Month: Mar 2023

The Broad Left Network supports the decision to re-ballot members to extend our current strike mandate which runs out on 6th May. The ballot starts on 20th March and will finish on 9th May.

It’s vital we get over the Tory  50% anti-union law threshold. It’s vital we get a massive Yes vote to continue the fight for our 2022  pay demand of 10% and to defend jobs .

After months of targeted action and two 1 day national strikes the government has not moved. No fresh offer has been made to increase our 2022 pay beyond the 2% government pay limit.

It’s a disgrace that the Tory  Government is prepared to turn its back on thousands of  its own employees forced into in-work poverty by its policies:-

• 40,000 civil servants use food banks
• 45,000 civil servants claim in-work benefits
• 49,000 DWP/HMRC workers are paid the minimum wage

The government is holding pay  talks with health and education unions. Their strikes have brought ministers to the negotiating table. But as Mark Serwotka is reported as saying “…they won’t talk to their own workforce..”

This government indifference to the cost of living crisis suffered by our members will only be overcome by stepping up the action, by increasing the pressure on the Tories. This requires  the urgent implementation of a programme of national action, sustained targeted strikes and, we would argue,  a ballot for action short of strikes such as overtime bans.

Yes we need to win the ballot to renew our industrial action mandate. We will work tirelessly to achieve this. But it cannot be just for more of the same. We need the union’s current leadership to articulate a strategy to win our 10% claim, to defend jobs , secure pension justice and protect the compensation scheme.

The government can be moved. We need to massively escalate the action!

PCS reps including BLN members and supporters worked tirelessly to win the mandate for strike action. We must use the massive mandate we  achieved to force the employer to give us what we deserve. The action must include a programme of all members strikes supported by targeted action 

We have now been joined by members in Revenue and Customs, Companies House and others – all of whom have now voted to join the campaign – a clear sign of members continued determination to win this dispute with the government on our 2022 pay and other issues.

The magnificent ballot success of Prospect which includes also a mandate for action short of strikes eg overtime ban means we can join with them in taking action. This  will strengthen our campaign. PCS does not currently have a mandate for action short of strikes . We believe this is a weakness in the union’s strategy that should be put right – the union leadership has an opportunity to do that in the next ballot.

The Broad Left Network fully supports the call to strike and march together on Budget Day. The day on which the government will be setting out their spending plans.

Our pay demands for 2022 are not yet settled, we want the money and we will not stand for further pay misery. This is the message that mass action on 15th March will send to the Tories – so all out on Budget Day.

        •       Over 130,000 PCS members voted  for strike action to force the government to pay us our 10% wage claim, stop job cuts, and give pensions justice.

        •       The pay cap imposed by the Tories is an insult. With inflation at over 10%, energy prices going through the roof and increased interest rates pushing up mortgage costs and rents we need more money in our wage packets. 

        •       We are not alone. Across the public service and the private sector too union members are demanding cost of living pay increases. Many of these unions are also calling strike action on 15th March including NEU, UCU, Prospect, BMA, HCSA, ASLEF & RMT on the tube, NUJ, GMB in Amazon.

We must make a stand now for decent wages, protection of jobs, offices and services. We have nothing to lose and much to gain.

Let’s make 15th March a day the Tories will not forget. Let’s make 15th March a stepping stone to a major escalation of our action on pay and jobs – of increased all-members action supported by targeted strikes. We need to make the government take us and our demands seriously.

Support the Budget Day strike. 

We can win – make the Tory Government pay up. All out on 15th March!