent) of the 180 non-construction worker deaths.

Members’ Meeting Guidance

Members’ Meetings The Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch has a commitment to keeping its meetings as informal as possible to encourage the views of everyone. However, there are a few principles that must be followed to ensure fairness and help the meeting run smoothly.

Never be afraid to give your opinion, it is precisely why meetings are held and as union members we are there to encourage you in a supportive atmosphere. Please remember the PCS is fully committed to its Equal Opportunities policy statement and will not tolerate behaviour which goes against it.

If you want to speak at a meeting the Chair will ask if there are any questions (usually after a guest speaker has finished) or if you wish to speak on a motion to be debated; raise your hand and wait for the Chair to ask you to speak.

Where possible, motions are sent to members before a meeting. It helps the Chair keep to the agreed timetable if members read the motions before attending the meeting.

The Chair The Chair of the meeting is there to ensure the meeting runs smoothly and that the correct procedures are followed.

Motions A motion is a statement to set or back up existing union policy. Motions are directed to the Branch, the Group or National Executives. A motion must be proposed and seconded.

Guest Speakers At a General Meeting, particularly the Annual General Meeting, there may be a guest speaker. If the speaker is from the PCS they will usually concentrate on PCS matters. However, the Branch may have a speaker from outside the PCS who may concentrate on wider issues.

Proposing a motion The person who has proposed the motion (or speaker on behalf of an Executive Committee) will explain why they want you to support the motion. Sometimes if there is nothing to add to what the motions says the proposer (also called the mover) may move the motion ‘formally’. This means they do not actually speak unless someone else later in the debates opposes the motion. In this case the proposer has the ‘right of reply’.

Seconding a motion The person who has seconded the motion will also have the right to say why they want you to support it. Sometimes the seconder may say ‘formally, reserving right’. This means they do not want to speak then may seek to speak if anyone opposes the motion.

Right of reply If anyone opposes a motion the Chair may ask the seconder to speak, if they have seconded formally.

The proposer of the motion has the final ‘right of reply’ picking up the points of opposition. Once the proposer has had their ‘right of reply’ the motion must be voted upon.

Voting Usually at a General Meeting voting will by a show of hands. However in some cases there may be a ballot.

‘Tellers’ appointed and agreed at the start of the meeting will collect any ballot papers or count the number of hands shown if requested by the Chair (this will only normally happen if the vote is close).

In the case of a vote being equal the Chair will make their casting vote.

This is a very broad outline of members meetings, hopefully you will find it useful.

Legal challenge to unfit fit for work tests A man who was incorrectly found fit for work under the government's disability benefit assessment is launching a legal action against the government and Atos, the private company performing the tests. Patrick Lynch, a former social care worker who was forced to stop work because of a condition affecting his brain, is seeking a judicial review of the controversial 'work capability assessment'. More than 11,000 disabled people a week are taking the tests, which involve interviews with Atos doctors and nurses to identify those who can work. Mr Lynch, the first individual to sue over the assessment, is claiming that the government and Atos failed to record an interview despite assurances from ministers that all could be taped. In his first interview in September 2010 Lynch was found fit for work - despite five months previously undergoing brain surgery and being told by his doctors 'I was on death's door. I mean I came in on crutches and could not pick things up because I was afraid of falling over.' An appeal against the Atos assessment was eventually successful. In his lawsuit, he argues that ministers and the company acted unlawfully in failing to provide enough devices to record sessions. Lynch's solicitor Tessa Gregory of Public Interest Lawyers says that the assessment process 'constitutes an unacceptable risk of unfairness. We hope these safeguards will be instituted to help mitigate that risk.' TUC general secretary Brendan Barber is backing the challenge. He said: 'Assessments of disability must be fair and proportionate, treat people with respect and be part of a consistent system. There is overwhelming evidence that they have fallen far short of these basic standards. It is right that they should be challenged in court.'

