The Socialist 6 November 2004

Striking to Save Jobs and Services

PCS Striking To Save Jobs And Services

For A One-Day Public-Sector Strike

"Why I Am On Strike"

Understaffed, Stressed And Under Threat

They Can't Bury Our Voices

Hoe Street ward by-election

Unite Against Homophobia

Is there an alternative to global warming?

Big events will shake Bush win

End This Bloody Occupation

Arafat And The Palestinian Struggle

Fourth general strike in ten months in Nigeria

Volkswagen: Workers Stage Warning Strikes

Ministers Paper Over Growing EU Crises

Musharraf's Hypocrisy Won't End Violence Against Women

Previous issues, etc

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Striking To Save Jobs And Services

PCS Striker ALMOST 300,000 civil service workers in the PCS union are taking strike action on 5 November against the government's attacks on their jobs, pensions and sick pay.

The strike involves government workers across the board - from the local JobCentre and benefit offices and those who ensure that pensioners are able to collect their pensions on time, to the countryside agency, the serious fraud office, the DVLA, the Royal Mint, and many, many more.

It will be a graphic lesson to New Labour and their big business friends that it is ordinary workers who keep things moving and maintain services for millions of people, not government ministers or £150,000 a year 'Sir Humphreys'.

Marion Lloyd, PCS national executive member told the socialist:

"We are on strike because New Labour want to slash 104,000 jobs, cut our pension rights and reduce sickness entitlements for those of us that are left.

"This day of action gives us an opportunity to demonstrate to the government that we're not prepared to see them attack our members' jobs, pensions and terms and conditions. We're not prepared to sit back and see them decimate the public services which this country relies upon so much."

New Labour's attacks on the civil servants are a challenge to all public sector workers. If they get away with their plans, who will be next? But civil servants have shown that they are prepared to fight back. Their fight is our fight.