All out on 28 April – vote in the reballot to keep up the pressure
Our national campaign to protect your jobs and livelihoods has gone from strength to strength. We know our strikes have already caused serious disruption and the latest wave of action announced piles the pressure on a government that refuses to listen.
Building on this pressure is key and that’s why the reballot of members in the dispute is absolutely crucial. The mandate for the current set of strikes will run out at the beginning of May, so if we want to take action beyond then, we need to reballot our members. Papers have been sent out and must be returned by 9 May – the sooner you post them, the better.
We are at such a pivotal point in the dispute and the importance of this reballot cannot be overstated: the result could ultimately determine the whole outcome. We’ve got to this position because of the action we’ve taken so far and the pressure we’ve built. Our strategy of sustained targeted action – which started in December last year and has continued into 2023 – alongside one-day all-member action, is working. We’ve seen more sustained strike action in the civil service than we have seen for decades and, because of that, we have forced the government into talks.
In March, our NEC agreed a significant escalation in the targeted action.
Throughout April, there have been strikes in the Cabinet Office, National Highways, Home Office Passport Offices, the British Library, British Museum and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. We are also considering a further escalation in several government departments, including Ofgem.
It has also been agreed that if the government doesn’t come up with acceptable proposals by the end of April, we will call another all-out strike of members covered by the current mandate, on Friday 28 April. This follows a hugely successful all-member strike in February and an even bigger one in March.
The message to the government couldn’t be clearer: they need to get around the negotiating table now and put money on the table. If they don’t, our action will continue to escalate and there will be an unprecedented third national walkout in as many months.
Everyone has worked incredibly hard to get to this point: we’ve taken action that has forced the government to commit to talks and the union is growing at an incredible rate. The government knows this, and we can only build on this if we deliver another brilliant result in the national reballot.
I’ve seen first-hand on the picket lines just how determined our members are. We need to carry that strength of feeling into the reballot and secure the victory you all deserve.
This text is taken from PCS People issue 1, 2023.