On March 15, civil servants from 133 government departments will engage in industrial action to demand a minimum 10% pay increase, pension preservation, job security, and an end to redundancy pay cuts.
An additional 33,000 civil servants have voted to strike next month, joining the 100,000 who are already on strike.
The newly-allotted Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union members will join other civil servants on strike on 15 March, the same day as the next budget announcement.
They demand a minimum 10% pay increase, pension protection, job security, and no reductions in redundancy pay.
The demands, according to the government, would cost £2.4 billion and are therefore unaffordable.
Ten groups of civil servants who were previously balloted with the others in November did not reach the 50% turnout threshold at the time, but in a re-ballot that concluded yesterday, they all met the threshold and voted to strike.
The Care Commission, Companies House, HMRC, the Information Commissioner’s Office, the National Museum of Wales, Office of Rail & Road, UK Export Finance, UK SBS, the Valuation Office Agency, and the Welsh Government are among the new organizations participating in the day of action.
They join the 124 organizations and 100,000 civil servants who voted to strike in November.
Yesterday, four additional departments voted to take action shy of a strike. They are the Rural Payments Agency, DEFRA, the Forestry Commission, and the Marine Maritime Organisation.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka stated, “Today’s overwhelming result is an astounding display of strength and resolve from our members, and it conveys a very clear message to the government that we will continue this action until we receive a fair pay increase.
“We have consistently demanded a pay increase to help our members through the cost-of-living crisis; ministers have consistently refused to place more money on the table.
“They may have hoped we’d disappear if they buried their heads in the sand, but they’ve underestimated the resolve of our members, who were lauded for keeping the country operating during the pandemic but are now taken for granted.
“As these results plainly show, our members have had enough. If ministers do not place more money on the table, our strikes will escalate beginning March 15.”
The Department of Employment and Pensions, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, and the Land Registry are already on strike this week.
Driving instructors and union members at Ofsted will take action the following week.
The majority of PCS members who voted last year will vote again on March 20, as their six-month strike authorization expires in May.
