Strike action continues at the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office
PCS members employed by OCS as caterers and cleaners on the FCDO East Kilbride contract are set to take a further 6 days of strike action this month in their dispute over pay, terms, and conditions.
The strike action, which follows 7 days of action already taken, will see members walk out on 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24 in an escalation to their dispute.
Both days of action this week were well supported, and Dave Moxham, deputy president of the STUC attended the picket line yesterday.
There will be picket lines held on all dates between 7.30am and 10am at Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Rd, East Kilbride, G75 8EA. Messages of solidarity can be sent to laurab@pcs.org.uk
No management proposals
Despite PCS confirming a willingness to engage in dispute resolution negotiations no proposal has been received from OCS for negotiations to commence. Instead of focusing efforts on resolving the dispute they continue to deploy cover, including managers on inflated salaries to provide minimum service. PCS maintains the cost of travel, subsistence and hotel accommodation would be better spent being allocated to resolve the dispute.
A PCS member taking strike action said: "Three generations of my family have worked in Abercrombie House over the course of a 20-year period. That’s 20 years that our family has dedicated to serving the government workers within this building. I don’t think it’s an unreasonable request to ask for a better rate of pay and fair terms and conditions."
No resolution to the dispute will be found if OCS continues to fail to engage in meaningful negotiations with PCS. In the absence of such a commitment from OCS we will continue to escalate the action maximising disruption to services. It is now in OCS’ best interests to meet with PCS to avoid further action.