Work strain injury victims are being let down A lack of positive practices to support people with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in work is leaving hundreds of thousands at risk of lost earnings, reduced productive working time and early retirement. A new study says this is also placing a strain on both household incomes and the UK welfare system. The findings, in a new report published by The Work Foundation, reveal that musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of people going onto Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). 'Taking the strain: the impact of musculoskeletal disorders on work and home life' draws on a survey 809 people living with MSDs in the UK. It found just over half of employed respondents reported a loss of earnings due to the condition. Three-quarters of retired respondents said their condition had influenced their decision to retire, with the majority having left the labour market before reaching the age of 55. Of those not in work, 57.4 per cent had been the primary earner for their household before leaving a paid job. And one in four respondents reported concerns about remaining in work due to their condition. Ailsa Bosworth, chief executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, said: 'The government's reforms are supposed to help people with long-term conditions return to work, but this survey shows people with MSDs aren't receiving the support they need. This needs a concerted effort across government departments to incentivise the NHS to get more involved in helping patients stay in work, so that patients and their families keep their heads above water.' The study raised concerns about employers reluctance to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of employees with MSDs. It found one in three respondents reported there had been no adjustment to their working time, work environment, or work duties when they required it.

Work Your Proper Hours Day

Work Your Proper Hours Day is on 1 March 2013 If staff who regularly work unpaid overtime did all their extra hours from the start of the year they wouldn't get paid until 1 March 2013. The TUC has named this day Work Your Proper

Hours Day to celebrate their hard work. Now in its ninth year, Work Your Proper Hours Day is a campaign that celebrates the unsung - and unrewarded - hours that staff put in to help their employer and boost the UK economy. On Friday 1 March the TUC will be urging bosses to let their staff take a proper lunch hour and leave work on time, and to lead by example by working their proper hours too. Last year, the TUC found that employees across the UK worked nearly two billion unpaid hours, worth over £29bn to the economy. This year Work Your Proper Hours Day will look at whether the amount of unpaid hours worked has risen or fallen in recent years, as well as which jobs and regions of the UK do the most unpaid overtime. British Heart Foundation survey findings, published last week, revealed one in five workers did not take a single lunch break during the working week. The survey of 1,200 workers found 'more than a quarter of people believe that being healthy at work is important, but that the economy means their health is simply not a priority for their boss.'

Report slams the 'tyranny' of performance management The 'relentless pressure' of punitive performance management systems intended to push up productivity is instead creating a stressed, sick and insecure workforce, a new study has found. 'Performance management and the new workplace tyranny' written by Professor Phil Taylor of the University of Strathclyde, is the culmination of a three year study examining the impact new forms of performance management. The report, commissioned by the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), found the 'unrelenting intensity' of work generated under new forms of performance management is having a significantly negative impact on employees. It was being used as a cut-price way to push 'under-performers' out the door, the report found. Professor Taylor said 'the widespread experience of employees is of top-down, highly-pressurised and intensified work, with most facing an array of often unachievable targets. Workers are being increasingly tightly monitored and measured and then placed into performance appraisal categories. Frequently, these are in pre-determined distributions - sometimes known as the Bell curve - with a certain percentage deemed to be underperformers, irrespective of the level of actual performance.' He added: 'This is when the problems really begin for employees, because 'underperformers' are then put on improvement plans, sometimes known as PIPs, which can cause huge anxiety and stress because they can be almost impossible to get out of. The evidence is that these PIPs most often are not about providing the

coaching and support needed to help employees improve but are for 'performance managing' people out of the door. The speed of these 'managed exits' is astonishing - in two case study organisations it was only 12 weeks between being put on an improvement plan and then being exited.' Grahame Smith, STUC general secretary, commented: 'The sad truth is that far too many people in Scotland encounter fear and intimidation in the workplace on a daily basis; rising incidence of stress and other mental health problems is the inevitable result.' Sickness strategy is prevention free The government's sickness absence review would have worked better if the focus had been less on getting the sick back to work and more on preventing ill-health in the first place, workplace safety campaigners have said. Responding to government initiatives on sickness absence announced last week, the Hazards Campaign said two major conceptual flaws undermine the strategy: That Britain has a 'sicknote culture' and that any work is good for you. A response from the campaign said: 'There is no evidence to support this, much research shows that 'presenteeism' costs more than 'absenteeism', with sickness absence now at a record low. The campaign's statement added the new independent assessment and advisory service was seeking quick fixes that were frequently inappropriate. 'The government response will do nothing at all to prevent workers from becoming ill, or deal with presenteeism, or to ensure that sick workers actually get any early rehabilitation, only offering the insecurity and fear of assessment by a private company whose aim and profit depend on forcing sick workers back to work as quickly as possible.' The campaign is also critical of a government move to end the requirement to keep sick pay records 'as employers cannot manage sickness absence without record keeping'. It adds

