British labor unions have announced that more than 3,000 civil servants from four ministries will go on strike on April 11 to demand higher wages and better pension benefits, as well as job security. The announcement comes after negotiations with the government broke down.
The workers, who belong to the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, are employed in various departments, including the Ministry of Justice, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Defence, and the Food Standards Agency.
The PCS union’s General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, stated that the union has been trying to negotiate with the government for months, but the government has refused to budge on its pay offer. He added that the workers’ demands are reasonable and that they deserve a pay increase.
The strike is expected to cause disruptions in the affected departments, including the courts, job centers, and military bases. The union has urged the government to return to the negotiating table to resolve the issue before the strike occurs.
The British government has yet to respond to the announcement of the strike, but a spokesperson for the Cabinet Office stated that the government is committed to fair pay for all public sector workers and has offered a “significant increase” to civil servants’ pay. The spokesperson added that the government is disappointed that the union has chosen to take industrial action.
The PCS union has previously held strikes over pay and pensions, including a series of walkouts in 2019.