PCG Newsletter - 34/01 - 26th October, 2001 - AGM & Tribunals

In this issue:

• PCG AGM & Conference
• Comment on Tribunals
• Lobbying: CBI Conference
• PCG Shop and book discounts
• Members Resolutions
• Real Life Meetings

PCG AGM & Conference
Everyone who attended PCG�s second AGM, conference and dinner dance deemed the event a great success. Minutes covering the day�s official business and voting are available for members
www.pcg.org.uk/members/resources/minutes131001.pdf

The quality of this year�s conference speakers again raised the standards and are yet another reflection of how far PCG has come. Anne Redston and Dave Smith in particular provided much encouragement and confidence to all the genuine businesses in the audience. Keynote speaker Professor Richard Scase reinforced the point that outsourcing to independent businesses is the way forward.

After dinner, former MP, Gyles Brandreth managed to both shock and amuse with his tales of Parliamentary tradition. Powerpoint presentations used by the speakers are available to members
www.pcg.org.uk/resources/pcg_conferences.html

Comment on Tribunals
The last newsletter contained some information about the recent O�Murphy v Hewlett Packard Employment Appeals Tribunal, which found that O�Murphy a long-term contractor was not an employee.
www.pcg.org.uk/members/newsletters.html

There is now further qualification and comment from Francesca Lagerberg, Senior Tax Consultant at Institute of Taxation and adviser to PCG for case review strategy, available on the PCG site
www.pcg.org.uk/members/resources/omurphy_judgement_181001.pdf

This week in a separate case also involving HP, a second long-term contractor was found �not employed under a contract of employment� at a Cardiff Employment Tribunal.

PCG is considering the judgments and the way forward in light of these results. Members are invited to add their own thoughts in the discussion boards.
NB To make this link you must be a full member of PCG and logged into the discussion forums.
www.pcg.org.uk/threads/wwwthreads.pl

Lobbying: CBI Conference
PCG has booked a stand to attend the CBI exhibition and conference in Birmingham, 4-6 November. The CBI event is viewed as the premier UK business conference and is attended by leading UK executives as well as government officials. PCG will be marketing the use of member contractors and raising the issue of IR35 and employment status with large client companies.
http://www.cbi.org.uk

PCG Shop and Book discounts
Delegates at the PCG�s recent conference were the first members to receive new PCG-branded merchandise. Each item has the PCG�s logo and are is available now at competitive prices to the wider membership. The new products include:

• Document bags
• Diaries 2002
• Mousemats
• Lapel badges

Details of prices and how to order are available:
www.pcg.org.uk/members/resources/pcg_shop.html

Also, members are now able to purchase two key IR35 related books at special PCG rates. The books are written by two of PCG�s key advisers, Dave Smith of Accountax and Anne Redston of Ernst & Young:

Use the link below to buy
IR35: Personal Service Companies By Anne Redston, for �44.50 (save �5)
Tolley's IR35 Defence Strategies: From Contracts to the Commissioners By David Smith. �22.50 - 50% discount
www.pcg.org.uk/members/book_order.html

Members' resolutions
There is a members' forum on the site where members can post their own resolutions and seek support. Current 'live' resolutions can be viewed at
www.pcg.org.uk/threads/wwwthreads.pl?a=l&f;=28

REGIONAL NEWS
Real Life Meetings

For the latest information and to start a local group see
www.pcg.org.uk/threads/wwwthreads.pl?a=l&f;=meet

To promote your local meet through the newsletter - email [email protected] with REGIONS in the subject matter, details of the event and a name and email contact point/or phone number for further information.

Thames Valley
The Thames Valley group now follows a rotating schedule:
1st Tuesday of each month - Basingstoke � Tues 6th Nov
2nd Wednesday of each month � Farnborough
3rd Thursday of each month � The Ship, Wokingham

Central London
Central London Chapter � Wednesday 7th November
Cheshire Cheese, 5 Little Essex St. London WC2

Herts � Old Welwyn � Date for diary
Christmas mean currently being discussed:
Thursday 29th November

Please follow this link to Real Life meetings to get involved
www.pcg.org.uk/threads/wwwthreads.pl?a=l&f;=meet

Mark Roderick
(PCG Executive Team)

This newsletter is published by the Professional Contractors Group. Please feel free to circulate the newsletter to other independent contractors who you know, and who may be interested in joining the PCG. Some links in the newsletter will take you into the password-protected members' area of the PCG website. If you have forgotten your password, contact http://www.pcg.org.uk/scripts/public/access/form.pl

To view the Forum links in this newsletter, you must be first logged into the Forum. Further details available at http://www.pcg.org.uk/members/discussion_forum.html