02 November 2007
Civil service workers were set for a national strike after members of the Public and Commercial Services union voted for action over job cuts, pay and privatisation.
The PCS executive committee was due to meet on November 1 to decide on its next move after 68% of union members who voted in a national ballot backed industrial action.
General secretary Mark Serwotka said: 'Civil service management and the government must be in no doubt of the determination of their own workforce to take action if necessary to achieve a fair settlement.'
But council workers have backed away from industrial action in spite of a narrow vote in favour by Unison members over the pay award of 2.475% for public sector workers. The offer has now been accepted by Unison and the GMB union.
A total of 51.6% of Unison members who returned their ballot papers supported striking – but the union chose not to press ahead.
Unison's head of local government, Heather Wakefield, said the results had 'decisively put government and local authority employers into the last-chance saloon'.
PFnov2007