that the campaign 'deplores the recommendation to publish tribunal award information to show employers that they are lower than they think as it is encourages employers to break the law by sacking workers who are off sick.' The government paper notes there are 'few significantly large and awards', adding it is now 'publishing the median level of awards and average length of time it takes to receive a judgement in the major tribunal jurisdictions, including discrimination, to promote more realistic expectations about the process and levels of award made at tribunal.' Safety experts slam short consultations The professional body for UK safety professionals has welcomed a call by a key government committee for adequate time for consultations on government policy. Ministers are looking at slashing the time allowed for organisations to comment on some proposed law changes, from 12 weeks to as little as two. But the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is among prominent organisations to criticise the plan. It would be 'counterproductive', said IOSH, because it could stop stakeholders submitting evidence on important proposals on legislation. Now, a parliamentary watchdog has opposed the government proposal. In a report published on 10 January, the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee said there was a risk that resulting laws would be less robust because they had been rushed through without the views of experts sought externally. The cross-party House of Lords committee said: 'In a comment that was made in similar terms by a number of organisations, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health said that its members led active professional lives, and so required sufficient time to be able to respond to consultation.' IOSH head of policy and public affairs Richard Jones said: 'We welcome the

recommendation to take account of the preference for 12-week consultations and the need to avoid clashes with holidays and busy periods. We also support the recommendation that the new government approach to consultation is independently reviewed without delay.' The scrutiny committee also urged the government to reconsider a 'digital by default' approach to consultation that may exclude vulnerable groups and others, and may constrain comments from those who do respond. Healthier workplaces deliver healthier workers Employers who create healthy workplaces can reduce employee absence and boost productivity, according to a new TUC guide. 'Work and well-being' aims to promote healthier working and help union safety reps identify what in their workplaces is making staff ill. The TUC guide says the best method for improving the general well-being of a workforce is to change the way that work is organised and managed. For example, reducing workplace stress is far more useful than providing on-site massage for stressed workers. The report also says that running exercise classes during lunch hours may prove popular with some employees but employers need to ensure that workers have a proper lunch break in order to benefit. The union body says any lifestyle changes - diet, exercise, smoking or alcohol use - must be made available in a completely non-judgmental manner so that no-one feels any changes are being forced upon them. TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said: 'Healthier lifestyles are something we should all be aspiring to, and

given the amount of time we spend at work, the workplace is a good place to start.' But she added: 'Work can create a lot of health issues such as back problems, and it can also be a cause of stress which is linked to the increased use of tobacco and alcohol. Similarly, if employees are sitting down all day and only have access to junk food during their lunch break then they have more chance of developing heart disease or diabetes in later life. Far too many days a year are being lost through ill-health. Sensible employers who are able to identify problems at an early stage, and who introduce changes to prevent ill-health and promote well-being will reduce sickness absence and increase productivity.' What do we want? Here's our starter for 10 Regular safety inspections, a maximum temperature in the workplace and far greater control of carcinogens are just some of the improvements that the TUC is calling for in a new 10 point safety manifesto. 'Time for change' features 10 key recommendations which the TUC believes, if implemented by a future government, could help turn around the UK's poor health safety record, and prevent many of the 20,000 workplace-related deaths which occur in the UK every year. The TUC manifesto makes the case for good health and safety practice, in a climate where safety laws are increasingly seen by ministers as unnecessary burdens on business, and where spending cuts and changes in regulations are making it increasingly difficult to police

employers who play fast and loose with their employees' safety. TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady commented: 'Every year 20,000 people die needlessly because of an accident or illness caused by their jobs, and many thousands more are unable to work because of health problems which began at work.' She added: 'This isn't just a national tragedy for the victims and their families, but is also a huge drain on the economy, costing the state billions of pounds a year. But it doesn't have to be this way. Unfortunately ministers seem convinced that despite the high number of deaths and injuries at work, safety regulations are too onerous on business and rather than being tightened, need to be watered down or removed entirely. This is completely the wrong approach, when what is needed is tougher enforcement and new safety laws. Our safety manifesto sets out to do just that.' Other changes called for in the TUC manifesto include more safety reps with more rights, tighter dust controls, extended protection for vulnerable workers, legal safety duties on company directors, and only those firms with a good safety record to be eligible for public contracts.

