Foreign Secretary cancels Scotland trip as strikers walk out

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has cancelled a visit to a government office in Scotland next week – the same day as cleaners and caterers begin strike action.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) members employed by outsourced OCS at the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office in East Kilbride will walk out on Wednesday and Thursday.

They have also just announced three more days of strike action – on September 24, 25 and 26 – in what signals

a clear escalation of their dispute over pay, terms and conditions.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Whilst we are pleased the Foreign Secretary won’t be crossing our picket line, we believe he has a role to play in resolving the dispute.

“We would welcome a discussion about keeping his government’s commitment to ‘the biggest wave of insourcing of public services for a generation’.

“There’s no excuse for our members employed by OCS to be earning less than those working direct for David Lammy’s department. We call on him as the minister to meet with us urgently to discuss the dispute and the wider commitment to bringing our members in-house.”

The union is also demanding an increase to annual leave and the introduction of company sick pay for those who currently have no entitlement to contractual sick pay.

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