Academic research commissioned by the civil service union PCS has concluded: “... UK Civil Service wages have dramatically eroded in real terms due to persistent below-inflation pay rises. Depending on the inflation indicator used, at best, real wages in 2023 were at where they were two decades ago... Since 2010, median annual pay has fallen between 15 and 38% in the civil service, depending on the grade and inflation indicator.”
The Tories have no intention of seriously addressing either this deliberate reduction in real pay or the endemic low pay in the civil service and may be preparing to impose another below-inflation award.
In this situation, facing a potentially powerful, unified, challenge in the 2024 National Executive Committee (NEC) elections from the PCS Independent Left (IL) and other groups, the Left Unity “leadership” (LU) of PCS has decided that it must appear to be doing something about pay.
On 16 February PCS General Secretary, Fran Heathcote, wrote to the Government setting out PCS’s National Pay Claim for 2024/25, including an inflation-proofed increase plus pay restoration; pay equality across the civil service on the best possible terms; and a living wage of £15 per hour. LU has also launched a truncated (20 February to 5 March) membership “survey” “to gauge support for the campaign” but with little notification to, or campaign resources for, branch representatives.
In a 15 February video message about the 2024/25 demands, Heathcote again claimed that “...our industrial action [in 2023] was paused...to allow for talks to take place...at a delegated level...[and] also with the cabinet office around future pay strategy and pay coherence.” But LU’s eight months (and counting) “pause”, when PCS abandoned all strike leverage, has resulted in weaknesses that PCS must now overcome in the fight for the 2024/25 claim:
Our demands for a 2022-23 10% consolidated increase, with a £15ph underpin, were abandoned without one consolidated penny added and the 2023/24 delegated bargaining level talks again resulted in below inflation “awards”.
Members were very disappointed to do so badly across these two pay years.
The national talks have not resulted in one reported Tory concession.
Legal strike mandates were allowed to lapse and the strike levy ended.
The LU leadership has not even “propagandistically” campaigned on pay for the last eight months.
PCS must now legally win 50%+ majorities, and turn them out for effective strike action, in less advantageous circumstances.
LU is not qualified to meet these challenges. Serious activists must persuade members to fight for the 2024-25 claim while simultaneously building support for the IL-supported slate and developing the ability of branches to hold any and all PCS leaders to account.
Comments?We welcome replies, corrections and debate pieces. Contact us