Working Links Plans for Future with PCS

23 July 2007

Public and Commercial Services Union signs strategy with PPVP Company

Working Links, the public private voluntary organisation which has helped over 80,000 long-term unemployed people back into work in Britain, has signed a strategic agreement with the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the country’s sixth largest TUC Union.

The partnership brings together Working Links, a company operating in 90 locations throughout Britain, with the PCS’s 325,000 members who deliver governmental services in both the public and private sectors. A shared commitment to improving the quality and accessibility of public employment services will impact directly on business, employees and facilitate progressive industrial relations.

“This agreement will not only benefit the work of both organisations, but will significantly impact on the relationship between employees, potential employees and business in this country,” said Keith Faulkner, Managing Director of Working Links. “Working Links and PCS do not always have similar goals, particularly in a post-Freud environment, yet a mutual culture of openness and trust will prove to be beneficial to all and contribute to positive industrial relations.”

By committing to working together in the long term Working Links and PCS aim to build upon their existing relationship and enhance employee skills development. By matching employee’s skills to business needs, introducing official accreditations and carrying out annual reviews to partnership will contribute to ensuring that future skills needs are met.

Graham Steel, PCS senior national officer, said: “Whilst not always seeing eye to eye on the future of the delivery of services getting people back into work, this agreement offers a positive basis for future industrial relations with Working Links. The voice of Working Links’ people and their training and development needs will be strengthened by this agreement, bringing greater consultation to the workforce and ensuring the issues and concerns of dedicated people are taken forward in a positive manner.”

As a public private voluntary partnership initially founded in 2000 to address the issues facing people from disadvantaged communities, Working Links is a unique organisation. The strategic relationship with PCS will go some way to supporting its aim to impact and influence society and create long term value.

“Working Links believes that sustained employment is the route out of poverty. We have helped change the lives of 80,000 people by placing them in work. Taking into account the effects Working Links has also had on each individual’s family, friends and local community, we have helped British society in general. Our work with the PCS will enable us to help even more people,” said Keith Faulkner.

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