The government have ignored PCS offers to resolve the dispute by negotiations rather than strike action. This has led to PCS members planning further industrial action on budget day next week:
Legal and Strategy Update – 18th March
The NEC meets on Thursday 25 March to plan the CSCS campaign through April. A factor to be be considered will be the decision of the courts today to set the hearing date for our Judicial Review on the CSCS changes for 22/23 April.
PCS is both disappointed that this is not much earlier, but also pleased that at long last the management delays have been brought to a halt and that we now will have a full hearing of our case
Plans for the 19 and 24 March
Following successful strike action by PCS members on the 8 and 9 March, we are now preparing for a UK-wide campaigning day on 19 March and strike on 24 March, budget day.
This action would not be necessary if the government had met with us to negotiate a settlement. Tessa Jowell has regrettably refused to meet with PCS and we have now written to Gordon Brown calling for a negotiated agreement.
A UK-wide day of campaigning is planned for 19 March, with events taking place across the country. The PCS battle bus will also be touring London, visiting key parliamentary constituencies including Tessa Jowell’s constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood, and meeting general secretaries from other unions. Branches are asked to leaflet the public at lunchtimes and after work on the day too. Full details of the battlebus schedule route will follow.
A strong strike is expected for budget day on the 24 March alongside a national overtime ban. Picket lines are being organised across the UK. The battle bus will again be touring London, alongside a ‘battleboat’ that will be taking our message to Parliament via the Thames. There will be a range of activities in Whitehall, Parliament Square from 11am to coincide with the chancellor delivering his budget speech. All pickets and members in London should make their way to parliament square for 11am where we will direct them to a number of protest points. For further details contact our organising and learning department.
As the campaign continues, the number of membership applications across the union has doubled in recent weeks, with over 900 staff joining PCS from the Department for Work and Pensions alone.
PCS are still committed to resolving the dispute by reaching a negotiated settlement. Unfortunately Tessa Jowell has ignored letters offering this, therefore Mark Serwotka, PCS General Secretary has now written directly to Gordon Brown:
16 March 2010
Dear Prime Minister
I am writing to you regarding the dispute over the changes to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS). The changes to the CSCS represent a cut in members’ entitlements in the case of redundancy and would tear up members’ accrued rights. We welcome the fact that, through prior negotiations, some improvements were made after we had made representations. The current proposals, however, still leave almost half of our members worse off, many of whom are low paid.
As you will be aware, our members’ took two days of well-supported industrial action on 8th and 9th March, and further national strike action is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 24th March, Budget Day. However, I am writing to re-affirm that PCS remains committed to achieving a resolution to this dispute through negotiations. Indeed, it is only through a negotiated settlement that this matter can be resolved.
I read your comments relating to the BA dispute over the weekend, and your wish “to find a way in which the two sides can get together – the BA management and the BA workforce”.
We have now written twice to Cabinet Office Minister Tessa Jowell offering talks, stating that in order to facilitate an agreement we would be willing to use the services provided by ACAS. Sadly, we have received no response from the Minister. We were also dismayed by the Minister’s remarks in Parliament that “there is no question of any further negotiation”.
We have previously put forward proposals that would achieve the savings you have said are necessary, while protecting existing members’ entitlements. We therefore believe an agreement is possible to avoid further damaging action. I very much hope that if you believe talks are the solution in the BA dispute then you will ensure talks take place immediately for your own employees.
There is considerable strength of feeling among PCS members on this issue, demonstrated by the strong support on 8th and 9th March. That depth of feeling is reflected among backbench MPs, some 164 of whom (and well over 100 of whom are Labour) have now signed EDM 251 ‘Civil Service Compensation Scheme’.
I look forward to your urgent response, and hope to re-engage in talks with the Government at the earliest opportunity.
Yours sincerely
Mark Serwotka
General Secretary
The action plan detailing the events and rallies that are planned for the day can be viewed here.
Tags: Civil Service, Civil Service Compensation Scheme, CSCS, Industrial Action, PCS, Public Sector, Trade Union
