Fight for recognition at privatised IT firms
Members of the PCS public and commercial services union are building campaigns for union recognition at two new government-owned companies set up to provide IT support for the two government departments.
Benefits and Pensions Digital Technology Services and Revenue and Customs Digital Technology Services are both refusing to recognise the union.
In refusing to recognise PCS, the GovCo management claim that the companies are completely separate organisations from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). However, this flies in the face of the simple facts that the companies are wholly-owned by DWP and HMRC, and the directors and senior managers of both companies are directly employed by the relevant departments.
As part of their plan to marginalise the IT workers, management in both companies are trying to establish their own employee forums, which they admit will have no collective bargaining rights whatsoever.
PCS in the DWP and HMRC are working closely to put the maximum pressure on these two employers to fully recognise the union.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This is a blatant attempt to deny our members their rights. Staff forums are no substitute for full collective bargaining.”