PCS has welcomed a potential “breakthrough” in its dispute with pensions administrator MyCSP.
The union said outsourcing giant Capita has written to PCS to set up talks to establish formal union recognition for staff transferring to the company when the Civil Service Pension Scheme moves from MyCSP Ltd to Capita later this year.
PCS, whose members at MyCSP are in the middle of a wave of strikes, said it received a letter from Capita on Friday confirming the union recognition talks will begin at the start of August, with the aim of the union being recognised from “day one” of Capita's takeover of the contract.
PCS members working for MyCSP began a wave of strikes earlier this month over the company's refusal to recognise the union and engage it in formal consultation in the TUPE transfer process.
The letter means MyCSP has “no excuse” for not recognising PCS, the union said.
Explaining why this was a potential breakthrough in the dispute, PCS pointed to comments from MyCSP chief executive Duncan Watson at a Public Accounts Committee hearing on 7 July.
Asked why MyCSP had not formally recognised PCS, Watson said: “If I recognise the union now, there will then be an assumption that the union will be recognised by Capita. I need to make sure that Capita is comfortable.”
PCS said it is “now obvious that Capita is 'comfortable' with the idea of recognition” and that this means “there’s no excuse for MyCSP not recognising the union as well”.
The union added: “The strength of feeling that members have demonstrated in the first three weeks of the strike has sent a signal to both the current employer and the prospective employer, that members want a trade union workplace.”
The Civil Service Pension Scheme contract is due to transfer over from MyCSP to Capita in December.
PCS has criticised MyCSP for refusing to engage with the union, and “preferring instead to use an inexperienced 'employee forum' to handle a complex transfer of those terms and conditions”.
The MyCSP strikes began on 7 July and are scheduled to last until 15 August, but PCS said a that staff indicated at a members' meeting on 25 July that they would be prepared to extend the action if necessary to get MyCSP to meaningfully negotiate with the union.
PCS said it is “continuing to engage with both MyCSP and the Cabinet Office, in an effort to try to reach an agreed resolution to the dispute”.