Latest news with #PCS
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
More than 100 civil servants set to be cut from security vetting and Cobra teams
Further cuts have also been proposed for the teams supporting the Government's emergency Cobra committee, including the number of staff working on chemical, biological and radiological threats. PCS union chief Fran Heathcote warned that the cuts would 'compromise key Government functions, including those critical to national security and emergency preparedness'. The process is understood to be still ongoing and no final decisions on job cuts have been made. The proposed cuts are part of wider plans to reduce the number of civil servants working for the Cabinet Office by 2,100 as part of efforts to cut the overall cost of government by 15%. Most of the cuts are expected to come through voluntary redundancy or by not replacing people who leave, while other civil servants will be redeployed elsewhere. A source familiar with the proposals told PA that the Cabinet Office had proposed cutting around 110 jobs from UKSV, which vets people for sensitive roles including in the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office, as well as conducting security checks on staff applying for parliamentary passes. UKSV was heavily criticised by the National Audit Office in 2023 over delays carrying out checks that, the watchdog said, risked hampering work on national security. Writing in Civil Service World last year, UKSV's chief executive Trish Deghorn said the organisation had managed to turn itself around since then, in part due to increased staffing levels. A source told PA that the Cabinet Office had argued that back-office staff working on UKSV's recovery were no longer required and the organisation's headcount could now be cut. The source also told PA that around 30 jobs were proposed to be cut from the teams supporting Cobra after a merger of Cabinet Office directorates working on crisis response and resilience. These include cutting three of the 10 staff working on chemical, biological and radiological threats, although the team will continue to exist. Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the PCS union, said: 'We warned from the outset that plans for job cuts at the Cabinet Office failed to distinguish between back-office and frontline roles. 'It is now evident that these cuts will undermine the delivery of essential public services and compromise key government functions, including those critical to national security and emergency preparedness. 'PCS will continue to stand firmly with our members in opposing these damaging cuts. We will defend their job security and the vital work they do to keep the country running safely and effectively.' Alex Burghart, the Conservative shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, said: 'While Labour let the welfare state balloon to £100 billion per year, handing out billion-pound bungs to their union paymasters whilst funnelling money into diversity jobs, it beggars belief they are cutting back on our national security and emergency infrastructure. 'As always for Labour, it's party first, country second.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'We don't routinely comment on national security staffing. 'More broadly, we are making the department more strategic, specialist and smaller, helping existing teams better serve the public and deliver the plan for change.'
Western Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
More than 100 civil servants set to be cut from security vetting and Cobra teams
The Cabinet Office has proposed reducing the staff at UK Security Vetting (UKSV) to 780 full-time roles, down from its current level of just under 900, the PA news agency understands. Further cuts have also been proposed for the teams supporting the Government's emergency Cobra committee, including the number of staff working on chemical, biological and radiological threats. PCS union chief Fran Heathcote warned that the cuts would 'compromise key Government functions, including those critical to national security and emergency preparedness'. PCS will continue to stand firmly with our members in opposing these damaging cuts Fran Heathcote, PCS general secretary The process is understood to be still ongoing and no final decisions on job cuts have been made. The proposed cuts are part of wider plans to reduce the number of civil servants working for the Cabinet Office by 2,100 as part of efforts to cut the overall cost of government by 15%. Most of the cuts are expected to come through voluntary redundancy or by not replacing people who leave, while other civil servants will be redeployed elsewhere. A source familiar with the proposals told PA that the Cabinet Office had proposed cutting around 110 jobs from UKSV, which vets people for sensitive roles including in the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign Office, as well as conducting security checks on staff applying for parliamentary passes. UKSV was heavily criticised by the National Audit Office in 2023 over delays carrying out checks that, the watchdog said, risked hampering work on national security. Writing in Civil Service World last year, UKSV's chief executive Trish Deghorn said the organisation had managed to turn itself around since then, in part due to increased staffing levels. A source told PA that the Cabinet Office had argued that back-office staff working on UKSV's recovery were no longer required and the organisation's headcount could now be cut. We are making the department more strategic, specialist and smaller, helping existing teams better serve the public and deliver the plan for change UK Government spokesperson The source also told PA that around 30 jobs were proposed to be cut from the teams supporting Cobra after a merger of Cabinet Office directorates working on crisis response and resilience. These include cutting three of the 10 staff working on chemical, biological and radiological threats, although the team will continue to exist. Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the PCS union, said: 'We warned from the outset that plans for job cuts at the Cabinet Office failed to distinguish between back-office and frontline roles. 'It is now evident that these cuts will undermine the delivery of essential public services and compromise key government functions, including those critical to national security and emergency preparedness. 'PCS will continue to stand firmly with our members in opposing these damaging cuts. We will defend their job security and the vital work they do to keep the country running safely and effectively.' Alex Burghart, the Conservative shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, said: 'While Labour let the welfare state balloon to £100 billion per year, handing out billion-pound bungs to their union paymasters whilst funnelling money into diversity jobs, it beggars belief they are cutting back on our national security and emergency infrastructure. 'As always for Labour, it's party first, country second.' A UK Government spokesperson said: 'We don't routinely comment on national security staffing. 'More broadly, we are making the department more strategic, specialist and smaller, helping existing teams better serve the public and deliver the plan for change.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
UPPSC assures timely completion of LT Grade recruitment process
Prayagraj: Allaying fears among LT Grade assistant teachers' exam aspirants that the introduction of a two-tier recruitment process—comprising Preliminary and Mains—might delay the selection for 7,466 posts, the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) has assured candidates that the process will be completed on time. Officials said the commission is fully equipped to handle recruitment at this scale. Highly placed sources within the commission told TOI that, much like the Provincial Civil Services (PCS) examination, the selection process for assistant lecturers' recruitment will follow a three-tier process, and the LT Grade teachers will follow a two-stage model. Importantly, the interview, which will only be for the assistant lecturer exam for degree colleges, will carry only 12.2% of the total weightage. "Like in the PCS exam, 15 times the number of candidates relative to the number of posts will be shortlisted for the Mains after the Preliminary exam. However, unlike PCS, where each candidate submits eight answer copies for evaluation, the LT Grade selection will require only one answer copy per candidate. This will significantly reduce the evaluation workload," the source said. To further expedite the process, UPPSC will cluster subjects, allowing for group-wise examinations to streamline scheduling and assessment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Legendary Cars from the Past Undo The Mains examination will also include word limits for each question, encouraging concise answers and enabling faster evaluation. These strategic adjustments are aimed at ensuring the recruitment process is completed within a fixed timeframe. Additionally, officials said a major change introduced by the commission is the verification of documents for all candidates who qualify for the Preliminary exam—prior to the issuance of Mains admit cards. This means only those candidates whose documents, the one supporting their eligibility as per advertisement, are found to be correct by the commission will be permitted to appear in the Mains exam. Interestingly, in the earlier exams, the one which was conducted and result announced in 2018, the final selection and appointment thereof was completed by 2023-24 as it took number of years to verify documents at par with the desired eligibility. "If the documents are checked and verify before conducting the Mains, it will save precious time while completing the process and announcing the final result," said the official. "We believe that if an individual is to be appointed as a teacher in a degree college, their intellectual abilities and command over the subject must be thoroughly assessed. His or her teaching capability, deep knowledge of the subject, and expressive power have to be checked, and this can only be achieved through a combination of objective and written responses," a senior official said. As per the earlier practice, the appointment against the LT Grade exam was based on just the objective type exam pattern, which has now been changed to two-tier in LT Grade and three-tier in assistant lecturer. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Wales Online
3 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
DWP staff 'terrified' as another glass sheet falls from Welsh office
DWP staff 'terrified' as another glass sheet falls from Welsh office 'Staff are terrified to go in yet are being told the building is safe' Glass that fell from the DWP office in Treforest industrial estate Big sheets of glass have fallen multiple floors from a UK Government office building in Wales. Some staff based at the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) site in Treforest industrial estate, Rhondda Cynon Taf, are scared to go in after two occasions in recent weeks where panes plummeted onto the ground outside. When the 133,000 sq ft building, Ty Taf, opened in 2021 it was lauded by the then-Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart, as "state of the art". But the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) has now called for it to shut until an audit takes place, telling WalesOnline: "The DWP office at Ty Taf has been a disaster since it first opened. Despite PCS raising several health and safety issues over the years, the DWP has failed to remedy the problems." Whistleblowers say the site — which is the base of some 1,600 