Minutes of the PCS Senedd Cross-Party Group meeting held via Zoom on 9 November 2021

Present: Mike Hedges MS (Chair); Heledd Fychan MS (Vice-Chair); Ryland Doyle (MS Support Staff, Mike Hedges); Carys Morgan-Jones (MS Support Staff); Siân Boyles (PCS); Marianne Owens (PCS); Siân Wiblin (PCS); Darren Williams (PCS).

1. Welcome and apologies

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. Apologies had been received from Peredur Owen Griffiths.

2. DVLA Dispute update

PCS gave an update on the latest developments in the union’s industrial dispute with the DVLA over workplace Covid safety, which had been underway since February. Members were currently being re-balloted, as required by law, to seek a fresh mandate for further strike action, with the result due the following day. On two occasions, negotiations with DVLA and DfT senior leaders had been close to agreement, only for a deal to be scuppered at the eleventh hour by ministers. There was once again the basis for an agreement, which included an in-year reward of £735 for all staff, but management seemed to be awaiting the outcome of the ballot before making a definitive commitment, hence it was vital that the union achieve the 50% turnout threshold required by law.  

To resolve the dispute, the union needed management to commit themselves to a plan for rising cases on site, as well as a workplace recovery plan. Since the reintroduction of staff and subsequent recruitment of fixed-term appointees, numbers on site had increased by 570 and cases of Covid had risen rapidly since the summer, with total cases reaching the 1,000 mark the previous week.

Action: PCS to update the Group on the ballot result when available.

3. DWP Treforest hub update

PCS reported that, notwithstanding its concern about the relocation of work and staff from six existing offices to a new ‘hub’ in Treforest, the DWP had pushed ahead with the project and staff from the first two offices – Merthyr Tydfil and Gabalfa in Cardiff – had now transferred to the new site. Although the majority were still working from home at present, there had recently been a push from management for all staff to begin hybrid working by the end of this month, which had not been agreed with the union and seemed to be in conflict with the Welsh Government’s guidance that people should work from home wherever possible. PCS was advising members to declare any concerns about returning to a physical workplace – particularly in relation to a long-term health condition or caring responsibilities – if necessary, would support them in challenging any pressure to do so. Heledd said that she had been contacted by constituents working for the DWP, who had been put under pressure to return to the office. Similar feedback had come via other MSs, at least one of whom was planning to highlight the Department’s apparent divergence from Welsh Government guidance; Group members were encouraged to support this point.

4. 2021/22 pay and pay coherence

PCS had not received a positive response either from the UK Government or from individual departments to its 2021/22 pay claim, which had sought a 10% cost-of-living award and improvements in annual leave and the working week, as well as negotiations across employers within departmental sectors and ultimately across the whole of government. Despite announcing an end to the public sector pay freeze, the Chancellor’s spending review and budget speech on 27 October had given few details and there had been no firm commitment to provide extra money from the Treasury to fund pay awards, at a time when inflation has been running at 3.1%, with some forecasts predicting 5% by early 2022, so PCS was preparing for a renewed campaign in the New Year over this, linked to additional concerns over pensions and redundancy pay.

PCS had also submitted a sectoral pay claim for 2021/22 to Rebecca Evans, covering the Welsh Government and several arms-length bodies, as pay inequities are an issue within the Welsh devolved sector, as well as the ‘Whitehall’ civil service. The union was disappointed that the Minister had declined to engage in single-table, cross-employer bargaining although at a subsequent meeting of the Devolved Sector Group (the sub-group of the Workforce Partnership Council for the Welsh Government and sponsored bodies), officials had suggested that the work on pay coherence would now be accorded renewed priority, following a commitment on this regard in the Programme for Government, and the union would therefore be pursuing its aspirations via this forum. In the meantime, the Welsh Government had used its reserves to make an award to its own immediate staff, which mirrored what the Scottish Government had done in delivering a proportionately higher pay increase to lower-paid workers. It was currently unclear whether all the arms-length bodies would make an award in keeping with that paid to Welsh Government staff and whether additional funding would be provided to support that, if necessary.

