PCS: Conciliation staff in strike vote over pay
Over 630 members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) working for the conciliation service ACAS have today begun a ballot for strike action and action short of a strike in a dispute over pay.
The ballot, which runs until August 27 follows delays in settling this year’s pay and a pay remit submitted to Treasury by ACAS, which the union believes will result in real term pay cuts.
This year’s pay increase was due on 1 August yet pay negotiations haven’t started. This year’s delay follows a ten month hold up to last year’s 2007 pay increase.
Commenting, Dave Cliff, PCS national officer for ACAS, said: “After the ten month delay to last year’s pay rise we had an agreement that this year’s pay settlement would be paid on time. However ACAS management have dragged their feet and not even started negotiating yet. The prospect of a repeat of last year’s delay, combined with the likelihood of a below inflation pay award has left staff feeling angry and betrayed. Management and the government need to act quickly in order to avoid embarrassing industrial action in ACAS.”
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, added: “The delay and prospect of a below inflation pay rise illustrates the unfair and unjust nature of pay in civil and public services. The government need to review its punitive stance on public sector pay which is hitting the pockets of hardworking families.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
* For further information, interviews and comment please contact Alex Flynn PCS national press officer on 0207 801 2820 or 07833 978216.
* PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 300,000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK’s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president Janice Godrich.
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