National strike across central government

While action in the health service has been paused as trade unions consult members of the government’s pay offer, the campaign of strikes and industrial action across central government continues. The PCS trade union has called its third day of national action for 28 April following the strikes on 1 and 15 March. In the meantime its targeted campaign across different government departments continues. The union is also balloting more than 120000 workers across 186 government employers to join the action. Members UNISON at the Environment Agency are also maintaining their campaign of industrial

The long-running industrial action in central government sees another national strike on 28 April with the PCS union expecting 133,000 civil servants in 132 departments to walk out. This is the third full national mobilisation in a campaign over pay, jobs and pensions that began last year and has involved targeted action in a wide range of departments and agencies. In a separate action members of PCS, Unite and UNISON at the Care Quality Commission, the body that monitors health and care services, took a day’s action on 17 April over pay, following a campaign of action short of a strike. The

The government has initiated pay talks with the RCN nursing union in England which has suspended strike action for the time being. However, the government has not engaged with other health unions that are currently involved in industrial action. Members of the UNISON trade union across the ambulance service and other parts of the health service are taking action on 8 March, including several workplaces where a re-ballot of members delivered the required majority for strike action. Health workers have also been taking action in Northern Ireland. Ambulance workers represented by the GMB union