100,000 civil servants to walk out on Budget Day, union says
Around 100,000 civil servants are set to strike on Budget Day, their union has announced, amid a campaign of walkouts over pay disputes.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) said it was escalating action after a “lack of movement” from the government over its concerns over pay, pensions and job security.
Walkouts will take place on 15 March, when Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announces spending plans for the next year, in a targeted move to “exert significant pressure”, the PCS said.
It comes after months of industrial action and a wave of strikes involving train and Tube drivers, NHS staff, postal workers, barristers and teachers.
Action by civil servants so far has included the Border Force, DVLA, DVSA, DWP and Rural Payments Agency.
Workers at HMRC, the Care Quality Commission, Companies House, the Office of Rail and Road, UK Export Finance, the audit office and the Welsh government are being balloted.
This could see a further 33,000 workers join walkouts across 123 departments in the 15 March strikes, which will coincide with the National Education Union (NEU) teacher’s strike.
In Northern Ireland a ballot of Home Office, MCA, ICO and Heritage Lottery Fund workers starts on Thursday, 9 February.
A government spokesperson said: “We greatly value the work of civil servants, and are committed to constructively engaging with unions, but the PCS Union’s demands would cost an unaffordable £2.4bn at a time when our focus must be on bringing down inflation to ease the pressure on households across the country.
“That is why public sector pay awards strike a careful balance between recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, while delivering value for taxpayers and being careful not to drive even higher prices in the future.”