Young Workers' Month

Young Workers' Month is a chance for unions to amplify the issues most pressing for younger workers, spotlight their organising efforts, and demonstrate the value they bring to the wider movement.

Following over a decade of recruitment freezes, the proportion of younger staff in the civil service has increased, with nearly 16% of civil servants now aged between 16 and 29. However, these workers face significant challenges. Low pay, limited career progression, mounting pension costs, and a constantly shifting retirement age are particular concerns. Additionally, they contend with the wider societal issues of discrimination, harassment, and rising inequality, alongside the ever-increasing cost of living. For many, home ownership seems an impossible dream.

Young workers are also reshaping how we think about employment itself. They are pushing for a better work-life balance, championing the right to disconnect from work, and leading the campaign for a four-day working week. Their influence is growing, and their priorities are changing the landscape of workplace rights and expectations.

Throughout Young Workers' Month, we will be sharing stories from our national young members’ committee (NYMC), highlighting how young members got involved and why they believe unions are so crucial for their generation. This committee, elected annually, plays a key role in coordinating PCS’s work for young people, with representatives from across the UK. The committee addresses issues that affect them directly, such as job security, apprenticeships, training, and overall workplace rights.

Young workers in PCS have the opportunity to join the network that also provides them with a platform to organise campaigns and social events. The network allows them to take action against inequality and discrimination, helping to improve working conditions for everyone, and proving that they have both the drive and the power to make change happen.