Defending jobs

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PCS debates action after 5 November

The national strike called by PCS on the 5 November was solid, with about 200,000 staff were on strike. Encouraging report backs show a high level of picketing across the country and that all the rallies were well attended. Confirming the old adage that unions who take action pick up members, the PCS has added several thousand new members over the last few weeks. Following the strike the union is turning to political campaigning on the issues and for industrial action in bargaining units where they think they can deliver it. It is a strategy that rests on the confidence and industrial muscle...

104,500 jobs threatened in civil service: After the strike, where now?

On 5 November civil service workers in the PCS union will be taking part in the first civil service-wide strike since 1993. They will strike against the Government’s proposal to axe 104,500 civil service jobs — one in five of all civil service jobs. Members of the union voted two to one on a 42 % turnout for the strike. By a Civil Servant At the end of October 3,000 non-union members have joined PCS as a result of the planned strike. Every time the union fights on key issues existing members are enthused, new reps come forward, and non-members join by the wagon load. What is the background to...

Planning for after 5 November

By a civil servant On 22 October voting closes in the PCS national ballot over jobs, pensions and sick arrangements. If the vote is “yes”, then there will be a Civil Service-wide strike on 5 November (the first since 1993). The Alliance for Worker’s Liberty thinks: - PCS has mentioned pay among the “Ten Reasons” to go on strike. We think pay should be put centre-stage, alongside pensions and jobs, with a precise demand: that the Treasury set its “remit” high enough to allow pay and conditions to be levelled up across the civil service, eliminating the poverty rates in the current maze of 192...

Stop redundancies at Hackney College

Lecturers at Hackney Communisty College have voted to take two days of strike action — a one day strike on Tuesday 12 October, followed by another at the beginning of November. College management have announced cuts of up to 71 jobs, affecting both lecturers and support staff. Ten of the proposed redundancies are in Adult and Continuing Learning provision and are directly attributable to the Hackney Learning Trust insisting on offering the college a reduced budget. The college has gained awards for excellence and students have achieved above average academic and vocational results due to...

Swansea council workers to strike

The two month long dispute in Swansea Council with Information Technology workers is now set to escalate as UNISON members in the council staff have voted to take strike action over privatisation and redundancies. On a 41% turnout 63% voted yes. 102 IT workers have been on indefinite strike since 16 August over the council’s decision to privatise IT within the council. The ICT dispute arose after the Lib-Dem council began restructuring all its services under a £100 million Services@Swansea initiative. Two private IT companies are bidding to install a new IT system in the council and UNISON...

Civil Service: Vote “yes” to action!

By a civil servant Civil servants should vote “yes” in the ballots being conducted up to 22 October by the PCS trade union for a strike on 5 November. We are facing serious attacks by a ruthless government that plans: to cut more than 100,000 jobs throughout the civil service. to increase the pension retirement age from 60 to 65. to scrap the final pension scheme. to reduce the redundancy payment scheme. Also, in the last Budget Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown warned: “Because the current arrangements for sickness leave across the civil service and public services are open to abuse, I...

Industrial News in Brief

Liverpool Social Workers' Strike, Swansea ballots on all out strike, Hackney College job cuts. LIVERPOOL SOCIAL WORKERS' STRIKE One hundred plus Liverpool social workers and front line managers have been on all out strike since 24 August. The action follows moves by the Liberal Democrat Council and Chief Executive David Henshaw to cut costs, privatise services and make the existing workers work harder. Bullying managers have led to high stress stress levels, people leaving and going sick. Also there has been a lack of consultation over changes, a failure to use procedures properly and a misuse...

Civil servants need strategy to win

Between 1 and 22 October PCS will ballot all its members for a one-day strike on 5 November. The Government has already announced plans to cut over 100,000 jobs in the civil service. Now the civil service union PCS believes that by early October the Government will formally put proposals to the unions to increase the pension retirement age from 60 to 65. They may announce the scrapping of the final pension scheme (where your pension is calculated using the best salary rate in your last three years of service). And PCS knows that senior managers are reviewing the redundancy payment scheme. They...

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