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Stop Union victimisation: reinstate Sam Buckley

Matt Wells
6th September 2010 at 17:51
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A message from PCS Left Unity,the Socialist Group in PCS

PCS Branch Secretary Sam Buckley has just become the fifth union officer to
be sacked from the Child Support Agency (CSA) in Hastings since November
2007.
The Public and Commercial Services Union is calling for reinstatement and a
full inquiry by the House of Commons DWP Select Committee into the constant
bullying, harassment and dismissal of reps and members at CSA Hastings.

A March & Rally have been called for 18th September, Assemble Hastings Pier
1pm for a 1.30pm start marching to the Town Centre. This march is backed by
PCS nationally, locally and regionally. Other sponsors so far include
Hastings and District Trades Council and South Tyneside Trades Council. For
any queries, messages of solidarity, donations or to sponsor the march
please contact Sam Buckley on (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Our reps victimised

  A tribunal found that Branch Chair Eddie Fleming had been unfairly
dismissed but management still refused to give him his job back.

  Branch treasurer Winston Resalsingh was sacked for asking a manager if he
was being discriminated against, after he had repeatedly been refused time
to attend PCS Group Black Members Committee meetings. On one occasion the
then Head of ER wrote to Winston’s manager to say that Winston’s presence
could not be necessary as he was not the Chair. Following pressure from the
national union an appeal was heard outside Hastings and the dismissal was
overturned on the grounds that managers had failed to show impartiality,
demonstrate natural justice and follow or understand procedures.
Undeterred Hastings managers insisted he be demoted instead. This too was
overturned on appeal. Winston was reinstated and paid an out of court
settlement. To date he has not had an apology.

However, it should not be thought this is a case of one or two rogue
managers - managers up to an including the then Area Manager Karl Khan
upheld this absurd decision. Without pressure from the national union to get
the case heard by a manager outside Hastings it would have been let stand.

  An attempt was made to discipline Chris Brambleby, Branch Chair, on the
grounds that by representing Winston in his grievance he was insulting the
managers whose impartiality had been questioned. This was dropped after it
was proved that someone had altered the minutes of a meeting in an apparent
attempt to strengthen the case against Chris. An “enquiry” by the HR dept
found that the alteration of the minutes was an accident that couldn’t be
traced to any individual. Chris wrote to the Area Manager pointing out the
spectacular implausibility that an accident should just happen to produce
minutes making him look worse at the exact same time he was facing
disciplinary action and received a reply that he, the Area Manager, was
“disappointed” by Chris’s “attitude”.

  Management’s attitude to union officers contrasts with their attitude to
the British National Party. Local neo-Nazi Frank Swain works for the CSA
and, like all civil servants of his grade has to get written permission from
managers before he can stand for election. This was given, in 2008 when he
stood for the BNP in local elections in Hastings. The union objected
strongly on the grounds that Civil Service Standards of Behaviour oblige us
to “promote diversity in the communities in which we live and work” Armed
with a list of the BNP’s more objectionable statements and policies the
union held a meeting with Area Management at which PCS asked that Frank be
asked to disassociate himself from the BNP’s “whites only” membership policy
and BNP organiser Nick Erikson’s statement that “Rape is simply sex. Women
enjoy sex so rape cannot be such a terrible physical ordeal.” as a condition
of being allowed to stand. Area Manager Robin Lulham and Head of HR in the
South East Alice Farley refused, on the grounds that Frank was entitled to
his political views. A couple of days later reps were handing out anti BNP
leaflets outside the door when Robin Lulham ordered them to stop, on the
grounds that as civil servants we were obliged to be politically neutral.

Now Branch Secretary Sam Buckley is being dismissed on grounds of alleged
“capability”. The union has, in writing, documents informing him he must be
95 -100 per cent accurate - and others proving the level of accuracy in his
command is 50 per cent. Management, as usual, deny discrimination. They
further deny this has anything to do with the repeated times Sam, as
Secretary has raised with managers that they are breaking their own
guidelines/the ACAS code/employment law.

PCS supports our reps and calls for your support

PCS national conference unanimously passed a motion offering full political
and organisational support to Hastings branch and its reps and describing
CSA Hastings as “the Bermuda triangle of the civil service” - because of the
way anyone who stands up to management bullying disappears.
We appeal for the support of all trades unionists and anyone who believes in
basic workers’ rights. Please help us build for this march and build the
campaign. For more information, for a speaker from the campaign or to send a
message of solidarity please email <mailto:swpsam@hotmail.com>
(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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