Why we are fighting for pay restoration

PCS is currently balloting almost 150,000 PCS members at 171 employers – covering most of the civil service and related areas – on their willingness to take industrial action over our national campaign demands for 2024/25.

Our demands include pay equality across departments, a living wage of £15 per hour, London weighting provision of a minimum £5,000 per year, 35 days annual leave minimum, and a significant shortening of the working week with no loss of pay.

One of our most crucial demands is a cost-of-living rise with an inflation-proofed increase, in addition to pay restoration.

What is pay restoration?

Pay restoration, which is an important part of what we're asking for, refers to how we want to reverse years of decline in pay.

PCS commissioned academic research which concluded that UK civil service wages have dramatically eroded in real terms due to persistent below-inflation pay rises.

The report, by Dr Mark Williams from Queen Mary University of London, found that depending on the inflation indicator used, wages in 2023 were, at best, where they were two decades ago. At worst, they were back to where they were four decades ago. The civil service has gone from an above average-paying occupation in the 1970s and 1980s to a below average-paying one since then.

Dr Williams demonstrated that this decline in pay grew steeper during the years of Tory-led austerity. Since 2010, he found that pay has fallen between 15% and 38% in the civil service.

Around half of the erosion in pay since 2010 actually occurred in the period of high inflation since the pandemic. This is despite the fact our members made an enormous contribution to the UK’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Depressing trend

Yet none of this historic contribution to pandemic response and recovery – in addition to the daily work our members do to keep the country running – is recognised by the government.

That is why our ultimate aim is to reverse this depressing trend and achieve full pay restoration for our members so that they receive the pay they deserve.

PCS believes the case for pay restoration is overwhelming. Thousands of members have been paid below the National Living Wage and have to rely on a pay rise this April to bring them up to that level.

How much is needed for pay restoration?

Achieving pay restoration will depend on a range of factors, including length of service, grade, gender and other factors and is likely to take longer than a single year to achieve.

We are also calling for a return to national pay bargaining so that, over time, pay differentials and inequities between departments caused by so-called “delegated pay” can be rectified.

You can read Dr Williams’ report in full on PCS Digital.

Take action

The government won't consider pay restoration unless we force it to by increasing the pressure.

Our strike ballot is your chance to send the government a clear message that it’s time for decent pay in the civil service and related bodies.

For more information, read our FAQs on the strike ballot.

Tell us you’ve voted by logging in to PCS Digital. You can also order strike ballot materials or a replacement ballot paper.