PCS strikers picketing Acas offices in Leeds, 11.5.18, photo by Iain Dalton

PCS strikers picketing Acas offices in Leeds, 11.5.18, photo by Iain Dalton   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

You know the squeeze in the public sector is coming to a crunch when workers for an organisation that was set up to try to prevent strikes walk out on strike themselves. But that was precisely what happened as conciliators at Acas took strike action on 11 May.

The detrimental changes that management have imposed on staff has been compounded by the defeat the government suffered on their charges for tribunal payments. Pickets from the PCS civil service union outside the Leeds office welcomed the court ruling that has led to the scrapping of the fees. But they pointed out that this is leading to an unsustainable workload at Acas as staff who have retired have not been replaced, leaving a much larger workload on the shoulders of fewer staff.

Many council workers passing by the pickets who took PCS leaflets commented that they are facing the similar workload problems themselves. As one of the pickets commented: “That’s why we needed to do something about it and come out on strike.

Leeds Socialist Party