Civil servants vote for walkout

international | worker & community struggles and protests | other press Sunday October 24, 2004 18:15 by pat c

Britain's largest civil service union has voted to stage a one-day strike on 5 November.
The Public and Commercial Services union polled its 260,000 members over government plans to cut 100,000 jobs.

It will be the biggest action in the civil service since 1993, hitting Jobcentres, benefit agencies, pensions offices, customs and driving tests.

The union says it is concerned about pensions, sick pay and forced relocation as well as the cut in jobs.


" I hope that when our members demonstrate overwhelmingly on 5 November their anger at what is being done, the government will get the message that it's time to talk "
Mark Serwotka


Announcing the strike, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said the size of the vote for action - two to one of those cast - reflected the anger felt at the scale of job losses and attacks on pensions and retirement pay.