Public and Commercial Services Union

PCS met with Treasury and Cabinet Office Ministers last week, and set out clearly what we would expect to see in the Treasury guidance to improve members pay. The opportunity was taken to pursue other pay issues, such as separate funding for pay progression to achieve a “level playing field” with other parts of the public sector, common conditions of service, tackling equal pay problems and eradicating pay differences between organisations, reducing the number of bargaining units, and ending performance pay and regional pay. These talks are continuing.

Interest Rates Cut again

Yesterday the Bank of England once again announced a cut in the Bank of England interest rates from 1.5% to an all time low of 1%. The cut follows the official announcement that we entered recession in December, after two quarters of shrinking economic growth. Many financial commentators and some business groups have argued that

Members still feel the pinch 

Many members have reported to us that despite the interest rate cuts their mortgages have not gone down much if at all and although some have reduced slightly it does not make up for previous increases and large increases in other household bills. Many members pay rent – none report that rental costs have gone down.

The Big Freeze

Management say thanks

Management this week thanked staff for their extra effort at this time. Many of our lowest paid members worry about the cost of heating their homes on these extremely cold days. PCS says that the best way to thank staff would be through their pay packets.