Branch Secretary report

Branch Secretary Phil Mount reviews the last year for PCS Home Office Merseyside Branch.

It is very difficult to reflect on this last year and not mention the COVID-19 pandemic. It has dominated almost all aspects of the work of your branch officers and branch reps since the AGM in February 2020, just as it has dominated all of our lives more broadly.

Branch Executive Committee

Firstly, it was great to see the number of members expressing a desire to join the Branch Executive Committee (BEC) which meant the Branch actually obtained special dispensation from the Home Office Group President to appoint 17 (more than the normal limit of 15) ordinary BEC members at the start of the year. The branch did have 3 vacant officer positions but I was delighted we were able to fill these from within the ordinary members and still maintain a full committee. The dispensation was agreed as an election would have been needed for the 15 BEC ordinary member posts which the 2020 AGM agreed was unnecessary in terms of both cost and the fact the BEC would still only have filled 21 of the permitted 22 positions overall.

We have gained (3) and lost (6) a few reps this year. Not unsurprising as everyone has struggled with the new pressures placed on us. I would like to thank the whole BEC for their hard work and dedication throughout this difficult year. At the end of the year we have 3 vacancies and it is important that we fill all positions due not only to the large number of members that we have as a branch but also the number of personal cases that brings with it. Without the hard work and perseverance of these representatives the branch wouldn’t have been able to function this year and this needs to continue as we enter an equally challenging 2021.

I therefore would like to take this chance to encourage all of you to get involved in your branch in whatever way you can to ensure that we can continue to build and deliver for our members. If you think you might be interested click here to find out more about each role and if you have questions please email us. While current restrictions make it impossible to meet face-to-face I am happy to arrange Skype calls with any member interested in becoming a PCS rep, advocate or health & safety rep.

PCS Conferences

Unfortunately, one of the highlights of the year for a rep (or for me at least), National and Group conference, were unable to go ahead in 2020 duet the pandemic but the conferences in 2021 will happen online and will be very different. I am confident we will still have a successful conference and our branch delegates will play an important role both in presenting and contributing to the motions for debate.

Recruitment

I am pleased that following the recruitment of many hundreds of new Home Office staff in Merseyside to deal with the EU settlement scheme that a new International visits hub is to begin in Liverpool this year as well as another large piece of work in offering settlement routes to millions of British National’s overseas (BNO) from Hong Kong that will secure jobs for the medium to long term. There has also been recruitment in Border Force to address the challenges that Brexit has brought, and Asylum is once again recruiting to try to deal with the pressures there.

Industrial Relations

If anything, the pandemic has reinforced the need for good local engagement and collective bargaining. In many areas, not least in terms of health and safety, engagement with local management has become more established even if sometimes these talks are required to remain confidential. Our own Health and Safety lead, Dean Barron, has played a crucial role in ensuring as far as possible that the workplaces are as safe as they can be for our members. I hope that we will be able to to continue in the same vein with the employer in the forthcoming year and deliver for our members.

I would like to give thanks the Branch President for pulling me back from the brink at times this year and to our website and communications officer for all the hard work keeping members updated this year. From time to time our branch has been criticised for our preference for digital communication with members but who could have anticipated the global pandemic and how our branch was uniquely placed to continue to keep members informed while others struggled to adapt. I am certain that our branch model of communication will be used more widely going forward. Remember, our Branch website, Home Affairs is the best source to find out the latest news from your PCS representatives. Remember to save it to your favourites and check back regularly.

Once again, if you have been thinking about becoming a PCS rep yourself why not give it a go? Email us here.nd look out for the nomination form issued in our regular members' mailshot.

Phil Mount (Branch Secretary)