Civil service strike: around 100,000 workers to stage industrial action over pay, jobs and conditions

Around 100,000 civil servants are due to stage a 24-hours strike as union representatives remain locked in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. The Public and Commercial services (PCS) union confirmed that the next step will be taken on 1 February 2023.

The move comes after staff, including Border Force worker, walked out during the Christmas period. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “During the last month, when thousands of PCS members across a range of departments took sustained industrial action, the Government said it had no money.

“But it managed to find millions of pounds to spend on managers and military personnel in a failed attempt to cover the vital work our members do. We warned the Government our dispute would escalate if they did not listen – and we’re as good as our word.”

It will also coincide with the TUC’s ‘protect the right to strike’ day on 1 February. This was announced in reaction to the government’s recent crackdown on minimum service level during strike periods.

What departments are involved in the strike?

The PCS said that 124 government departments will take part in the walkout. It will also include several other bodies.

Some of those included in the strike will include workers in departments such as Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The union has added that the strike will be one of the largest for the sector in years, with a further 33,000 workers, including some in HM Revenue & Customs, being re-balloted next week to join the industrial action.