The PCS Trade Union are striking today up and down the country as they continue to press the Government for change.
The Public and Commercial Services Union is the sixth biggest trade union in the UK and can represent anyone who works for the Government.
Over 130,000 members from the union who work across the civil service and public sector will strike for one day.
It was announced after over 100,000 members in 214 government departments and other public bodies voted to take strike action over a ten percent pay rise, pensions ‘justice’ and job security.
The PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka accused the Government yesterday of waging a war on their own staff.
He said: “When you look at how badly ministers treat their own staff, it’s impossible not to think this is an ideological war on civil servants.
“Ministers should be setting an example to employers, paying their own staff a fair wage, not leading the race to the bottom.”
Members of the union have been striking today in Sheffield with picket lines taking place at Vulcan House and St Paul’s Cathedral this morning.
Beverly Laidlow, a Civil Servant in the pension service, was outside Hartshead Square this morning.
She told ShefNews: “When inflation is at ten percent, and food inflation is at 17 percent, how can you expect our members not to take action?
“Even in this cost-of-living crisis we are overpaying our pensions by two percent every month which is horrendous.
“Our wages have fallen well below anything that resembles an inflation pay rise over the last ten or eleven years.”
When asked whether there is support for the strike action which will also take place throughout May, she said that due to what the public can see happening, with workers having to go to food banks and process benefits, and so there is support.
There will continue to be strike action throughout the next month in different parts of the country planned until the second of June and further updates can be found on the PCS Union website.
