Tories wage war on civil servants

The government has given PCS civil service union members “yet another reason” to vote for strike action in a national ballot this month after “signalling its intention to slash” redundancy terms, the union says. 


The PCS says a consultation document on reforming the civil service compensation scheme shows the Tories are looking to trash redundancy terms while also plotting to cut 91,000 civil service jobs over the next three years. The move also comes on top of a derisory 2% pay offer.


The proposals would mean civil servants who take up voluntary redundancy would be entitled to just three weeks’ pay a year up to an 18-month cap. 


Workers forced to take compulsory redundancy would have their severance packages capped at nine months’ salary. This is a “marked downgrade” from current terms, says the union. 


PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said the union would fight the proposals as it did in 2017, when it successfully persuaded the High Court to overturn the government’s previous attempts to “rip up” members’ redundancy rights. 


Prospect specialists’ union general secretary Mick Clancy said: “As the country faces economic and energy crises, that the government should prioritise seeking to reduce civil service redundancy terms says it all.”


He said Prospect will be working with other unions to oppose the “detrimental” changes by “exploring every route — including industrial and legal ones”.