PCS, the civil service union, is gearing up its campaign to strike again this year over being told to turn up to work by the government. Union officials were handing out flashy leaflets to staff at 2 Marsham Street (housing the Home Office and DLUHC) this week. The PCS says its “sustained, targeted” strikes have worked before and will work again to “exert maximum pressure” on the government. With the number of civil servants constantly moaning about having to turn up to the office three days per week, the campaign could get traction…
The union’s pay demands are as follows:
On that last point a bemused and overworked SpAd tells Guido: “Wouldn’t we all”…
Number crunchers over at the Office for National Statistics are being balloted for strike action over a requirement to come into the office for a whopping two days per week. Just over a thousand ONS staff were told late last year that they would need to spend 20% of their time in the office from January, ramping up to 40% in April. PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote is demanding “flexible and sustainable ways of working” instead of actually turning up. The bar for civil servants is on the floor…
The BMA has just announced that it has rejected the government’s 3% pay offer (on top of the 9% already given out) and will be striking in December from the 20th to 23rd and January from the 3rd to the 9th. A Christmas gift the government won’t enjoy…
Guido reported in September that the House of Commons guards would be balloted for strike action by the PCS after they were asked to work extra night shifts. 250 Palace of Westminster guards have now voted 95% in favour of the strike, with a 79% turnout. Unless negotiations for a climbdown come together long queues are expected to get into the Palace. Good news for any other Chinese spies in Westminster…
More than 250 security guards on the parliamentary estate are to be balloted on strike action between September 25 and October 9, with the PSC union pushing for the ballot after guards were reportedly told to “work extra night shifts to cover for a lack of staff“.
“In a ballot that runs between September 25 and October 9, we are asking members if they believe that they should take strike action to force the employer to listen. A strike would be a powerful reminder of the importance of our members to the everyday running of the Palace of Westminster estate. Any strike action would result in restricted access to the Houses of Parliament, resulting in long queues for MPs, staff and visitors.”
Just a week after an alleged Chinese spy was revealed to have had access to the estate…
Impending strikes could have an added political character as Braverman and Mordaunt look set to join the latest wave of walk-outs. Fortunately for the Prime Minister, he won’t be without his Home Secretary nor his Leader of the Commons, as the potential strikers are actually Warren Braverman, Suella’s brother-in-law, and James Mordaunt, Penny’s brother. Both family members work for Virgin Atlantic, where the British Airline Pilots’ Association has confirmed to LBC’s Henry Riley that strike action is possible – after 76% of pilots suggested demanding schedules saw colleagues left unfit for work due to tiredness. If strikes get off the ground, the airline should strap in and brace for some serious Cabin(et) pressure…
