Public and Commercial Services Union

12th March 2010

Dear Tessa

I wrote to you on 1st March 2010 offering to meet to resolve the dispute over the changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. Unfortunately, I have not received a reply to my letter.

I am writing now to reiterate to you that this dispute will only be resolved by a negotiated settlement, and that remains our aim. I suggest that it is the government’s responsibility to resolve this damaging dispute by means of discussions on a fair agreement.

As you will be aware, our members’ industrial action on 8th and 9th March was well-supported, demonstrating again the strength of feeling among members. Further national strike action will take place on Wednesday 24th March, and we will be serving formal notice in due course.

I was dismayed to hear your comments at Cabinet Office questions earlier this week that “there is no question of any further negotiation”. This is especially disappointing as you are the employer that espouses best practice yet are seemingly slamming the door shut on negotiations with the largest recognised union, indeed this approach by you left us with no option other than to step up our campaign.

Despite this, we remain willing to have discussions at any time to seek an agreement on revised terms. Such an agreement must be on the basis of improving the terms that the Government has proposed, and now laid before Parliament. As stated before, in order to facilitate an agreement we would be willing to use the services provided by ACAS.

There is considerable strength of feeling among PCS members on this issue, which we believe will be evident on 24th March, if that remains necessary. That depth of feeling is reflected among backbench MPs, some 162 of whom have now signed EDM 251 ‘Civil Service Compensation Scheme’.

I look forward to your urgent response, and hope to meet with you at the earliest opportunity.

Yours sincerely

Mark Serwotka
General Secretary