Public and Commercial Services Union

PCS members deliver vital public services everyday, a quarter of us earn less than £16,000 and most of us under £20,000.

The government's public sector pay policy means that many of us are either receiving pay rises below the cost of living or no pay rise at all. We are struggling to make ends meet.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary:

I think the general perception of the public is that the public sector workers are quite well paid. The reality is that there are members of PCS who are in the national minimum wage or a fraction above it. We have a quarter of our members who earn less than £16000 a year and pay rises in the public sector are currently running a lot less than those in the private sector. These are people who are serving the country from anything such as issuing driving licenses to paying pensioners to collecting tax.

Jennifer, admin officer:

It’s very important to me to work in the public sector because I feel that the job that I do makes an impact and makes the difference.

Mohammed, case worker:

Public servants are not valued for the massive contribution we make to British life, and without our hard work without our dedication and without our commitment that our country might come to a stand still. I think it’s about time that our Government came to recognize the positive contribution we make.

James, project manager:

Civil servants work very hard to deliver vital functions that the public depend upon and deserve pay that’s inline with inflation.

Janice Godrich, PCS national president:

What we’re seeing now for thousands of our members is their pay is being cut year on year.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary:

I’m very angry that there’s such an appalling rate of low pay across the public sector for people who do jobs that the public rely on.

Jennifer, Admin officer:

I don’t feel that it’s fair that when you hear that MPs are getting £24,000 for just expense accounts and that I’m just earning £15,000 a year for doing a 37 hour week… I feel under valued, I feel perhaps my work is not as important.

Mohammed, case worker:

When people realise that their local job centre staff are reliant on hand-outs from tax credits, it’s quite a shock to the system for people.

Katie, ministerial diary manager:

Currently, my pay is so low that I’m not able to afford a flat of my own. I’m always using my credit card because I don’t earn enough money on a monthly basis to pay the bills, and that’s just getting worse and worse, and I think it’s getting worse for most PCS members who are in a similar situation.

Susan, admin officer:

Being on low wages effects my relationship with my son because he obviously wants more and more as he’s getting older now. I’m trying to explain to a nine year old why you can’t really afford to do so much with him when all his friends have got a lot more than him.

Mohammed, case worker:

It now means that we in my family, in our house hold can’t survive on just my day job. I’ve reluctantly have had to get a second job at weekends. I’m spending less time with my children and obviously this is having an effect on my relationship with my children and my relationship with my wife but it’s one of necessity, I have to do it.

Janice Godrich, PCS national president:

The minute their salary goes in the bills go out and it’s a worry then until the end of the month about whether they’re going to feed themselves, their kids. You know, what happens when my daughter comes home from school, wants £20 for a school trip, how am I going to afford that? And that all adds to a sense of frustration.

Susan, admin officer:

Food bills have doubled, gas and electricity bills have doubled my water bills have.. well not doubled but it has gone up substantially. I feel like I’ve got less disposable income now than I did five years ago. I don’t think I’m going to be able to go on much longer scrimping and saving, especially if the cost of living is going up and up far more than my wages are going up because in effect I’m having a pay cut every year.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary:

To say well you’re a teacher, a civil servant or a local government worker. All of us deserve to be treated fairer than this.

Jennifer, admin officer:

I’m not paid enough. If I was paid enough I’d be able to meet my basic bills and I wouldn’t have to work extra hours to top up my earnings. To have top struggle all the time is such a slog, and it is quite upsetting.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary:

PCS members contribute every single day to the running of this country, and they’re not asking for double digit pay rises and pots of gold. What we’re asking for is a living wage and no cuts in our living standards. We’re doing everything we can to negotiate and campaign, but ultimately we’ve reached the conclusion that if all of that fails then we need to stand up to be counted which is why now we’re considering a ballot for industrial action as a last resort.

Please support our campaign for fair pay and stop the government ripping the heart out of our public services.