For the first time in a long period, there is the prospect of co-ordinated strike action against the public sector pay cap.
At TUC Congress in September 2013, a PCS motion backing a programme of co-ordinated action to break the pay cap was supported unanimously.
Members are now being asked in a consultative ballot to support our campaign for a fair pay rise, including potential co-ordinated action with other public sector unions, and to support our campaign plan for action on all our national campaign demands.
What is a consultative ballot?
It is important that we talk to members about the way forward. Our national conference agreed to consult on our national campaign, including about asking members to take support co-ordinated strike action with other public sector unions aimed at ending the public sector pay cap.
We are consulting members in the civil service and other public sector bodies including the Metropolitan Police and devolved administrations.
We want the strongest possible "yes‟ vote on the highest possible turnout, to send a clear message to the Cabinet Office.
What’s the timetable?
The ballot opened on Thursday 12 June, and closes on Monday 30 June. The NEC will meet on 1 July to consider the outcome of the ballot, and take decisions.
Talks are ongoing with other public sector unions to organise a campaign of co-ordinated strike action.
What are our demands on pay?
We have submitted a pay claim to the Cabinet Office, which seeks “a £1,200 or 5% pay increase”. We have sought central talks on our claim to force the government to end the pay cap.
We believe a programme of joint union co-ordinated action represents the best opportunity to break the public sector wide pay cap policy.
What else is happening?
We are asking branches to organise workplace opportunities for members to use our new pay squeeze calculator, where members can see what their level of pay should be if it had kept pace with inflation, available at pcs.org.uk/pay
This is part of a wider strategy of political lobbying which will intensify in the coming weeks and be sustained through to the 2015 general election.
We are also asking members, especially those in London and the South East, to support the People‟s Assembly national demonstration "No More Austerity‟ on Saturday 21 June, assemble 1pm, BBC HQ, Portland Place (Tube: Oxford Circus).
What are other unions doing?
Local government unions Unison, GMB and Unite (between them representing about 1 million public sector workers) are balloting their members, with the possibility of strike action on 10 July.
The NUT has a live strike mandate and is considering strike action in the education sector. FBU members also have a live mandate and have strike action in June.
PCS is attending regular meetings at the TUC and engaging other unions in bilateral discussions. We are attempting to maximise co-ordination – to intensify the pressure on government (which says there is a recovery) to end its pay cap.
We will seek to build momentum and bring more unions into the action. Local government unions are discussing further strike action in September. Unions representing workers in the NHS are also considering balloting for action in the autumn, with some holding a consultative ballot now, to gauge support for an industrial action ballot.
We will continue to work through the TUC and the NTUC to try to bring other unions on board for further action.
We will also be supporting the TUC's "Britain Needs A Pay Rise‟ national demonstration on 18 October.
Why is this ballot important?
Because we want to send the loudest possible message to government and our employers that a pay policy that has left members 10% worse off in recent years (16% once pension changes are included) is unacceptable.
This is the first time since 30 November 2011 that there has been a serious prospect for mass co-ordinated action across the public sector – the sort of action that can bring greater pressure to bear on government.
Why are we also asking you to switch to direct debit?
The Cabinet Office has written to each government department, stating that check-off (the decades-old practice of collecting your monthly union subs directly from your salary) is “undesirable”, and asking each department to review it.
We are campaigning to save check-off, but it is essential we have a plan in case check-off ends. So to protect the union and your protection at work, we are asking all members to sign up for direct debit.
We won‟t process your direct debit form unless your employer stops deducting your union subscriptions, or we decide to end check-off, so there‟s no danger of you paying twice.
Monday 16 June 2014
Thursday 12 June 2014
We all need a pay rise
Our members are facing the tightest living standards squeeze for nearly a century so we are asking them to take action over pay.
We are holding a consultative ballot from today (12 June) until 30 June asking members to back our 'We all need a pay rise campaign,' which calls for a concerted campaign of joint action with other public sector unions, starting with a 1-day strike on 10 July. Action is aimed at breaking the pay freeze, and winning a fair settlement on pay, jobs, pensions, outsourcing, and terms and conditions such as performance management.
We are also asking all members to join a day of workplace protests to launch the ballot.
Across the UK pay cuts have damaged the economy and caused real hardship for millions of people.
If pay had kept pace with inflation, average civil service pay would be £2,300 higher than it is now. But the government has announced that the pay cap will continue in 2014 and 2015 and possibly beyond.
We have submitted a pay claim to the Cabinet Office, which seeks a:
£1,200 or 5% pay increase.
Mass walkout
About 1.5 million local government employees could walk out of work for 24 hours on 10 July, supported by up to 500,000 civil servants and teachers.
Unite began balloting its local government members today while Unison is also currently balloting its members. The GMB has notified the Local Government Association (LGA) that it is to hold a similar ballot.
The unions demanded that the LGA pay all workers an extra £1 an hour, saying typical local government workers have seen their pay reduced by 20% in real terms since the coalition came to power in 2010.
The national executive of the National Union of Teachers decided in May against taking action during the week of 23 June to allow time to see if progress is possible in the talks with government. If there is no progress they will be taking action on 10 July.
Back our campaign
We have sought central talks on our claim. We must force the government to end the pay cap, to succeed. We have an existing industrial action mandate but our annual delegate conference in Brighton last month agreed to ask our members to vote 'yes' in the consultative ballot on our national campaign.
The campaign includes a co-ordinated 1-day strike on 10 July with other public sector workers and setting up a fighting fund to support targeted action.
How to vote
Members are able to cast their ballot in 1 of 3 different ways: By internet, phone (freephone number) or by post.
To cast a vote electronically members need a security code, which is on the reverse of the ballot paper. It comes in 2 parts, and both parts are needed.
Members do not need their membership number or NI number to cast their vote, just the security code. However they will need either or of these to request a replacement paper.
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