DWP results from national re-ballot

The vast majority of employer groups within PCS was successful in meeting the 50% threshold of members participating to meet the government’s anti-trade union legislation which requires a 50% turnout in order for the union to legally take strike action.

Members in the DWP showed beyond a doubt, with an 88% vote for strike action, that they are not prepared to put up with below inflation pay rises, attacks on their pension schemes, redundancy terms and job insecurity. Unfortunately, in DWP we fell 1.35% short of meeting the government’s threshold despite strength of feeling so clearly demonstrated by those voting for strike action. This means for now we are unable to continue strike action in DWP.

However, given the closeness of the vote the GEC will be moving a motion at our DWP group conference proposing that we move to a re-ballot for strike action as soon as possible. HMRC members faced the same issue in November in the original ballot. They smashed the threshold in their re-ballot in February. We believe that more members will vote in a re-ballot and easily beat the threshold, and again allow us to join in on action to put this government under pressure to meet our demands.

Between now and the re-ballot members in DWP will be able to play a role in the continuing national campaign by paying the strike levy to support their colleagues in other areas. This is so PCS members in other areas are able to take paid sustained and targeted strike action that is intended to disrupt the delivery of government services in a way that will bring them back round the negotiating table.

There has been hugely successful and brilliantly supported sustained targeted strike action in DWP with members in Stockport and Bolton Service Centres, Glasgow and Liverpool jobcentres as well as Doncaster jobcentre and back-of-house areas. This action has been seriously disruptive to the DWP and very difficult for them to recover from.

Talk to your branch officers to ensure that they vote in favour of the re-ballot when they attend the DWP conference in the next few weeks.