 - which represents civil servants - is preparing to announce a series of dates 'running over the Christmas period and into the New Year'. The union represents workers in 124 different Whitehall departments and arms-length bodies, including those in the Border Force and Passport Office, as well as those working in job centres and processing benefit payments. One-third of civil servants still work from home across Whitehall, the latest figures show, with an average of 64 per cent of staff at their desks in the week commencing Oct 24. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, said he had 'made it clear that if other unions are on strike we would want to join them'. The PCS will attend a meeting on Monday to discuss co-ordinating industrial action with all the unions which have either already balloted or are due to ballot for strike action. This includes the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) workers union, Aslef, the union for train drivers, Union, GMB and three different teacher unions. Outlining the forms of co-ordinated strike action that will be discussed, Mr Serwotka explained: 'If the RMT and Aslef take action on the trains, then we will look to see whether we can bring action on the Highways Agency and in the Department for Transport that seeks to maximise the impact of people on that day.' He said if industrial action goes ahead in airports, PCS could 'enhance' the impact by also getting baggage handlers and UK Border Force officials who check passports to strike on the same day. 'People think civil servants are grey suits sitting at their desks - but when they don't work you actually notice it because the whole country grinds to a halt,' a source said.On Thursday the Transport Secretary offered to meet union leaders amid growing speculation that ministers will back down in the face of rail strikes that have cost the economy half a billion pounds. Mark Harper has written to the RMT, Aslef and the TSSA as part){kind=link}
The biggest union for civil servants has voted for a walkout and threatened to conspire with others to bring the country to a standstill
Unions are planning co-ordinated strike action in the run-up to Christmas as they warn that the country will “grind to a halt”.
The UK’s biggest union for civil servants has voted in favour of a walkout and threatened to conspire with other unions to inflict maximum chaos.
It comes as the Government prepares to face down union barons’ demands over public sector pay as it tries to balance the books and cover a £35 million “fiscal black hole”.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has demanded a 17.6 per cent pay rise. But Rishi Sunak on Thursday night said this is “clearly not affordable”. The Treasury is reportedly considering pay rises of two per cent across the board in the public sector for next year.