Tomorrow, PCS members are set for a third day of industrial action to defend the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. All we are asking is that the government sit down and talk with us rather than impose new conditions without a negotiated settlement.
So it will be another early start to another busy day for me. I shall be outside my workplace for an hour or so and then I shall make my way over to Birmingham for a rally. I think I might get rather wet because the weather doesn’t look to promising, so wish me luck.
I nearly forgot to add that I am likely to be appearing in a town near you too
The stoppage, called by PCS, follows a strongly supported two day strike earlier in March which saw up to 200,000 civil and public servants stay away from work over changes to the civil service compensation scheme.
Tomorrow’s strike, the first ever on budget day, involves Prison workers, Jobcentre staff, tax workers, passport staff, court officials, Ministry of Defence workers and driving test examiners. The stoppage will also see civilian staff and 999 operators working for the Met Police walking out as well as security staff working in the Houses of Parliament. Serious Organised Crime Agency officers will also be on strike affecting operations tomorrow.
Tomorrow morning will see a battle bus taking to the streets in London touring picket lines including: The Royal Courts of Justice, The Houses of Parliament, The Victoria and Albert Museum, British Library, Tate Modern and government departments in Whitehall including the Treasury.
In London there will also be a campaign boat cruising up and down the Thames outside the Houses of Parliament and a demonstration in Parliament Square from 11 am to 1pm.
In Scotland, there will be a demonstration at the Mound in Edinburgh from 10.30 am and a short ‘alternative budget’ will be presented at 11.00 am. In Glasgow, members will gather at Labour Party HQ, West Regent Street, at 11 am and hand in a letter to the Scottish Labour leader.
Wales will see a budget day demonstration and rally on the steps of Senedd, Cardiff Bay from 12 noon to 4:00pm. The last two day stoppage saw the cancellation of business in the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament as assembly members and MSP refused to cross picket lines.
Go, get them, all of you. No umbrella, CP. Raincoat, plastic hood and iron will. It’s all you need. After all, Old England is in your bones. Following you from Toronto…
Thanks Claudia, it was a great day and very uplifting
Now I’m wondering how it went for you yesterday, CP, and did you get wet???
It went very well Ginnie and the weather was exceptionally kind to us. We didn’t get rained on at all. It was very strange seeing myself on a big billboard!