Strike by civil servants to go ahead after talks dismissed as ‘total farce’

A strike by 100,000 civil servants is to go ahead next month after talks with the Government aimed at resolving a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions were dubbed a “total farce”.

Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin met with union leaders to discuss growing industrial unrest after weeks of stoppages across the country, including by Border Force staff over Christmas.

Unions had made it clear more money would have to be offered to head off an escalation of stoppages.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), said: “This meeting was a total farce. Despite being well-trailed by the Government as a chance to resolve the crisis, it was nothing of the sort because the minister had nothing to offer.

“He didn’t deny our members were being offered less than anyone else, he didn’t deny tens of thousands of our members only get a pay rise because of the rise in the national minimum wage but he refused to give us a pay rise now.

“Despite all we told him, despite knowing the alternative would be sustained industrial action, he still refused to budge, saying he could only talk about 2023-24.

“We will not stand by and watch our members be condemned to low pay.

“We’ve tried talking but it appears the only option open to us is to force them to change their mind, and the only way we can do that is to escalate our strike action.

“Because of the minister’s refusal to help us now, the one-day strike we announced yesterday will go ahead as promised on February 1, and we shall look to escalate our action further, calling more members out on more strikes until the Government listens to us.”

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union – which represents senior civil servants, said the talks had been “cordial” but “lacked anything concrete” from the Government.

He said “we could not have been clearer” that if the Government “want to resolve disputes, which they say they do, then it requires something tangible to be put on the table, not simply more ‘listening mode’ meetings”.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “The Minister for the Cabinet Office, Jeremy Quin, met with representatives from civil service trade unions today to listen to and understand their concerns. This forms part of the Government’s commitment to engaging with unions across the board.

“The meeting included discussions to help ensure fair and affordable public sector pay settlements.

“We regret the PCS decision to call further strike action, but discussions will continue and we have comprehensive plans in place to keep essential services running and to minimise disruption.”

Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect, said: “I asked the minister if the Government planned to continue with real-terms pay cuts for civil servants as it has done for the last decade or more.

“In his answers the minister refused to offer any more money for 2022/23 and gave no grounds for optimism that the position would be any different in the coming pay year.

“It is clear that civil servants remain at the back of the queue for public sector pay. We see no alternative at this point than to continue to pursue our formal ballot for industrial action.

“As a union our door is always open to meaningful talks but that means there has to be more money on the table. I and my colleagues have offered to clear our diaries next week for negotiations with the minister if the Government is prepared to change its position.”

Other talks were also held to try to resolve disputes in the NHS and on the railways, amid ongoing strikes causing disruption in parts of the country.

A meeting with Health Secretary Steve Barclay was described as “constructive” by a doctors’ union leader.

Professor Philip Banfield, chair of council at the British Medical Association (BMA), told reporters: “It went as we expected. We went into the meeting to discuss the pay review body and we came out of the meeting having laid out our stall and making it very clear the state of the NHS and that, really, the pay dispute with the junior doctors has to include some form of addressing full pay restoration.”

Asked about their call for restoration to 2008 pay levels, which would be a 26% uplift, he said: “26% is a lot to lose from your salary, so although it’s a lot of money, it’s a lot of money to lose as well.

“We’ve got junior doctors who are really struggling financially now because they are qualifying with £100,000 of debt.

“What was constructive today was the willingness to listen and to get into the room and discuss what pay restoration may or may not look like.”

Officials from the Rail Delivery Group met with the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association in a fresh bid to break the deadlocked rail dispute.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper raised hopes of a breakthrough within “days” as he confirmed a “renewed offer” was on the table ahead of the talks.

The unions have made it clear they need a new offer on pay, jobs and conditions before the dispute can end.

After the meeting at the offices of FirstGroup in Paddington, London, on Thursday, the RMT union said it was working towards a “revised offer” with the Rail Delivery Group.

The union said: “We have had detailed discussions and we are working jointly towards a revised offer.

“Both parties have agreed to continue discussions over the next few days.”

Later on Thursday, the University and College Union (UCU) announced that more than 70,000 staff at 150 universities across the UK will strike for 18 days between February and March in disputes over pay, conditions and pensions.

The University and College Union (UCU) said the precise dates of the action will be confirmed next week.

Meanwhile, nine out of 10 members of the NASUWT teachers union in England and Wales voted for strikes over pay – but the turnout was 42%, below the legal threshold.

The union said it remained in dispute with the Government despite not achieving the 50% ballot turnout required by law.

Elsewhere, workers on London’s Elizabeth line were on strike while the capital’s bus workers at Abellio were also taking industrial action.