The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has launched a consultative ballot urging members to strike or take other industrial action to protest against the government’s 1% pay cap on the public sector
The ballot, which runs from 9 October to 6 November ahead of Chancellor Philp Hammond’s Autumn Statement, will ask both the following questions:
- Do you agree that the pay cap should be scrapped; and that funds should be made available to provide you with an above inflation pay rise?
- If the government refuse to scrap the pay cap, are you prepared to take part in industrial action?
If enough members are prepared to take industrial action, a further ballot would need to be held.
The PCS is lobbying for a 5% rise for all public sector workers as pay increases in the public sector have been frozen and capped at 1% for seven years.
Last month, Prime Minister Theresa May lifted the pay cap for police and prison officers. This move was met with criticism from unions and other political parties who called the deals ‘divide and rule offers’ that would pit some public sector workers against each other.
PCS’s reasons to protest against the gap are:
- Civil servants have been hit hardest by the pay freeze – pay has only increased by 5% over the past seven years.
- Value of pay is falling – inflation has risen by 21.3% over the time of the pay cap.
- The government is divided on public sector pay.
- To support the union
Members can vote by post, email or phone.
