Up to 290, 000 members of Britain’s largest civil service union, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) began receiving ballot papers today (22 Feb) as a strike ballot got under way over government plans to compulsorily increase the public sector pension age from 60 to 65 without negotiation with trade unions.

Coming on the same day as senior civil service union the FDA announced it too would be balloting its members on industrial action over the pension changes, the union warned the government that it was courting confrontation by forcing through the pension age rise and by refusing to negotiate seriously. The strike ballot will run until 11 March, coinciding with strike ballots of other unions such as UNISON, Amicus and TGWU bringing the possibility of strike action on the same day by central and local government workers on March 23 a step nearer.

The government plan to raise the pension age for the civil and public servants comes just over two years after previous changes to the civil service pension scheme and will force people to work longer to get their full pension. The plans, which have been met with scepticism and created great uncertainty and anger, would also see an end to the final salary pension scheme.

Commenting Mark Serwotka PCS general secretary said: “By compulsorily rising the pension age and refusing to negotiate the government are courting confrontation with its own workforce. People in the civil service are angry that less than three years after their pensions were last changed the government are now forcing through more changes to what is effectively people’s deferred pay. The government have got to realise it can’t change conditions of employment without full consultation and negotiation. Rather than seeking confrontation by forcing people to work longer to get their pension we urge the government to talk seriously about giving people choices and flexibility over their pension age.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• For further information, interviews and comment please contact Alex Flynn PCS national press officer on 020 7801 2820 or 07833 978216.
• PCS, the Public and Commercial Services Union is the union representing civil and public servants in central government. It has more than 320, 000 members in over 200 departments and agencies. It also represents workers in parts of government transferred to the private sector. PCS is the UK’s sixth largest union and is affiliated to the TUC. The general secretary is Mark Serwotka and the president is Janice Godrich.

Alex Flynn
National Press Officer
Public and Commercial Services Union
160 Falcon Rd
London SW11 2LN
Direct line: 020 7801 2747
Mobile: 07833 978 216
Fax: 020 7924 1847