PCS launches national ballot in next stage of pay campaign

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union is to launch a national ballot in the latest stage of its campaign over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security.

Members of the UK’s largest civil servants’ union, who have been taking strategic, targeted national strike action since late last year and have live mandates for future strikes until November, will be asked to support the national executive committee’s recommendation to pause strike action, apart from where government departments fail to deliver a £1,500 one-off cost-of-living crisis payment.

The ballot will run from August 3 to 31. PCS will engage in pay talks for 2023/24 and continue to campaign for pensions justice and for equality in the payment of the £1,500 lump sum to members.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “We have made significant progress in our national campaign, forcing the government to double its pay offer and put money into our members’ pockets by giving them a one-off £1,500 cost-of-living crisis payment.

“While we don’t feel it goes far enough, it’s for our members to decide whether what we have won so far is sufficient to pause our strike action and move into a different phase of our dispute, continuing our campaign for better pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security.

“There is no doubt our action so far has forced the government’s hand. And the government knows that, with 9,000 new members since the start of the dispute and with a new generation of reps and younger activists, if it fails to deliver in future, PCS is stronger than ever.”