Update on our campaign on pay, pensions, job security and redundancy terms
Following the overwhelming vote to support our campaign strategy, the NEC has met to discuss next steps.
The PCS national executive committee (NEC) has been meeting to discuss the next steps in our campaign following the 90.3% yes vote in our recent consultative ballot on how to continue the campaign.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our campaign to this point has been successful. It’s been successful because we’ve been able to engage a majority of members... Industrial action has forced the government for the first time to put more money on the table: a £1,500 one-off non-consolidated payment was made to members in the UK civil service and related areas, and the government’s pay remit was doubled to an average pay rise of 4.5%."
Members in Scotland have won their own pay deal. The Welsh Government is paying the £1,500 lump sum and has encouraged its arms-length bodies to do likewise.
Mark went on to say that while the concessions we have won are significant, and put welcome money in members’ pockets, they are not enough and our campaign continues.
We are now going to take stock. We will analyse every individual employer’s pay outcome for 2023/24. Some of our members have done better than expected, but many have not had acceptable pay rises.
We are about to start talks with the government on national issues such as equal pay, grading and low pay. We have made it clear to the Cabinet Office that we need to see significant progress over the next 4-6 weeks.
We are awaiting our date in court to challenge the government over your pension overpayments.
A report will be produced in October to look at all the pay outcomes and see what we have achieved in terms of our overall campaign objectives. A further ballot for industrial action will be called if talks at national and delegated level on pay don’t result in acceptable deals.
The temporary strike levy will now stop and members will be notified of changes to their direct debits.
Mark said: “Your 90% vote sent the government and the Cabinet Office a very clear message. Our campaign continues and the talks need to deliver progress in the next few weeks. If they don’t, we will have no hesitation in coming back out to recommend that we need to take further industrial action.”
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