Union blasts Doncaster Tory MP's 'crass' Facebook post days after 114 made redundant

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Union bosses say members have been left ‘livid’ and 'enranged’ by a Doncaster Conservative MP’s ‘crass’ Facebook post – days after more than 100 people were made redundant.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union were left fuming when Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher offered help – four days after dozens of Deparment of Work and Pensions employees at the city’s Crossgate House lost their jobs.

114 people were made redundant at the Wood Street building on September 30, with a further 58 awaiting relocation to Sheffield.

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PCS Group Secretary Ian Bartholomew said: “PCS members are livid about the insensitive comments made by the Tory MP for Don Valley,” describing the Facebook post as “crass.”

The PCS union has blasted Doncaster Conservative MP Nick Fletcher after he said he would 'continue to press' his own Government - days after 114 people had already lost their jobs.The PCS union has blasted Doncaster Conservative MP Nick Fletcher after he said he would 'continue to press' his own Government - days after 114 people had already lost their jobs.
The PCS union has blasted Doncaster Conservative MP Nick Fletcher after he said he would 'continue to press' his own Government - days after 114 people had already lost their jobs.

On October 4 he wrote: “I have spoken with Mims Davis MP again and she has agreed to look again at this. I will continue to press on this.’

Ms Davies is the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pension and responsible for decisions relating to the closure of DWP offices.

Added Mr Bartholomew: “PCS members are furious at Nick Fletcher. 114 of them had already been made redundant by the DWP on September 30, four days before his Facebook comment.

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"He appeared to be using a meeting with the minister as a photo opportunity to appeal to his local constituents referencing the closure of the Doncaster office, seemingly unaware of the fact that the office had already closed.

One former member of staff at Crossgate House stated: “Where have you been since March 2022 when we needed your help?

"Standard replies to emails we sent. I am now picking up my P45 after 39 years of helping the most needy in Doncaster”.

The DWP Doncaster branch led a “magnificent” campaign to keep the office open, he said, supported with three weeks of strike action.

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He added: “Unfortunately, their action fell on deaf ears, with both the DWP and the minister failing to act to save jobs.

"Office accommodation was offered by the Local Authority, but the DWP refused to change their strategy of office closures.

“Exactly what Mims Davies is going to “look again at” now that the former processing site in Doncaster is closed and staff have left on exit packages is anybody’s guess.

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