Central FoI Team
Caxton House
6-12 Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9NA
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
www.gov.uk/dwp
Alex Smith
Our Ref: FOI2020/18865
request-659562-
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Friday 3rd July 2020
Dear Alex Smith,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information (FoI) request received on 16th April 2020.
You asked:
“In a FOI reply to Mr John Moloney on 2 October 2019 (Ref: FOI2019/35076), the DWP
noted: “We can confirm that G4S has informed DWP that it has a no-strike agreement
with the GMB. The no-strike agreement is the G4S Security Services UK national
recognition agreement with the GMB.”
Is this no-strike agreement is still in place? If not, does the DWP know when it ended?”
Further to this on 16th May 2020 you asked for an Internal Review; (2020/23766)
“I understand that your response to my request has been delayed.
I would like to request an acknowledgment that my request will be dealt with as soon
as is practically possible.
I would also like to request that the below message be passed on to the person who
conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of the DWP’s handling of my FOI request
'G4S no-strike agreement with the GMB trade union’.
In its initial reply to my request, the DWP stated that it aimed to deal with my request
within 20 days. This amount of days has now passed, but my request has not yet been
dealt with. Could I please request an update?”
Under normal circumstances, you would expect a response to your FOI request within 20
working days; however due to the current situation with COVID-19, it has not been possible
for us to reply within this timeframe. We apologise for this delay. Please find our response
below.
In answer to your question, we can confirm that the non-strike agreement between G4S and
the GMB is still in place. In 2006 The GMB Trade union representing workers in the security
sector signed a recognition agreement with G4S Secure Solutions UK Ltd (SSUK) which
recognised the GMB as an appropriate union to represent the interests of G4S’s UK-based
security officer.
Whilst this precludes industrial action, the agreement outlines a robust dispute resolution
procedure. It culminates in legally binding arbitration with ACAS where agreement cannot
otherwise be reached.
Reference page 3, Section 1 of the agreement:
“The Company and the Union agree that matters of change or dispute are best resolved
through discussion negotiation and agreement. In the event that agreement cannot be
achieved in this way, the procedures set out in Section F of this Agreement will apply to
disputes relating to matters covered by that section. In al other cases, the Company and the
Union wil in all normal circumstances refer the matter in dispute to binding arbitration. This
mechanism wil preclude any industrial action being taken by the Union. The Company
acknowledges that it wil not unilateral y impose any detrimental change to employee’s pay,
hours, holiday or other benefits”.
If you have any further queries, please contact us quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely,
Central FoI Team
Department for Work and Pensions
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Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act
If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailing
freedom-of-information-
xxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team, Caxton House, Tothil Street, SW1H 9NA. Any
review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information
Commissioner’s Office for a decision. General y, the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have
exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information
Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
Web:
ico.org.uk/Global/contact_us or telephone 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745