Facebook - Reaching out

PCS has launched a new Facebook ‘page’ which, at a time when membership is in decline, aims to reach out beyond our existing membership to inspire people who might be considering joining the union and our supporters. The page will also provide a better technical platform for the development of exciting applications which integrate with PCS activities like our e-campaigning and online membership systems.

Focussing on PCS’ activities and the positive benefits of membership, the page will also offer a new channel for asking questions about our work and for making suggestions.

The PCS members’ group – which currently reaches less than 2% of our membership – will remain in place offering a platform for members to discuss a wide variety of topics.

‘Like’ and share the new page from your home internet device: http://facebook.com/pcsunion This information was supplied by PCS HQ.

Hewlett Packard Shift workers’ victory

Shift workers represented by PCS won an order which increased their basic pay by 20%.

The group of Blackpool workers won one of the first test cases under The Agency Workers Regulations 2010 that stipulate after an initial 12-week qualifying period, agencies must pay the same wages and offer the same entitlements to holidays as are received by direct employees of client companies who do the same work.

The four workers were placed by the Kelly Services Agency at government contractor Hewlett Packard’s print works, where letters to millions of benefit recipients from the Department for Work and Pensions are produced.

PCS is awaiting Kelly Services’ response to grievances submitted by 12 other union members at the site, who could similarly qualify.

Find out more at: http://pcs.org.uk/hp

King Jones’ Saga Quizzes King Jones here, shortly to be abdicating the throne, so I thought I would share some tales of yore with you all and quiz you to make sure you were paying attention though that probably won’t help, my actions often defy logic. Stakes are high so get your thinking caps on. There are three sagas/quizzes, and each will be judged separately.

The winners will receive mystery prizes. Please remember that only members of the Fylde Central Benefits and Services Branch, excluding Branch Executive Committee can enter - Good luck.

Saga 1 Hello and welcome to the first of the King Jones Saga quizzes, starting off with a legendary fable about a conference event.

According to Jones’ folklore the Branch conference delegation left the conference hall, and it was raining. King Jones informed the delegation that a bus would arrive shortly at the bus stop. The delegation stood at the bus stop and waited, in the rain.

One of the delegates declared that not even King Jones could know the bus timetables in a different town and said that they should all walk back to the hotel. All did except for King Jones who decreed that there would be a bus soon and "he wasn't going to walk in the rain, when there was a bus due".

The rest of the delegation walked up the hill leaving King Jones at the bus stop.

As they were getting towards the top of the hill, they could hear a bus coming up behind them. Oh no, they thought as they trudged in the rain, he is going to gloat about being right.

The bus went past the delegation and who was there sat on the top of an open air double-decker bus, in the rain, waving, yes none other than King Jones.

So where did this fable take place according to legend. Was it?

a) Blackpool b) Brighton c) Scarborough d) Manchester e) Leeds

Saga 2 Hello and welcome to the next instalment of the King Jones saga quizzes, and another legendary fable about a conference event.

Following the Jones folklore about the Branch conference delegation and the sat on the top of an open air bus, in the rain; here is the next episode.

The year after King Jones was on a roll. No one could now doubt that when the king decreed that a bus would arrive then it did. He informed the conference delegation that a bus was about to arrive at a bus stop, so the delegation duly stood and waited with King Jones. After several buses went by without stopping one of the delegation decided to check what the sign was, that King Jones had declared was a bus stop.

It turned out not to be a bus stop where they had been waiting for 20 minutes, but what was the sign. Was it?

a) No entry b) National speed limit applies c) No waiting d) Hump backed bridge e) No overtaking

Saga3 Hello and welcome to the final instalment of the King Jones saga quizzes, and another legendary fable about travel.

This time a delegation were going to a meeting on a train, King Jones didn't want to catch the next train, but wanted to wait for a later, what he expected to be an emptier one.

The views of the other members of the delegation prevailed, and they got on the first train to arrive. The problem was as King Jones had said there weren't any seats. King Jones then ran down the carriage declaring, "this is not a real train", he disappeared into the other carriages, on his return, miraculously the carriage where the delegation was had emptied and there were plenty of seats.

Which city were the delegation heading to, when this happened, was it?

a) Cardiff b) Edinburgh c) London

Please send your three separate answers, together with your name and details to Jacqui “I have had a few journeys with Martin to and from Conference as well, the travel is a bit like a saga holiday I’ll have you know” Dunkerley Room 7233 Norcross to arrive no later than 29.03.13..

King Jones