5. Welsh Culture Sector Funding

PCS had had a meeting with Dawn Bowden, Deputy Minister for the Arts and Sport, on 16 September, which had provided an opportunity to raise concerns about the long-term underfunding of the National Library of Wales and National Museum Wales. She and her officials had been sympathetic to the points the union had made and said they wanted to be in a position to provide greater financial certainty over time to the Library and Museum. Subsequent correspondence has confirmed the intention to build the additional revenue provided for 2021-22 into the baseline for 2022/23 and the union had been offered a further meeting when there is greater clarity about the Government’s Budget plans.

Heledd informed the meeting that senior leaders from the National Library and National Museum would be appearing before the Senedd’s Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee the next day and she would take the opportunity to raise the issue of their long-term funding.

6. Sport Wales outsourcing update

During its meeting with Dawn Bowden on 16 September, PCS had also raised concerns about the proposed outsourcing of Sport Wales’ outdoor activities site at Plas Menai in North Wales – both the substantive proposal and the lack of consultation with PCS. The Deputy Minister had given the union a sympathetic hearing and, after raising our concerns with management, offered reassurance that PCS would be fully consulted as further work is done on the future of the facility and that she would not support any change that would be at odds with the Welsh Government’s values.  There had subsequently been a number of meetings with management and a process has been established for the union’s ongoing participation in the discussion on the future of the site. Management remained committed to seek a ‘commissioned partner’ to take over the management of the centre, including the employment of staff, while Sport Wales would retain the ownership of the site and buildings. PCS had made it clear that its preference was for the staff to continue to be employed by Sport Wales but it would be willing to engage constructively with the process. The invitation to tender was currently expected to go out by the end of November.

Mike reiterated his opposition to outsourcing and said that he would raise concerns about this matter in the Senedd.

7. Commission for Tertiary Education and Research update

PCS reported that correspondence with the Education Minister and representation on the Project Board had somewhat allayed its concerns about the uncertainty facing Higher Education Funding Council for Wales staff as a result of the organisation’s planned merger into the new Commission that would be established by the Tertiary Education and Research Bill (Wales). The bill had now been tabled in the Senedd but important details related to its employment implications remain to be determined and PCS was continuing to seek a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies. 

8. Net Zero Carbon and Just Transition campaign

PCS had long campaigned for radical action to address climate change and for a Just Transition, to ensure that workers and communities would be protected through processes of change in addressing the climate crisis, requiring social protections for incomes and pensions, investment in retraining and skills, and engagement with workers’ representatives. In the lead-up to the COP26 Conference in Glasgow, the union had been part of the COP26 Coalition, a civil society coalition of groups and individuals mobilising around climate justice during COP26 and its members had participated in the demonstrations that had taken place around the UK, including several in Wales. PCS had also supported the Wales TUC initiative to approach employers in discussion about the actions they would need to take to help meet Net Zero Wales targets, the implications of these measures for staff and the means by which unions could be involved in ongoing discussions at all levels. One of the employers with which a constructive dialogue had already begun was the Senedd Commission.

9. Any Other Business

PCS gave brief verbal reports on three other issues:

(a) There had still been no resolution of the issue regarding the 2017 Voluntary Exit of some 140 Welsh Government staff under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme 2016, which had subsequently been struck down by a High Court judgement, causing the civil service to revert to the previous, 2010 scheme. The Welsh Government had now made an offer of an additional payment to staff who had left while the 2016 scheme was in force but the figure suggested was considerably lower than the additional amount staff would have receive under the 2010 terms and the union was still therefore considering legal action.

(b) PCS was taking every opportunity to engage in the debate on further devolution in Wales, particularly in relation to the Justice sector, and would be taking part in an event organised by Liz Saville Roberts MP at the end of November, to mark the second anniversary of the Thomas Commission report.

(c) HMRC had abandoned its plan to decorate its building in Central Square, Cardiff with an enormous union jack flag, to which PCS and many others had raised strong objections.