PCS Union – Ballot for strike

More than 250,000 public servants to ballot for strike
12 April 2011
The union’s ruling national executive agreed unanimously today to move to a vote for
national industrial action if the government presses ahead with its plans to make public
servants pay for an economic crisis they did not cause.
The decision is subject to endorsement of the union’s annual conference which opens on 18
May. If agreed, the ballot would commence the following week with the first strike possible
in June.
The union is encouraging it members to attend their branch meetings in the coming days and
weeks in advance of the conference debate.
Members of the University and College Union have already taken strike action over pensions
and PCS is talking to other unions about co-ordinating ballots.
The union wants: no detrimental changes to pensions or the civil service redundancy scheme;
a strengthening of the Cabinet Office-agreed measures to avoid compulsory redundancies;
and an end to the pay freeze and a fair pay rise for all.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka wrote to cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell on 21
December 2010 to raise the union’s concerns over these issues and request a timetable for
negotiations. Sir Gus did not respond until 8 February and failed to give any assurances or
offer any such timetable.
PCS national president Janice Godrich said: “We are committed to ensuring our members
have every opportunity to discuss these important issues before our annual conference next
month.
“We are widely publicising what our NEC will be asking conference delegates to endorse and
we’re urging all our members to attend their branch meetings so their reps can fully represent
their views.”
Mark Serwotka said: “At least half a million people marched for the alternative on 26 March,
and now we are saying we must be prepared to strike for the alternative.
“We are talking to other unions and will seek to ensure that any action we take has the widest
possible support to put the maximum pressure on the government to end its ideological
attacks on people who everyone acknowledges did nothing to cause the recession.”
From the PCS website
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/facts-about-civil-and-public-services/index.cfm

More than 250,000 public servants to ballot for strike
12 April 2011
The union’s ruling national executive agreed unanimously today to move to a vote fornational industrial action if the government presses ahead with its plans to make publicservants pay for an economic crisis they did not cause.
The decision is subject to endorsement of the union’s annual conference which opens on 18May. If agreed, the ballot would commence the following week with the first strike possiblein June.
The union is encouraging it members to attend their branch meetings in the coming days andweeks in advance of the conference debate.
Members of the University and College Union have already taken strike action over pensionsand PCS is talking to other unions about co-ordinating ballots.
The union wants: no detrimental changes to pensions or the civil service redundancy scheme;a strengthening of the Cabinet Office-agreed measures to avoid compulsory redundancies;and an end to the pay freeze and a fair pay rise for all.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka wrote to cabinet secretary Gus O’Donnell on 21December 2010 to raise the union’s concerns over these issues and request a timetable fornegotiations. Sir Gus did not respond until 8 February and failed to give any assurances oroffer any such timetable.
PCS national president Janice Godrich said: “We are committed to ensuring our membershave every opportunity to discuss these important issues before our annual conference nextmonth.
“We are widely publicising what our NEC will be asking conference delegates to endorse andwe’re urging all our members to attend their branch meetings so their reps can fully representtheir views.”
Mark Serwotka said: “At least half a million people marched for the alternative on 26 March,and now we are saying we must be prepared to strike for the alternative.
“We are talking to other unions and will seek to ensure that any action we take has the widestpossible support to put the maximum pressure on the government to end its ideologicalattacks on people who everyone acknowledges did nothing to cause the recession.”
From the PCS website
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/facts-about-civil-and-public-services/index.cfm

Posted by info on May 12th, 2011 in National News