Formal backing for more than a quarter of a million civil and public servants to join a public sector-wide strike on 30 November has put the Public and Commercial Services union on a “war footing”.
Meeting today (29th) the union’s national executive committee endorsed the date as the next national strike following the successful action PCS took on 30 June alongside teachers and lecturers. It will be followed by a one-month overtime ban.
The union is also considering the potential for taking more targeted and selective industrial action alongside any taken nationally, and each employer area of the union is drawing up campaign plans focusing on their specific issues.
Following announcements at TUC congress earlier this month, the government faces the prospect of a strike by up to three million public sector workers – the largest in UK history.
As well as having their pay frozen with inflation above 5%, public sector workers face their pensions being raided to help pay off the budget deficit caused by the recession and the bank bail-out.
The government continues to refuse to negotiate on its plans to force public servants to work longer and pay more for less in retirement.
