New period of strikes at The Pensions Regulator

PCS members at The Pensions Regulator are back on strike this week, warning that this dispute is “only just starting”.

PCS members working for The Pensions Regulator (TPR) will strike for two weeks across November and December after being offered just a 3% pay rise and seeing an effort by management to impose a pay offer. 

The over 300 PCS members working for TPR will strike again on 22, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30 November and 6, 7, 8, 12, 13 and 14 December, after taking action for 11 days in October and 3 days already in November.  

This builds on the strike action already taken between 5 and 18 September in pursuit of our national campaign demands. 

Members have told us that, after their return to work after the previous period of action, it was clear that the strike had seriously disrupted TPR’s ability to deliver on their statutory requirements.  

A 135% increase in PCS membership in TPR since these actions began in September also sends a clear message: members will continue to take disruptive strike action until they receive the same pay rise as everyone else in the civil service. 

‘Only just starting’ 

One TPR member said: “We believe in what we are striking for. A solution is possible at any time - although it gets harder for TPR as time goes by, and that's their fault. 

“Given the unwillingness of TPR to discuss options, and to impose unpopular solutions on staff, I'd say that the dispute isn't over, it's only just starting.” 

The context is that TPR is only offering a pay rise of 3% while other civil service employers are paying a minimum of 4.5%, with an additional 0.5% of the overall pay pot to be targeted at the worst-paid staff. 

Members are frustrated with the continued intransigence of TPR and their insistence on imposing an unagreed pay offer during the previous phase of strike action. 

PCS has had numerous meetings with TPR management, but they have refused to concede anything and have doubled down on their original position of not meeting the terms of the civil service pay remit guidance. 

PCS does not agree with TPR that the collective bargaining process has been exhausted. There is much more that TPR could have done – and should do – to secure a fair pay settlement for our members. 

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