PCS: More than 250,000 public servants to ballot for strike

Thursday, 14 April 2011 12:00 AM

More than a quarter of a million civil and public servants could be balloted for a strike over cuts to pensions, jobs and pay, the Public and Commercial Services union announces.

The union*s ruling national executive (NEC) agreed unanimously today (12 Apr) to move to a vote for national industrial action if the government presses ahead with its plans to make public servants pay for an economic crisis they did not cause.

The decision is subject to endorsement of the union*s annual conference which opens on 18 May. If agreed, the ballot would commence the following week with the first strike possible in June.

The union is encouraging it members to attend their branch meetings in the coming days and weeks in advance of the conference debate.

Members of the University and College Union have already taken strike action over pensions and PCS is talking to other unions about co-ordinating ballots.

The union wants: no detrimental changes to pensions or the civil service redundancy scheme; a strengthening of the Cabinet Office-agreed measures to avoid compulsory redundancies; and an end to the pay freeze and a fair pay rise for all.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka wrote to cabinet secretary Gus O*Donnell on 21 December 2010 to raise the union*s concerns over these issues and request a timetable for negotiations. Sir Gus did not respond until 8 February and failed to give any assurances or offer any such timetable.

PCS national president Janice Godrich said: *We are committed to ensuring our members have every opportunity to discuss these important issues before our annual conference next month.

*We are widely publicising what our NEC will be asking conference delegates to endorse and we*re urging all our members to attend their branch meetings so their reps can fully represent their views.*

Mark Serwotka said: *At least half a million people marched for the alternative on 26 March, and now we are saying we must be prepared to strike for the alternative.

*We are talking to other unions and will seek to ensure that any action we take has the widest possible support to put the maximum pressure on the government to end its ideological attacks on people who everyone acknowledges did nothing to cause the recession.*

ENDS

Notes

- For information and interview requests contact PCS national press officer Richard Simcox on 020 7801 2747 or 07833 978216

- The Public and Commercial Services union represents civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies, and in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK*s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich - on Twitter @janicegodrich

- Follow PCS on Twitter @pcs_union

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