Parliament security officers accept deal to end dispute

PCS members working in the Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) at the Palace of Westminster have voted to accept an agreement, bringing a long‑running dispute to an end.

84% of members voted to accept the deal.

The agreement follows four days of industrial action and addresses six key concerns :

• The loss of annual leave following the introduction of 12-hour shifts in 2023
• Pensionable pay remaining unchanged since 2019, alongside a lack of action to address the Ethnicity Pay Gap
• Management failing to deal with staff grievances properly or in a timely way
• Heavy-handed disciplinary action against members
• Unreasonable break patterns and shift schedules
• A wider breakdown in industrial relations.

The agreement will include one-off payments for eligible staff, a commitment to a pay rise in 2026–27, a full review of job roles and grading for operational staff, joint work between the union and employer to improve annual leave, breaks, shift patterns and how workplace issues are handled and regular meetings to monitor progress and ensure the agreement is delivered.

PCS will now focus on making sure the promises in the deal are delivered.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “We’re pleased members have secured an agreement that begins to address their concerns. This deal shows what can be achieved when we stand together.

“After a long and difficult dispute, we’ve forced real movement on pay, conditions and fairness at work.

“Now the focus is simple, make sure these commitments are delivered in full and that working conditions improve in a meaningful way.”