Public sector workers vote on strike action over pension reforms

Up to 500,000 staff poised for walk-out unless government talks with TUC can come to agreement over new pension scheme Half a million public servants are likely to strike in June, bringing schools, universities, courts and Whitehall to a standstill to demonstrate against changes to their pensions. The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), representing civil servants, will vote on Wednesday to ballot for strike action. Two teaching unions launched their own ballots this week and a third already has a mandate for rolling strike action. All the unions involved are looking at 30 June as the first date for a possible mass walk-out unless government talks with the Trades Union Congress can come to an agreement. The chief secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, and the Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude are leading talks with the unions about implementation of a new pension scheme devised by the Labour ex-minister Lord Hutton, who has recommended ending the most generous final salary schemes and delaying retirement for some public employees. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS union, will tell their annual meeting in Brighton today that he is recommending strike action to tackle an unprecedented attack by government on public services and the people who provide them. He will say: “This coming year is going to be one of the most challenging years for the trade union movement – and public sector trade unions in particular – as the coalition government seeks to make the public sector and its workforce pay for the crisis, through cuts to jobs, services, pay and pensions. “We will need to be creative in our campaigning, tough in our bargaining, and prepared to take action. We will continue to work, and build links, with other trade unions to make our voice as powerful as possible in our campaigning and in any industrial action. “We can work together, campaign together and, yes, strike together – and together we can win.” He will also praise the student demonstrations last year saying their passion proved that young people are no longer apathetic. “Like many I have been inspired by the student protests that erupted at the end of last year – hundreds of thousands of young people taking to the streets because they had been betrayed, again. “Their passion and their organisation surprised me and it also inspired me — because too often people have labelled young people as apolitical and apathetic.” PCS is among the most militant of the unions but also balloting this week is the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, considered the most moderate who have a broad policy to avoid strike action. Serwotka also announced that he will be signing a joint working agreement with Unite this week, which also represents large numbers in the private and public sector to embed joint working “at every level”. Other unions are awaiting the outcome of the TUC/government talks. Ministers are expected to make a formal offer on pensions this summer. Trade unions Civil service Teaching Schools Public sector cuts Public services policy Public finance Public sector pay Public sector pensions Mark Serwotka Polly Curtis guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 18, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.