PCS (Public and Commercial Services) union members on Tuesday began a series of strikes across England, Scotland and Wales which the Tory government intends to break with the use of the armed forces.
The PCS has condemned the Tory government’s planned use of military personnel to break strikes, calling for the government to invest money in resolving the issues that led to the strikes rather than using the military to suppress them.
The union argues that using soldiers in this way is a waste of resources and does not address the underlying problems.
It has called on the government to stop using military personnel to break the legitimate strike by Border Force workers over Christmas.
PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka also criticised the government’s offer of a 2% pay increase to Border Force workers, calling it ‘pathetic’ and one of the lowest across the economy.
Now members of the armed services are being trained to replace the more than 1,000 trained Border Force officers expected to take action.
Serwotka added: ‘Our Border Force members are specialists in their fields and can’t be replaced by people with just days of training.’
Driving examiners and people working at the Rural Payments Agency were the first to take action.
They are being followed by those working for the National Highways, the Border Force and a number of offices in the Department for Work and Pensions.
In all, 100,000 PCS members working in 214 government departments and other bodies voted for strike action over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms.
Some 1,600 PCS members working for the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) were joined on strike by almost 100 workers at the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) on Tuesday.
The month-long rolling strike programme by DVSA workers runs from up to 18 December in Scotland and northern England, before spreading to North West England, Yorkshire, Humberside and North Wales between 19-24 December, the West Midlands, eastern England and the East Midlands between 28-31 December and 3 January, culminating in London, the South East, South Wales and the South West between 4-11 January.
RPA workers in Workington, Caernarfon and Newcastle are taking action until tomorrow, and again between 19-23 December, 3-6 and 9-13 January.
MPs and peers have signed a statement in advance of the first wave of strike action in the PCS campaign on pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms.
Members of the PCS parliamentary group, from both the Commons and the Lords, have signed a statement of support for PCS members who are about to begin several weeks of industrial action across numerous government departments.
Signed by over 40 cross party MPs and peers, the statement comes as ministers attempt to blame workers for disruption across numerous sectors throughout December and January.
‘As members of the PCS Parliamentary Group, we would like to express our full support and solidarity to all members of the union who will be taking strike action in the coming days and weeks in your fight for a fair deal on pay, pensions, job cuts and redundancy terms.
‘With your overwhelming mandate of an 86.4% vote in favour of industrial action, the government should be in no doubt about the strength of feeling across the civil service. With members in 124 government departments and public bodies poised to take action, this must be a huge wake-up call for this government.
The statement says: ‘PCS members have every right to be angry, faced with insulting pay offers of just 2-3% at a time of double-digit inflation.
‘These workers were amongst our key-worker heroes who we applauded for getting the nation through the Covid pandemic.
‘To be rewarding them by slashing the real value of their pay during a cost-of-living crisis is unforgiveable.
‘Inevitably, the strikes will cause disruption and inconvenience for the public.
‘No one wants to see this, but let’s be clear – the responsibility lies squarely with Rishi Sunak and the Tory government.
‘We urge the government to reconsider urgently both departmental spending limits and the civil service pay remit, and get round the table for meaningful talks to resolve this dispute.
‘But until they are brought to their senses, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you in this fight.’
Signatories include- Chris Stephens (Chair), Rt Hon John McDonnell (President), Caroline Lucas (Vice-Chair), Grahame Morris, Ian Lavery, Jeremy Corbyn, Liz Saville-Roberts, Beth Winter, Kate Osborne, Claudia Webbe, Apsana Begum, Ian Byrne, Mike Amesbury, Jon Trickett, Alan Dorrans, Mike Amesbury, Jon Trickett, Nadia Whittome, David Linden, Mary Kelly Foy, Rebecca Long Bailey, Diane Abbott, Mick Whitley, Zarah Sultana, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Dan Carden, Richard Burgon, Margaret Greenwood, Sarah Champion, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Chris Law, Rachael Maskell, Kim Johnson, Clive Lewis, Andy McDonald, Barry Gardiner, Dawn Butler, Baroness Chakrabarti, Lord Davies of Brixton, Lord Sikka, and Lord Hendy.
‘With strategic, targeted strikes being organised by PCS across the civil service, our cost-of-living survey shows how many of our members feel they have no option but to take action after years of low pay increases and spiralling costs,’ the union said.
It added: ‘With inflation at a 40-year high, we know many PCS members are struggling as prices rocket. For our members in the civil service, the situation has worsened in recent years. Pay restraint over the last decade alone means members are missing out on at least £2,800 a year. Civil servants were offered a miserly 2% earlier in the year which PCS rejected with inflation at over 9% and having made a pay claim of 10%.’
A recent survey conducted by the union has shown that many of its members feel they have no choice but to take action due to years of low pay increases and rising costs.
The survey found that:
- 85% of members say the cost-of-living crisis has affected their physical or mental health
- 52% of members have worried about losing their home as bills and inflation rise
- 40% of members have had to use credit to pay for essential shopping
- 37% of survey respondents said they are looking for a job outside the civil service, considering a career change for the sake of their health
- 35% say they have skipped meals because they had no food
- 18% of members have admitted to missing work because they can’t afford transport or fuel to get there
- 9% have claimed benefits due to low pay
- 8% said they have used a foodbank.
It highlights the difficult realities that many civil servants are facing, and the need for action to address these issues.
Many of them feel the government has treated them with contempt by offering them a pay rise of just 2% while inflation continues to rocket.
With inflation at a 40-year high, many PCS members are struggling as prices rocket.
For members in the civil service, the situation has worsened in recent years. Pay restraint over the last decade alone means members are missing out on at least £2,800 a year.
When members were surveyed about the cost-of-living crisis over the summer the results were stark.
More than 12,000 people responded to the survey, which asked members how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting on their ability to live day to day.
The survey found that a large majority of civil servants have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis, with many experiencing negative impacts on their physical and mental health.
Many have worried about losing their homes, have had to use credit to pay for essentials, and have considered changing careers for their health.
Some have skipped meals or relied on food banks, and a significant number have missed work due to lack of money for transport or fuel.
These findings highlight the need for urgent and comprehensive action to address these issues.
