17 January 2011
The Public and Commercial Services union has broken ranks with other civil service unions and rejected the government’s changes to Whitehall redundancy pay.
Some 80,000 PCS members voted in a ballot on the revised redundancy scheme, with 90% of them rejecting it.
The union now plans to take the dispute to a judicial review, arguing that the government has abused its power by removing a requirement for changes to redundancy compensation to be agreed with unions, because it is both employer and legislator in this case.
Speaking after the ballot on January 14, PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: ‘Our members have sent a crystal clear message that they will not tolerate their contracts being ripped up simply to allow the government to slash jobs and public services.’
The changes cap compensation at 12 months pay for those made compulsorily redundant and 21 months for those taking voluntary redundancy, compared with a maximum of six years’ pay under the previous system.
The revised scheme was agreed between the government and the other unions in October.
The Cabinet Office said on December 22 that the redundancy changes had taken effect and had been endorsed by the FDA, Prospect, GMB and Unite unions. The Prison Officers' Association has still to ballot members.
