PCS challenges Sunak ahead of new strike wave starting tomorrow
Mark Serwotka says the Prime Minister can find time to talk about seeking to punish asylum seekers but can’t find time to talk about seeking to reward his own government’s workforce
PCS union general secretary Mark Serwotka has renewed his calls to meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ahead of a new wave of strike action beginning tomorrow from driving examiners and Ofsted workers.
Mark Serwotka said: “The Prime Minister finds time to talk about seeking to punish asylum seekers but can’t find time to talk about seeking to reward his own government’s workforce.
“The government has told hard-working civil servants they have to accept a 2% pay rise during a cost-of-living crisis when inflation is 10%.
“Our members across the civil service may do different jobs, but they all share the same anger at how they’re shamefully treated by a Prime Minister who won’t even engage with their union.
”Rishi Sunak can resolve our dispute by putting some money on the table so our members get a fair pay rise. Until he does, our strike action will continue to escalate, including 133,000 members going on strike on Budget Day.”
PCS members working for Ofsted in Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Nottingham are taking action from Monday to Wednesday every week of March, starting tomorrow.
And driving examiners employed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) tomorrow begin rolling regional strike action throughout March. They will be on strike in London and South East England tomorrow and Tuesday (March 6 & 7), South West England and Wales (March 9 & 10), Midlands and East England (March 20 & 21), North West England and Yorkshire & Humber (March 23 & 24) and Northern England and Scotland (March 27 & 28).
The Ofsted action is expected to affect the processing of applications for new childminders and early nurseries, and limiting the support available to inspectors in the field.as well as impacting those members of the handling calls and emails from the public.
And the action by driving examiners is likely to worsen the 24-week driving test backlog caused by historic underinvestment, including low pay that affects retention and recruitment, in the DVSA.
133,000 PCS members have voted to take action over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security.
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