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UK civil servants to continue strikes despite improved pay offer from government

By Nagasunder in UK Employment news, posted June 6, 2023

Civil servants across the UK are set to continue their strikes, despite an improved pay offer from the government.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union in Northern Ireland will take industrial action on Tuesday, followed by members in Wales on Wednesday.

The PCS said the strikes would continue as they assess the "significant concessions" made in terms of pay, redundancy terms, and job security.

The government claims the offer is the highest in 20 years for civil servants.

The union has been engaging in months of action, including three national walkouts.

Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the PCS, previously emphasized the need for ministers to resolve the dispute by providing a substantial financial offer.

On Friday, the government made a fresh offer in an attempt to break the deadlock. Union leaders revealed civil servants below senior grades had been presented with a lump sum of £1,500 for the period of 2022/23.

The union welcomed the deal, noting it marked the first time in its history that members secured significant additional funds.

However, the PCS announced that planned targeted action would proceed this month.

Members in the Northern Ireland Office will stage a three-day walkout starting Tuesday, while Audit Wales and the National Museum of Wales will be affected from Wednesday.

Additionally, employees at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency will participate in a 15-day strike from June 11, and driving examiners across 286 test centers in England and Wales will take action from June 15.

The union stated any re-ballots for further action have been put on hold pending the outcome of talks with the government at the end of the month.

Initially, officials had demanded a 10 percent pay rise to address the increasing cost of living, but the government argued meeting their demands would be unaffordable, costing £2.4 billion.

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The PCS regarded the latest offer as a "significant achievement" that provides members with additional funds and brings them in line with other public sector workers, even though it falls short of their full claim.

The government, upon announcing the new offer, mentioned Civil Service pay guidelines allowed departments to award a 4.5 percent pay increase for staff, with a potential additional 0.5 percent increase for lower-paid employees.

Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin expressed constructive engagement with the unions enabled the department to present the £1,500 payment offer.

Mr. Quin said to BBC: "This is both fair to the taxpayer and a recognition of the financial pressures civil servants have faced over the last year,".