PCS pay campaign launched
Over the last month, the PCS civil service union has been carrying out briefings across the country as part of a mass consultation on the 2019 civil service pay strategy
The union has accused permanent secretaries and the Cabinet Office of betraying staff on pay by secretly agreeing to limit pay increases.
The results of the annual Civil Service People Survey found that 69% of respondents are dissatisfied with their pay and conditions.
Many departments showed levels of staff satisfaction with pay, typically below 30%. There were particularly low levels at the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (12%) and HM Courts and Tribunals Service (14%) where, according to the union, the management tried unsuccessfully to persuade employees to cash in their terms and conditions in return for above-inflation pay rises for some staff.
Staff at HMRC were also particularly dissatisfied about their pay, with only 21% of respondents feeling that their pay adequately reflected their performance.
The union’s national executive committee (NEC) is proposing that 2019 demands on pay consist of a cost of living pay increase for all workers in the civil service of 8%-10%; a Living Wage of £10 an hour nationally, and £11.55 in London; national bargaining on pay across the UK civil service; and equal pay and coherence of pay and terms and conditions across those areas.
If the Cabinet Office does not respond positively, the NEC proposes to hold an industrial action ballot in March.