Public and Commercial Services Union

Welcome to the Health and Safety Executive national branch web pages. These pages are for PCS members working in the Health and Safety Executive.

PCS pensions action

Hopefully members will have seen the news from this week’s Trade Union Congress where PCS along with other trade unions announced further industrial action on the 30th November in defence of our pensions. Speaking in the debate PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka said "this is not just a fight for public sector pensions; we want fair pensions for all."

He went on to say "Following the hugely successful strike by civil servants, teachers and lecturers in June, there is a clear momentum behind our campaign that ministers cannot ignore or dismiss, and they must now enter into serious and open negotiations. We have always said that the more united we are, the harder it will be for the government to push through their ideologically-driven and damaging cuts. We will now join our colleagues from across the public sector to discuss the nuts and bolts of this fight back, which we fully expect will mean industrial action on a scale not seen for many, many years.

Speaking in her capacity as PCS National Vice president Paula Brown, was quoted on BBC Radio 5 live as saying "We hope that this news makes Francis Maude reconsider his approach to the negotiations". So far the Government have failed to properly engage in the negotiation process. Any negotiation requires movement on both sides of the table, and so far the talks have focussed on how all the terms in the Hutton report will be implemented, with no sign of compromise from the Coalition Government.

In answer to the question of public servants expecting those in the private sector on lower pensions having to fund gold plated public sector ones, Paula said "PCS represents workers in both sectors and believes in fair pensions for all. PCS members are tax payers too, and if the Chancellor George Osborne can afford to let Vodaphone off a £6 billion tax bill, then he is choosing who pays for the banking crisis and subsequent deficit".

At the pensions talks the Government have said that they want to raise £2.8 billion in savings from our pension schemes and this will go directly towards helping pay off the deficit. PCS does not accept the need for these changes so soon after we negotiated the deal with the last government. PCS believes this is nothing but a tax on public sector workers, and that we should be clamping down on corporate tax dodgers who deprive our economy of tens of billions of pounds a year.

The PCS National Executive Committee will be meeting on the 29th September to consider developments, and we understand that Prospect and FDA will be amongst those unions balloting their members.