More than 30,000 civil servants begin new strike ballot

More than 30,000 civil servants – including those working for His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) – today (16) begin a new ballot for strike action over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security.   

PCS members are re-balloting after last November voting by a massive majority for strike action but falling just short of reaching the 50% threshold required to take action. 

The departments balloting are:

  • HMRC (28,400 members)
  • Welsh Government (2,000)
  • Valuation Office Agency (900)
  • Companies House (422)
  • National Museum of Wales (230)
  • UK Export Finance (90)
  • The Care Quality Commission (86)
  • Office of Rail and Road (50).

The ballot results are expected at the end of February. 

If, as expected, they beat the threshold this time they will join 100,000 PCS members in 125 government departments who have already passed the threshold. All 100,000 members are striking on February 1, with many having taken action already

PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our hard-working members are fed up and angry with the way they’re being treated by a government that takes them for granted. 

“Since our programme of sustained action started, thousands of new members have joined PCS, determined to win this dispute and secure for themselves a pay rise to help them through the cost-of-living crisis and beyond. 

“The government can resolve this dispute tomorrow if it puts money on the table. Until it does, the action will escalate.”