PCS: ACAS staff vote for strike action over pay

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Tuesday, 04, Mar 2008 12:00

Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) working for conciliation service (ACAS), whose job it is to resolve industrial disputes, have voted for strike action in a dispute over their own pay.

61% of members voting backed a rolling programme of one hour strikes in response to ACAS’s failure to make a pay offer for 2007. The settlement date for 2007 pay was seven months ago in August of last year.

80% of those taking part in the ballot, who work across fifteen ACAS sites based in England, Scotland and Wales, also voted for industrial action short of strike.

Staff are angry over the continued refusal by the government body responsible for mediating in industrial disputes to hold substantive negotiations on the 2007 pay offer.

The ACAS ballot result follows Friday’s strongly supported strike over pay inequality and below inflation pay in the Department for Transport (DfT) and five of its agencies, which saw approximately 5,000 driving tests cancelled.

The ballot result also comes two days before members in the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) take part in their first ever one-day strike over pay levels that fall way behind those paid to other emergency services and below inflation cost of living increases.

Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: “The failure of any pay offer and the lack of substantive negotiations have forced the very people who resolve industrial disputes into voting for strike action themselves. Pay across the civil service is creating anger and frustration as the government press ahead with its discredited policy of below inflation pay resulting in pay cuts in real terms. The government can avoid embarrassing and damaging strike action in ACAS and elsewhere in the civil service by addressing low pay and paying a fair wage. “

ENDS

Notes to editors

* For further information, interviews and comment please contact Alex Flynn PCS national press officer on 0207 8012820 or 07833 978216.

* PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 315,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers 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 Janice Godrich.

Alex Flynn

National Press Officer

Public and Commercial Services Union

160 Falcon Rd

London SW11 2LN

Direct line: 020 7801 2747

Mobile: 07833 978 216

Fax: 020 7924 1847

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