A QUARTER of a million civil and public servants are on strike today to put an end to cuts to their pay which their union PCS says is ‘slashing the public servants’ living standards’.
As well as early morning picket lines, there will also be protests and political lobbying events across the UK, including a central London protest in Old Palace Yard opposite the Houses of Parliament from 11.30am to 12pm.
There will also be a demonstration at 11am outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, in London, against plans to privatise visitor services.
PCS says that the protest comes as the gallery prepares, for the first time, to use private security guards to staff a new Rembrandt exhibition.
The union said that new cost of living figures reveal the real effect of pay cuts.
PCS said: ‘A new measure called the “real Britain index” shows the poorest in society are hit hardest by the spiralling cost of food, clothing, energy and housing.
‘It also reveals civil servants on median pay face a true inflation rate of 2.36%, while the government’s preferred consumer prices index was at 1.2% for September.
‘The latest official civil service statistics, published by the Office for National Statistics last week, show the large number of civil servants in lower to middle ranking executive officer posts have received only a 2.05% rise since 31 March 2010.’
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: ‘These figures prove what people in low paid households already know, that the real cost of living is soaring while wages are being cut year after year.
‘Our action this week demands an end to these cuts that are slashing the public servants’ living standards at the same time as millionaires are handed tax cuts and tens of billions of pounds is stolen from our public finances every year through tax evasion.’
