‘THE government could face a national strike by civil servants in a matter of weeks,’ PCS leader Mark Serwotka told a pre-TUC Congress press briefing yesterday.
Serwotka said cuts were hitting benefits, services, minimum wage enforcement and driving tests.
‘The Ministry of Defence faces drastic cuts on an unprecedented scale – 120,000 jobs are being privatised,’ Serwotka said.
He added: ‘Time is running out for the government, whether it is led by Blair or Brown – you can’t tell them apart in terms of policies.’
Serwotka said the PCS will be consulting all its representatives, and if there is no change, an industrial action ballot will be launched.
He said: ‘We are clear: if the leader changes and policies remain the same, we’ll move to consulting on taking industrial action, because we can’t wait for all that’s unravelling – jobs are going right now.’
At the TGWU press conference, TGWU leader Tony Woodley would not call for Blair to resign.
He told journalists: ‘My main interest this week will be to re-focus on organising.’
In answer to questions on the Labour leadership, he said: ‘Really, last week has been a mess that politicians have made and have to clean up.
‘The prime minister was right to tell people to stop obsessing on a timetable.’
Woodley said MPs were worried about the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament elections.
He added: ‘There’s no automatic choice. I don’t like Brown’s US-style deregulated workforce, but we can’t carry on until early May, or even May 31.
‘We’ve got to get the process going in March.’
Woodley said there had to be a Trade Union Freedom Bill ‘so there are no more experiences like the debacle of Gate Gourmet a year or so ago; I’m sure you all remember that.’
News Line put to Woodley that he had spoken of Gate Gourmet as if it was in the past when the dispute is not over.
Woodley replied: ‘I agree it’s not over until the laws of this country are changed, it’s not over in my eyes. It’s not over until hundreds get their jobs back.
‘After 800 were sacked by a ruthless employer, we ended up with getting 300 members’ jobs back and millions in compensation.
‘We still have a small number who can’t get their jobs back. They want us to take official strike action.’
Earlier, at a joint UNISON/RCM press briefing, Dave Prentis, UNISON general secretary, condemned the attacks on the NHS.
Predicting 20,000 job losses in the NHS, he said: ‘We already have massive job losses, deficits and ward closures.
‘It is only a matter of time before a major hospital closes.
‘We have a successful NHS operation, NHS Logistics, which is now being sold off to DHL.
‘The contract is £700 million and the cost to the taxpayer is over £3 billion.
‘It’s corruption. If our members vote for action, we will support them.
‘We will also be taking legal action to seek a judicial review of the contracting process.’
Prentis added that 12 health unions and the BMA, RCN and RCM are campaigning with communities and will be lobbying parliament this autumn and holding a national demonstration next spring.
When challenged whether this was soon enough, as Blair’s ‘reforms’ were smashing up the NHS and there wouldn’t be much left by next spring, Prentis replied: ‘There will be plenty of the NHS left by spring.’
He warned: ‘Unless there is a change of policy, there will not be a Labour fourth term.’
Questioned on the Labour Party leadership, Prentis said: ‘We want to know what Mr Brown’s policies are.’
Prentis added: ‘We’ve never been oppositionists, we want to get back to partnership working.
‘We want to know whether we will be listened to.’
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow told journalists: ‘The main issue we will be concentrating on is the Trade Union Freedom Bill.
‘Labour has failed to repeal any of the anti-union laws the Tories brought in.
‘It’s over 100 years since Taff Vale.
‘We had more rights 100 years ago than we have in 2006.
‘We shall also be opposing the London Mayor’s plan to privatise the East London Line.
‘We want the rail service renationalised.’
