PCS to re-ballot FCDO members on restructure

PCS is holding a second ballot because there remains huge uncertainty for staff, processes are unclear, and we were just 19 votes short of the ballot turnout threshold of 50% required before a union can take lawful action. This result shows strong support for PCS demands and industrial action, with 76.9 % voting for strike action and 93.8% voting for action short of a strike. 

For the re-ballot, the branch has strengthened our methods and approach and is confident we can achieve over the 50% turnout threshold this time.

The second ballot opens on Monday 18 May and closes at noon on Monday, 22 June. As with the first ballot this is a statutory ballot, and members will be posted a ballot paper by 1st class post on Monday, 18 May.

FCDO continues to refuse to engage meaningfully with staff unions or pause its restructure programme (despite requests from unions and parliamentarians for them to do so) and has failed to provide the assurances needed to resolve the dispute, which PCS initiated in November last year. As previously, our legal trade dispute is about FCDO’s stated intention of making job cuts of up to 25%; its failure to meaningfully consult PCS on the restructure (including lack of business case for job cuts, no workforce plan or equality impact assessment); and its refusal to provide a guarantee there will be no compulsory redundancies.

FCDO's current approach to restructuring will create an unstable future for all civil servants. It will weaken UK influence and the impact of programmes we all work on and care about. It will set a precedent for the organisation and for the rest of the civil service that involves ignoring or bypassing existing organisational policies and national agreements. It will limit the scope and diversity of future employment opportunities. A re-ballot is our best chance to ensure the employer meaningfully engages with the strong views of its staff on the restructure.

We therefore urge every member to vote in the re-ballot because every one of us will be impacted negatively if FCDO2030 goes ahead unchecked.