I am part of a strong Democracy Alliance leadership of the PCS NEC where Ihave been a member since 2016. I am an experienced negotiator within the MOJ Group. Our leadership despite government attacks has ensured that PCS has retained the organisational strength to represent effectively our members. Our members have seen us through Brexit and have battled through this unprecedented Covid Pandemic. I am saddened that we have lost some union members to this horrible virus. We have members both still in the workplace and working at home. It has been a constant battle with every department to get our members released from the risky workplace and the reasonable safety of being at home. For those that have remained solidly in the workplace their personal anxiety at being there has been understandably high. Just travelling to work remains a risky business.

Public servants have delivered vital services throughout this pandemic which should have but hasn’t been recognised by the current government. Our reward has been yet another pay freeze and the government still have cutting back on the Civil Service compensation scheme firmly in their sights. They are also dragging their feet in sorting out our pension contribution overpayments. Yes they are takers and not givers.

Whilst the majority of the MOJ family are working from home HMCTS (the courts) are not and staff there have become extremely worried going into this current lockdown as the number of in person cases was allowed to vastly increase by the employer. This was alongside the increased transmission levels of covid and consequently large numbers of HMCTS staff have been infected. Currently members are being balloted on taking industrial action. MOJ members frustrations are also high due to the fact that they have not received their 2020 pay settlement and there is no end in sight of when they will get it. The story is its like a yoyo with a business case running between the treasury and MOJ.

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