Big win for House of Commons security members
Westminster security guards have won their long-running dispute in the House of Commons after bosses scrapped controversial plans to introduce a new shift pattern.
More than 250 PCS members in the autumn voted to take strike action after being told to work extra night shifts to cover for a lack of staff.
The strikes were suspended for talks with the employer, which have now concluded with the new shifts being changed.
A working party of reps and management was established at the end of last year and worked through the shift rosters in detail. The PCS team worked hard to achieve changes that would be acceptable to our members, and we have reached a satisfactory conclusion judged against our objectives, which was endorsed by members in a ballot which ended last week.
PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “This is a big win for our members working in the House of Commons. I congratulate them for having the courage to say ‘No’ to what would have been detrimental to their work/life balance.
“This victory shows what can be achieved when we organise in the workplace and stand strong together.”