270,000 civil servants begin 48-hour walkout today

Monday 8th March 2010

Up to 270,000 civil servants have today begun a 48-hour strike over redundancy pay, with courts, tax centres and emergency police call centres hit by the walkout.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said the strikers would not stand for the government "tearing up the contracts of low paid civil and public servants".

In a statement released the union said that courts, job centres, driving tests, tax offices, border controls and passports are among some of the services that will be affected today. However, it added that civilian staff working for the Metropolitan police and security staff working in the House of Parliament will also be taking strike action for the first time in over 25 years.

Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary, said: "Loyal civil and public servants won't stand by and allow the government to cut jobs on the cheap. Those on strike today deliver services that touch our everyday lives from the cradle to the grave."

The dispute arose following changes to the civil service compensation scheme. The union has said it fears the changes, which could see job and entitlement losses for civil servants, would "make it easier for whoever wins the general election to cut low paid civil and public servants on the cheap".

Mr Serwotka added: "Under these imposed changes, they face losing up to a third of their entitlements and tens of thousands of pounds if they are forced out of their job. The government is tearing up the contracts of low paid civil and public servants whilst it claims it can do nothing about bankers' bonuses because of contractual obligations."

Over 20 rallies in towns and cities across the UK will be taking place today with picket lines set up today and tomorrow. Touring picket lines will take to the streets of London tomorrow, targeting the Royal Courts of Justice, the Houses of Parliament, the Met police at New Scotland Yard, the Victoria and Albert Museum, British Library and government departments in Whitehall.

The PCS also announced that in a separate dispute, around 1,000 union members working for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services will be striking on today and tomorrow in a row over pay freezes and job losses.

Cabinet Office minister Tessa Jowell told the BBC the decision to strike was very disappointing, "especially given that less than one in five of their own members voted in favour of strike action, and that, overall, this figure represents only around ten per cent of the total civil service workforce".

She added: "The changes to the civil service compensation scheme were agreed with five of the six civil service unions after 18 months of negotiation and consultation. These unions all agree with us that the resulting deal is fair for staff and taxpayers.

"During the negotiating process, we responded to union concerns by ensuring additional protection for lower paid staff.

"Those earning £30,000 or less - 80 per cent of all staff - will still get up to between two and three years' salary, while civil servants earning over £30,000 will have redundancy pay capped at two times salary.

"This package brings the civil service more into line with the rest of the public sector and still offers more generous terms than much of the private sector."

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