I ask for your support for re-election as Group Assistant Secretary to continue to defend and improve your rights in DWP for equality, natural justice and procedural fairness, under policies for Attendance Management, Discipline and Grievance, and adherence to Collective Agreement safeguards and protections for flexi-time and working patterns. I have:

• achieved reinstatement for unfair dismissal; provided successful personal case advice against unfair warnings, unfair dismissals and inflexible application of policies
• negotiated guidance to protect members from dismissal in gross misconduct information security cases as a basis for policy improvements.
• provided guidance for key issues including Attendance Management and Disciplinary Decision Making and the Role of PCS Representatives

I stand for re-election on the basis of my record of achievement as a PCS negotiator at departmental level since 2001, including:

• Improved disciplinary procedural fairness with a requirement for Decision Makers to differentiate between dishonesty and mistakes and criteria for warnings rather than dismissals
• Improved Jobcentre dress standards to allow wearing trainers
• Flexible Working Hours Agreement supporting flexi-time as the primary means of managing hours and working patterns for all  members

• Breaks Policy for breaks in paid working time for all members
• Performance Management with abolition of ‘guided distribution’, ‘validation’ and the discredited ‘must improve’ rating
• Welfare orientated approach for Attendance Management delivering significant reductions in warnings from 4,361 (2016-17) to I,768 (2023-24) and dismissals from 639 (2016-17) to170 (2023-24)

These achievements provide a platform to win further gains on these and other issues:

• Pay must be significantly increased for all colleagues, including those retaining TUPE/COSoP terms and conditions, to cover costs of living and years of austerity with contractual pay permanently above statutory minimum wage levels
• Sick pay must be levelled up for everyone to have at least 6 months’ full pay and 6 months’ half pay
• Hybrid working must be a voluntary option for everyone with flexibility to manage any office attendance requirement until PCS achieves abolition of all predetermined restrictions

I am a socialist. I support the achievement of Union policies through negotiations, legal action when appropriate and industrial action as a last resort.