Fund to support PCS strikes: new levy explained

The first wave of action includes strikes targeted in certain areas.

Those members will be taking action on behalf of every other member, so we cannot ask them to lose money – we must raise enough to pay them full pay. That can only be done if we establish a levy on all members who were balloted. Everyone will benefit and win a pay increase if we are successful.

Further waves of targeted action may include your area and you would also receive full pay funded by the levy.

If we call any all-member action (involving all those in balloted areas that met the legal requirements to strike) it will need to be unpaid, as no union could afford to pay so many members full strike pay.

The levy will start in the new year. It will be £5 a month for members earning £24,000 or more, and £3 a month for members on less than £24,000. This is a temporary emergency measure to help us win the dispute. When the dispute is over your subs will revert to the usual amount.

PCS already has a strike fund of £3 million, into which members pay 50p a month. We are boosting it with £1m from our reserves but more is needed for action of this scale. For example, the first month of actions will cost £1m. We must ensure we can sustain this dispute, and win.

For more, see our levy Q&A.

This article is taken from PCS People, issue 3, 2023.