PCS in the media round-up: October 2023
Highlights in our media coverage for October were our DVSA strike ballot and strike action by members working in the House of Commons.
An ongoing strike by members working for ISS in Whitehall also generated huge interest. PCS president Fran Heathcote was interviewed live on Sky News by Kay Burley about the ISS strike in Whitehall.
Other high-profile stories included our calls for the now ex-Home Office secretary Suella Braveman to “stop stirring up hatred and fear” and our response to Jeremy Hunt’s announcement of civil service recruitment freeze, which was covered by Sky News and the Financial Times, among other outlets.
Overall, we had 1,510 stories in the media in October.
Comparative advertising spend was £5.75m (how much money we would have to spend on advertising to receive the same level of editorial coverage).
Some of the other more prominent stories in October included:
Sky News: Chancellor toughens rules on benefits as he announces Civil Service freeze
Independent: Whitehall staff to launch five-day strike
Guardian: State opening of UK parliament could be disrupted by security staff strikes
MailOnline: Commons security guards suspend planned strike action
East Anglian Daily Times: HMRC office in Ipswich’s AXA building fights bed bugs
i: Government cleaners earning £11.95 an hour won’t be paid for seven weeks in run-up to Christmas
Independent: Protestors call on Suella Braverman to stop ‘stirring up hatred and fear’
MailOnline: DVSA ‘disappointed’ as workers balloted for strike action