On 5 June the leadership of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) leadership announced that the government had made “significant concessions relating to pay, redundancy terms and job security” as a result of the industrial action members had been taking.
These supposed concessions are
- a £1,500 bonus
- an increase of 4.5%, with an extra 0.5% for the lowest paid
- A commitment to avoiding compulsory redundancies
The last is nothing new; it is a meaningless commitment which is always in place. The figure of 4.5% was one previously stated by the Treasury for 2023/2024 pay year – so only the 0.5% is in any sense new. The bonus, like those offered in other industries, will not be consolidated into pay levels on an ongoing basis and further will be funded out of existing Departmental budgets.
There is no national pay bargaining in the civil service. the pay talks revolve around how to share out the 4.5% increase across all staff. No one is guaranteed a 4.5% increase. Previously Departmental pay teams were told not to engage in discussion around the 2023/2024 pay offer. This injunction has now been lifted and pay negotiators have been told once agreement is reached on the bonus pay talks can begin. In a number of Departments, the pay talks revolve around how to share out the 4.5% increase across all staff. No one is guaranteed a 4.5% increase
The ongoing ballot for strike action within the DWP was suspended. In the original ballot in November 2022 the DWP just scraped past the 50% threshold and then in the reballot made necessary by anti-union laws, the threshold was missed. This was a reballot to try and get over the threshold. HMRC was also due to reballot, this has also been suspended.
The union claims they have won massive concessions in the biggest victory for the union for many a year. The reality is that there are many low paid staff in departments like DWP and HMRC who are on the national minimum wage and many people who are entitled to Universal Credit. This deal does absolutely nothing for them. And then there are the rest of us who have faced pay freezes or miniscule increases of 1% or 2%.
The union’s NEC is due to meet again in early July to review its position and decide on next steps. A number of branches have come together in the ‘PCS says No’ campaign to oppose the apparent intention of the NEC to abandon the current dispute.
Art (52) Book Review (121) Books (114) Capitalism (65) China (79) Climate Emergency (97) Conservative Government (90) Conservative Party (45) COVID-19 (44) Economics (39) EcoSocialism (55) Elections (82) Europe (44) Fascism (56) Film (49) Film Review (68) France (69) Gaza (59) Imperialism (97) Israel (119) Italy (45) Keir Starmer (52) Labour Party (110) Long Read (42) Marxism (47) Palestine (163) pandemic (78) Protest (149) Russia (334) Solidarity (133) Statement (48) Trade Unionism (134) Ukraine (339) United States of America (130) War (362)
Latest Articles
- Turkey and the Neofascist Contagion
The ongoing battle in Turkey has become increasingly significant for the entire world. If the Turkish popular movement wins, its victory will have a significant impact in galvanizing resistance to the rise of neofascism worldwide argues Gilbert Achcar - The boys are not alright
Simon Pearson points out that a Minister for Men cannot rebuild the infrastructures of solidarity that were torn apart by decades of neoliberal consensus. - Yemen on the brink
Now that Trump has returned to the White House with far greater arrogance than during his first term, the possibility of re-escalating the war in Yemen with direct US involvement has become very real, argues Gilbert Achcar - Labour austerity – balancing the books on the backs of the poorest
Dave Kellaway on Labour attacks on disabled people - Turkey: a mass movement builds against Erdogan’s power grab
Uraz Aydin answers questions from Antoine Larrache about the mobilization currently building in Turkey after the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, who is seen as Erdogan’s main rival in the race for the next presidential election.