News from the NEC - December 2025

Disputes update

The signing of a recognition agreement with new contractor Capita has resolved the long-running dispute involving staff administering civil service pensions (the dispute was with previous contractor MyCSP).

Members in Home Office Maritime held two days of successful action on 14 November and 1 December. The branch is considering next steps.

General secretary Fran Heathcote and members of the PCS parliamentary group have visited picket lines for security guards at the Palace of Westminster. The next strike date is 31 December.

Members at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) are in dispute over proposed job cuts, and how the current restructure process is being conducted, as well as the imposition of potentially discriminatory performance-related pay. The branch is undertaking an indicative ballot on job cuts.

At the Met Police members have been taking strike action over the withholding of a London cost-of-living allowance. On 1 December, the employer made a new offer consisting of three possible options to end the dispute and the GEC is considering its response.

In the new year, the DWP group will be balloting members until 16 February in their dispute over pay. In a separate dispute, members at DWP Lincoln are taking a further 20 days’ strike action until 2 January 2026, over the threatened Lincoln office closure.

As the NEC was meeting, members at the British Library were on strike over pay. The well-supported strike action to date has already resulted in improved offers from the employer and the resignation of the chief executive.

Members at the Tate Galleries took well-supported strike action between 26 November and 2 December. The branch is now pressing the employer to improve its offer.

National Campaign

The general secretary updated the NEC on national talks with the employer regarding issues in the national campaign.

There is some cautious optimism over our core demand to end delegated pay bargaining and to introduce more coherence through national pay bargaining – though there is nothing concrete at this stage.

The employer recognises the structural low pay and the issues of grade compression, due to the minimum wage rising faster than average pay in the last few years, and has promised to come forward with proposals ahead of the new pay remit in April 2026

Talks are ongoing.

The national levy refund is now live, and members who paid into the levy are now able to be repaid or to donate the refund back to union. 

Anti-Racism, Anti-Fascism campaign

A new bitesize course, ‘Challenging the Narrative – Shifting the Narrative’, is being piloted with a view to rolling it out to branches in revised form in the new year. The one-hour course, developed with the TUC, recognises the narratives promoted by political parties, populist agitators and our media that increasingly spread hate and division in our society. It will give union reps and advocates the confidence to engage in difficult conversations inside and outside of the workplace.

PCS has also supported the launch of the Together Alliance – to oppose racism and hatred – supported by over 115 organisations. The NEC agreed to back the Together Alliance’s national demonstration on 28 March 2026 with a national mobilisation.

Legal service

In 2025, the PCS legal service secured £462,644 in damages through employment tribunal claims and settlements. In the area of personal injury claims, the department referred 361 cases and successfully secured £1,238,610 in compensation for members.

Organising

Membership has risen over the last month, and over the past year – with membership currently at over 189,000 members.

Please encourage any non-members in your workplace to join PCS. Together we are stronger.