They won’t talk, so we must walk – PCS Strike

PCS

Strong turnouts reported as members walk out in force

5 April 2013

The highlights of our long weekend of industrial action so far:

• Over 1,600 members out at the Tyneview Park pension centre in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Reports of mass of cars exiting the site at same time with members streaming out.
• Land Registry, Weymouth, 70% on strike, 128 staff out of 183
• Wrexham, an estimated 70% on strike, as approximately 200 PCS members walk out
• Grimsby JobCentre Plus, an estimated 75% of members turn out and three new members join
• MoD Scotland West branch. Nearly all workers reported to have walked out at 1pm, met by 20 cheering activists
• An estimated 170 workers on strike outside the Cabinet Office in London, shouting “Maude out!”
• Good turnouts also reported at DWP Salford Quays, IPS Durham, DWP Caxton House and DWP Liverpool.
• Speaking to around 200 members gathered outside Whitehall, John McInally, PCS national vice president pledged to “right until we win”.
• John was followed by Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, saying: “Making cuts is bad enough, refusing to talk is a disgrace. We’re on strike because we care about the services we deliver. Francis Maude doesn’t care. He should resign.”
• Mark Serwotka also announced a week of action at the Home Office, beginning in two weeks
• 100% walk-out reported at Warrington County Court, the building  closing its doors at 1pm
• 122 members walk out at the Charity Commission in Liverpool
• More than 100 workers walk out at the Rural Payments Agency in Carlisle.
• 78% turnout reported at Brighton Jobcentre Plus
• Wavertree Jobcentre Liverpool, most members walked out at 1pm. JobCentre remained open but offering no service
• MoJ London tribunals branch, 20 members out and “major disruption caused”
• DWP Manchester and Salford branch: “Managers phoning customers to re-arrange appointments in last hour. Office closed.”
• The World Museum and Tate in Liverpool were forced to close their doors early and escort visitors out before 1pm
• “Tremendous support” for the 1pm strike reported at Saltcoats JobCentre in Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway branch with the office only able to provide a “very limited” service
• DWP Eastern Valley’s Merthyr branch committee report 100% turnout

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, says: “The specific trigger for the strike was the government’s reluctance to talk about these issues.

“If we were in a dialogue we wouldn’t be taking any action. The problem is there’s no dialogue and their attacks are happening. Faced with that we concluded that doing nothing wasn’t an option.”