Members’ Briefing HOME OFFICE GROUP

To:​All Members

cc: Branch Chairs, Branch Secretaries, Group Executive Committee

Date: 19 July 2023		Ref: HO/MB/010/23

Home Office Pay Offer – 23/24

Summary: • Department publish 2023/24 Pay Offer. • PCS Analysis of Offer

Members of PCS have been engaged in a long running industrial dispute with the government about our pay rates, pension contributions, compensation scheme and job security.  This is at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is ravaging all ourincomes and eroding our standards of living leaving us little option but to take industrial action to defend ourselves.

 

Members from across PCS have taken part in hundreds of days of targeted action – that includes our members in Border Force for six days over Christmas period, and again over the February half-term in the Southeast.  And of course, the 25 days of continuous action in the Passport Office, a remarkable undertaking.  All this action across the union has been supported by members financial contributions to the levy to fundstrike pay, and the three days of unpaid national action which we all took part in February, March and April.

National Developments

Last month the government wrote to PCS setting out the concessions which it was making.  These included:

 

 

Recent meetings across all our membership produced wide ranging feedback that has now informed the NEC’s proposals for the next steps.  That is that there is a temporary cessation of industrial action whilst we engage in talks at departmental level to try to maximise the distribution of monies from the remit and that national talks over low-pay and coherence can progress. The outcome of these talks will be the basis of future direction of the campaign.

 

Home Office Pay Offer

PCS first met with the department to discuss delegated pay in the Home Office on 4 July.  Today sees the publication of the final offer to all staff members and the beginning of our consultation with you.  So, what does the offer mean?  Once again, the offer will have a different impact depending on grade, location, and position on the pay scale.

 

 

 

 

It’s a complex process (especially at EO-G6 levels) and using the department’s pay calculator will give individuals the most accurate figures for themselves. However, the offer letterindicatively demonstrates what someone on the bottom, the max and the quartile points will receive.

 

With many of our members still on or near the bottom of the scale there is some significant movement at this point with EOs nationally receiving 9.3%, HEO (N) 7.9%, SEO (N) 7.2%, G7 (N) 6.9% and G7 (N) 6.8%.  Members will notice that there are differences in percentages based on location, and that is because the London pay differential is now standardised at £4,000 and Gatwick pay £1,000 more than the national rates.

 

Whilst the percentage rises reduce along the scale there are still significant rises for most, with only a minority receiving less than 4.5% consolidated which will mean the difference is made up with non-consolidated payments.  For members still on legacy allowances we know that the majority will actually receive consolidated rises due to the movement of grade mins but for those very few not getting over 4.5% then a non-con top up will be paid.

 

The offer has also resulted in shortening of the EO band to 5% and the HEO and EO bands to 7%, leaving the G6 and G7 at 10%.  There are also changes to on-call allowance (not covered by the AHW policy) which will see most rates doubled.

 

Analysis

The first thing to note is that the offer in front of members does not fulfil all our demands.  These were for all members to get 10% rises and for an underpin of £15 for the lowest paid.  The reality is, however, that with the Government only allowing for a remit amounting to 4.5-5% that was never going to be possible.

 

Our national campaign is seeking to shift the government on the remit as well as on the terms of the one–off payment being made.  However, within the confines of these restrictions, PCS believe that significant gains have been made.  

 

The offer is structured to prioritise the lowest paid.  This matches PCS priorities on the basis that in a time of stringent financial straits the lowest paid are the most in need.  Any offer should be balanced to recognise requirements at all grades, but PCS unashamedly advocates that the lowest paid should be prioritised in the current circumstances.

 

All AOs getting consolidated rises of £2,400, equating to 10.7% on the national spot rate is a substantial rise.  This is all in addition to the one-off payment meaning the thousands of admin members in the Home Office will receive over 10% consolidated rises and a one-off payment of £1,500 this year.  That is not an inconsiderable amount, it in fact matches many of the aspects of our demands.

 

At EO level a 9.3% increase on the national minimum is another significant rise. The offer also shortens the EO pay scale, another priority of PCS, but not by holding back those on the maximum of the pay band.  Unlike other grades there are significant numbers of our members at the top of the EO pay band and last year they disgracefully received minimal consolidated increases.  This year however they will receive6.3% consolidated rises for those at the top of the EO national scale.

 

PCS believes that at all grades there are significant numbers of members are looking at well over 5% consolidated increases to their salaries.  The offer is rightly skewed to the lowest paid, prioritising those who have greatest need in the current cost-of-living crisis, but there are also decent rises which meet and exceed the headline remit figure of 4.5%.

 

Conclusions

Your Group Executive Committee believe that the offer in front of us represents a positive use of the available funds by the department.  Let’s be under no illusion, with prices and billsrising, and inflation stubbornly above 10% this does not represent what members truly deserve.  That would not only be inflation proofed but also would provide pay restitution for the preceding years of below inflation rises.

 

However, what is clear is that the action that members across PCS and in the Home Office have taken including delivering two consecutive successful strike mandates has put significant pressure on the employer.  The positive aspects of this offer have been won by members engaged in action, whether that be targeted in Border Force and HMPO, or the all-out action we all participated in.

 

The terms of this offer, in addition to the non-consolidated £1,500 payment represent a significant move in the right direction.  Whilst the amount of money that the Government are willing to stump up to properly remunerate their employees is still in dispute PCS believe that the distribution of those limited funds in this year’s offer represents a progressive step.

 

PCS believe that this offer demonstrates the value of the action taken and solidarity shown by members.  This is a clarion call to all non-members in the department to join our union, build the strength of our movement so that next year and future years we can continue to make improvements to pay.  Members should be proud of the strike action they have taken, they have made significant gains, we should talk to colleagues about joining and consider getting more involved.

 

There are undoubtedly fights ahead but this year has shown a glimpse of what we can achieve and why continuing to build PCS into an ever-stronger union is essential for all of us.  We will be holding members’ meetings to discuss the offer – please look out for further communications about this.

 

 

James Cox	Pete Wright	Mike Jones
Group President	Group Vice President	Group Secretary

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