Let’s rally together to deliver the result you deserve
In Fran's first column for PCS People as general secretary she wants to encourage as many of you as possible to vote in our national strike ballot if you haven’t done so already.
It’s crucial we maximise the turnout and beat the thresholds so we can strengthen our negotiating hand. So, vote ‘yes’ to send a strong message to the government that we’re ready to build on the gains we made as a result of last year’s strike action.
Our campaign is picking up where we left off last year when we made historic gains. It was thanks to the action you took that we forced the government to increase the civil service pay remit for the first time, and we were given a guarantee that there would be no attacks on your redundancy terms before the next general election.
Everyone was incredibly proud of these concessions we won from the government – but we were clear that we wouldn’t hesitate to ballot members again to make sure the government agreed to our demands.
And so here we are.
We’re asking everyone to vote ‘yes’ so we can continue our fight to get the best pay deal we can for you, as well delivering protection for your jobs and securing pensions justice for you.
We know our action works because of the gains we made last year, and we’ve seen again recently that when our members take a stand, they get results.
As I write this, the long-running strike at The Pensions Regulator in Brighton has been suspended for talks with the employer – these negotiations are a welcome step forward in what has been a very long-running dispute.
I visited them on my first day as your new general secretary and was impressed by the determination of those on the busy picket line.
A big congratulations to those in Brighton and solidarity to our members on strike at the National Museums Liverpool. They have the whole of PCS behind them and, just like our members who have been on strike in Brighton, we will stay the course for as long as it takes.
What these disputes and our national campaign from last year show is that our strategy is working and delivering for members.
As our national campaign enters this critical new phase, we need everyone eligible to vote, and to vote ‘yes’, before the ballot closes on 13 May.
Our track record of winning for our members speaks for itself, so let’s all rally together during this important time and deliver the result that your hard work and dedication deserve.