PCS representative
It is a time of year known by many workers in the public sector: the pay award. Its naming is perhaps ironic, as the 2026 ‘award’ in the civil service is a measly 3.25% pay increase, with an extra 0.05% allegedly on offer if asked for by department tops, to help shore up the wages of those in lower-salaried jobs. This follows years of pay freezes and caps.
This is felt sharply in UK Shared Business Services (UKSBS). Out of all the entities under the umbrella of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), UKSBS workers are paid the lowest of all.
Insult
While waiting for the so-called awards, colleagues who are on Band B – the current minimum wage – are relying on government assistance to make ends meet, mainly Universal Credit. The fact they must resort to this while working a 37.5-hour week, often more, is insulting.
UKSBS workers are knowledgeable and hard-working. Since 2020, the company has taken on numerous high-profile contacts, and the main benefits workers have reaped are increased rates of sickness, higher staff turnover – leading to knowledge being lost – and appallingly little in return financially, while the retirement age has risen to 68. The workers are not happy.
The DSIT group in the civil service union PCS, with Socialist Party member and Broad Left Network supporter Marion Lloyd as president, has not stood idle. Alongside numerous internal meetings, a wider online call was held. Members setting out their own circumstances and how difficult it is to put food on the table were near to tears. Many were angry with the stance that their employer was taking, of platitudes about how fantastic their work is, but nothing in terms of the concrete reward that is required to drag people out of poverty.
A number of departments within UKSBS have moved employees to Band C. While this is a partial solution, it is still not a fair wage for the work and is soon to become a starvation wage itself. Band C staff are often compelled to take on work that should be Band D.
Bosses say no
Tensions reached a crescendo when the Senior Leadership Group held a hybrid ‘Town Hall’ for the Swindon Polaris House office. The app was clogged with questions about pay and worries about the operational future. Some people only felt bold enough to share their concerns anonymously. Staff were calling for clarity and quick action, and asking for more than the additional 0.05%.
The workforce’s trust of the management is measured at 52%, down even further from last year. The workers ask: “Will you pay us what we have earned?” The bosses say, “No!”
The UKSBS Board (which includes representation from DSIT) has been directly lobbied, a petition launched and already well supported, and further meetings with the employer are due to take place. If we do not make satisfactory progress then we will consider moving towards an industrial action ballot to win more.
