Serwotka seeks Sunak strike meeting
PCS leader says government's refusal to negotiate with its own workforce is unacceptable
PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka has written to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak seeking a meeting to resolve the union’s long-running dispute over pay, pensions, redundancy terms and job security.
The letter, sent today, comes as 650 Department of Work and Pension (DWP) employees start a 20-day strike and as 100 members of the British Museum’s visitor services and security teams, 60 PCS members at DVLA in Wales and 37 members at the Animal and Plant Health Agency in Bristol and Carlisle prepare for strikes starting on Monday.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mark Serwotka wrote: “PCS has watched with interest developments elsewhere on pay in the public sector. We support other trade unions in their attempts to secure justice for their members.
“We have noted the offer made today to the Fire Brigades Union and improved offers made recently by the Scottish and Welsh government in a number of sectors.
“We cannot overstate our frustration that there appears to be no such movement from the government in respect of its own workforce in the civil service.
“We stand ready to negotiate a settlement to this dispute but there does not appear to be any willingness on the part of the government to seriously engage in such negotiations.
“This is an unacceptable state of affairs and your own workforce deserves better. We are now seeking a meeting with you to discuss these matters and to hopefully move things towards a resolution.”
PCS on Tuesday announced a second strike by 100,000 PCS members in 123 government departments on March 15.