Second wave of pay strikes set to start
17 July 2008
The strikes are the latest wave of action over the government’s policy of capping public sector pay below the rate of inflation.
Pay offers in the areas involved in the action average no more that 2%, with significant numbers receiving 1% or nothing at all.
Friday’s action follows on from yesterday’s pay strike in the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), two days of walkouts and action short of strike in Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and a two day stoppage in local government by Unison and Unite members.
It is anticipated that tomorrow’s action will lead to delays at immigration controls and the cancellation of asylum interviews.
The 48 hour stoppage by coastguards, which starts at 7pm Friday, is also expected to close around half of the UK’s 19 coastguard rescue control centres.
Further disruption is expected next week with passport interviews cancelled and delays likely to occur in the issuing of passports as IPS staff strike for three days on 23, 24 and 25 July.
The three day strike will be followed by action short of a strike further disrupted the issuing of passports.
The week of action over below inflation pay follows a strongly supported strike over the same issue on 24 April co-ordinated by PCS, NUT and UCU.
The union warned that it would be moving to a ballot for strike action across the civil service should the government continue in its refusal to review its pay policy.
Commenting, Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: “Pay rises of 2%, and in many cases 1% or less, are totally unacceptable and represent a pay cut in real terms for dedicated civil and public servants.
"People delivering essential services, some of whom earn just above the minimum wage, are seeing their pay eroded by rising fuel, food and housing costs.
“Civil and public servants have become incensed by the government’s repeated use of the discredited argument that their pay is causing inflation when month after month their pay is actually being cut.
"With inflation running at 4.6% the government needs to review its draconian policy of capping pay and recognise the impact it is having on hardworking families who are struggling to make ends meet.”
Recent news
- Use of temporary and fixed-term staff is wasteful
- Our response to the government's Spending Challenge
- Unions to recommend improved offer to settle BAA dispute
- More defence cuts will damage frontline support
- Pickles piles pressure on under-fire Government Office staff
- Mass job losses loom as justice cuts revealed
- Evidence busts myth pensions are unaffordable
- Welfare reforms doomed to fail under cuts agenda
- MPs to hear case against cuts to redundancy pay
- Policing changes could damage fight against crime
Tab Bottom
- Directory
- Contact Us
- Search
