Strikes in health service mark start of widespread action over pay

U.K.

In Northern Ireland, industrial action in the health service, organised by the UNISON and NIPSA trade unions began on 5 December and was due to be stepped up with a one-day strike on 12 December. The RCN nurses’ union will take strike action in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the first time ever with the dates announced as 15 and 20 December. Ambulance workers – represented by UNISON, GMB and UNITE – have also voted for strike over most regions of England and Wales with action planned for 21 December. In Scotland, health unions are consulting over an improved pay offer that would deliver pay rises of just over 11% for the lowest paid. The results of ballots are expected in the week beginning 12 December. Meanwhile, in central government, the PCS trade union is planning a campaign of targeted industrial action across the civil service and agencies over pay, jobs and pensions that will begin in the Rural Payments Agency on 13 December, followed by National Highways from 16 December and then in parts of the Department for Work and Pensions from 19 December. There is separate action in the courts service and UNISON and Prospect have also voted for action over pay in the Environment Agency.

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Jan. 08, 2006

Widespread support for strike action

Portugal

Around 70%-75% of workers in local administration supported the two-day strike last month in protest at government policies on the public sector. In particular the STAL union is calling for a 5.5% pay increase to compensate for a loss of purchasing power in recent years and a minimum 50 euro per month increase for all workers. [Read more at > STAL->http://www.stal.pt/artigo.asp?id=762] The SINTAP union has also attacked the government for offering a 1.5% pay increase for 2006 when inflation is at 2.5%. The union also estimates that public sector workers have seen their pay fall in real terms

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Jan. 03, 2019

Survey reveals widespread dissatisfaction with civil service pay

U.K.

The PCS civil service union has highlighted the results of a survey that reveals low levels of satisfaction with pay across many government departments. In some parts of the Ministry of Justice, for example, only 12%-14% of workers were satisfied with their pay and only 21% in HMRC, the third largest government department, that deals with taxation. Dissatisfaction was even greater when workers were asked to compare their jobs with similar jobs elsewhere, reflecting the fact that the 1% pay cap remains in the civil service but has been lifted in other parts of the public sector. The PCS will be

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