PCS to welcome new government with protests supporting striking G4S security guards

More than 200 PCS members working as security guards in jobcentres, where they are employed by G4S to provide essential security to keep DWP employees and claimants safe, will take action on election week from 4 July to 7 July.

They will also walk out from 15 July to 21 July, and from 29 July to 4 August.

PCS is demanding of the incoming government that the long-running pay dispute with G4S is resolved as a matter of urgency. The scandal of big multi-national companies exploiting their workers for huge profits, delivering services that should be public sector work, must be ended.

The Labour party has stated in its New Deal for Working People that “Labour will learn the lessons from the collapse of Carillion and bring about the biggest wave of insourcing of public services in a generation.” Should they be elected, PCS intends to hold Labour to account over this promise. A significant move to meet this promise would be to quickly bring the DWP security guarding currently provided by G4S in-house.

We are asking PCS members and reps to support striking G4S members up and down the country on 5 July, the day after the general election, by joining picket lines to show solidarity with this group of members, many of whom have already taken 11 days of strike action in support of their claim for fair pay.

In particular we are asking members and reps, both G4S employees and civil servants from across London, to join the protest that will be held at DWP HQ at Caxton House, Tothill Street, SW1H 9NA from 9 a.m.

Strike creating serious disruption to DWP services

The strike action by G4S security guards has caused severe disruption to the delivery of frontline DWP services, particularly in jobcentres. Jobcentres have been closed or forced to operate with a reduced service. Rather than DWP's preferred way of operating by delivering jobcentre services face-to-face, they have had to revert to pandemic ways of operating using digital and telephony methods of engaging with claimants. 

Large numbers of new members joining

Over 100 new members in G4S have joined PCS since the beginning of June. This shows the strength of feeling that the staff have about their their employer’s refusal to make a decent pay offer. 

Show your support

Go to a picket line from 8am on Friday 5 July to show your support at one of the following locations.  If you are having a picket please let us know by emailing dwp@pcs.org.uk

• Chatham jobcentre
• Grimsby jobcentre
• London, DWP HQ Caxton House
• London, Finsbury Park jobcentre
• London, Forest Hill jobcentre
• London, Hackney jobcentre   
• London, Kennington Park jobcentre 
• London, Stratford jobcentre
• London, Walthamstow jobcentre               
• London, West Ealing jobcentre
• Margate jobcentre
• Middlesbrough jobcentre, James Cook House
• Newcastle, Cathedral Court jobcentre         
• Pudsey jobcentre
• Sheffield, Cavendish Court jobcentre
• St Helens, jobcentre, Gregson House, Merseyside.

Send pictures and words from the picket line to editor@pcs.org.uk. 

If you believe there are safety concerns arising from this dispute report them to us using the online form.

You can also make a donation to the hardship find and send a solidarity message in support of this dispute: sort code: 60-83-01, account number 20256766, account name: PCS DWP Group Hardship Account.    

Please send solidarity messages to dwp@pcs.org.uk

Not a member? Join PCS today.