civil servants — has been "constantly" plagued by issues including cracking of the large panes that make up the window walls. One on the fourth floor fell out during hot weather around three weeks ago and then this week, overnight on Wednesday, August 6, one fell from the third floor. Shattered window at DWP office in Treforest industrial estate Staff raised concerns with the DWP after the first shattering and their safety fears have only worsened after this week's incident. The building is now closed but it is due to reopen once work takes place "early next week". The DWP says a full survey will be conducted to investigate the cause of the incident, and any recommendations will be followed. "If this was a public-facing building, would the general public be expected to dodge the potential glass fall for an appointment?" said one whistleblower. "There would be uproar, but as we are not open to the public, civil servant staff are expected to risk their lives going to work. "Management deem this building safe and have erected tunnels and fencing to walk around the building safely should glass randomly fall from the building. No internal measures have been put in place." We understand another window cracked around 18 months ago — though it did not fall — and staff were reassured by the DWP at the time that it was likely the result of a "bird strike". In recent weeks some staff have been relying on Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act — which prevents workers being punished for raising health and safety concerns — to justify working from home due to not feeling safe in the building. Shattered window at DWP office in Treforest industrial estate A source said: "The union is pushing for the building to close until there is a structural engineer's report. A lot of members of staff are using Section 44 because they don't feel safe going in. "The window that fell this week had cracked a few weeks ago and had been boarded from inside, with a kind of film put over the top of it. Staff were concerned at the time that this was inadequate and have been proved right. "Over the last few years this building has been flooded twice. Toilets are constantly out of order. There are only one or two lifts working at any one time, out of four. At one time there were faulty fire detectors installed so the fire alarm kept being tripped. There's always something. It's meant to be state of the art." Another told us: "It floods, the lifts don't work, there are tremors felt on upper floors, the windows are cracking and falling to the ground. Staff are terrified to go in yet are being told the building is safe." PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: "We urge the DWP to urgently conduct a full audit of all our reps' safety concerns and close the office until the audit is complete and the full range of remedial measures are implemented." Article continues below A spokeswoman for the DWP said it takes safety seriously, adding: "We have since closed the building following the damage and staff were advised to work from alternative locations. 'A full survey will be conducted to investigate the cause of the incident, and any recommendations will be taken to ensure the safety of the building.' If you would like to speak to WalesOnline about any concerns over the building, or about another story, email us at
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab PCS prelims on Oct 26
The Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) on Tuesday announced that it would conduct the preliminary examination of the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (known as PCS) on October 26. In its January 3 notification, issued on the last working day of former PPSC chairman Jatinder Aulakh, the PPSC had announced a tentative schedule for the examination in April. However, the commission could not conduct the preliminary examination in April. Around 85,000 candidates have applied for the 322 posts. Around 85,000 candidates have applied for the 322 posts (Picture only for representational purpose) The PCS exam 2025 is being conducted to recruit officers for the Punjab Civil Service (executive branch), including deputy superintendent of police, tehsildar, food and civil supply officer, block development and panchayat officer, assistant registrar co-operative societies, labour-cum-conciliation officer, employment generation, skill development and training officer, excise and taxation officer, deputy superintendent of jails (Grade-II) and district probation officer. Talking to HT, newly appointed PPSC chairman Major General Vinayak Saini (retd) said, 'We will conduct the exam fairly and transparently. Around 85,000 have applied for the 322 posts.' He informed that the aspirants should only follow the commission's website for official updates on the examination. Lamenting the delay, the candidates said that it took eight months for the PPSC to announce the prelim examination date. Amrinder Singh, an aspirant from Patiala said, 'The commission had announced it will hold an exam in April but then it postponed the same until September or October. Now, they have announced it will be held on October 26. This uncertainty over the exam date has affected our preparations.' Another aspirants said, 'Though the Punjab and Haryana high court has already made it clear that the PCS exam should be held every year, the last PCS exam was held in 2020. The government is seemingly turning a blind eye towards the court's observations. The PPSC is operating with the chairman and one member despite having a sanctioned strength of five. The lone member out of the five posts, Harmohan Kaur Sandhu, has to retire on August 19 after six-year tenure. Consequently, the PPSC chairman will be the only person in the commission. Charanjit Singh, secretary, PPSC, said the government was mindful of the matter, and new members would be appointed in the coming days.
