The FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT public service federations have called a strike on 16 October involving workers in the government's overseas services. The strike is in protest at the freezing of salaries for the 7000 workers in the service and increasingly precarious employment conditions. The unions say that the strike is necessary as there has been no response to their demands since a meeting a meeting in June and despite a number of other protests and actions so far in 2017.
Workers in overseas services take strike action
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Overseas development staff take strike action
Workers employed in the Agency for International Co-operation for Development (AECID) took strike action on 8 September in protest over pay and conditions. Around 40% of staff have either left or are thinking of leaving the service because of deteriorating conditions pay frozen since 2009 and eroded by inflation and currency fluctuations. This has left some workers as much as 60% worse off in real terms. Unlike workers in other overseas departments AECID employees don't get any protection against local changes in the cost of living and this is the key demand of the strike.
Progress on agreement for overseas workers
Following strike action and demonstrations, the public service federations have welcomed some initial progress on establishing a new agreement covering embassy, consulate and other overseas public service workers. Negotiations will now take place on the detail of the agreement that should cover a broad range of pay and conditions. Read more at > FSP-UGT (ES) And at > FSAP-CCOO (ES)
Unions get commitment to collective bargaining for overseas staff
The FSC-CCOO and FeSP-UGT public service federations have ensured that government employees working overseas will be covered by a proper process of collective bargaining. As a first step to address the lack of proper pay bargaining over the past 14 years, the unions have agreed a 3.5% pay increase for all overseas workers backdated to 1 January 2022. Negotiations over a pay rise for 2023 will begin in the first quarter of the year along with bargaining over a range of other issues including telework, the 35-hour week, equality plans and an updating of the 2008 agreement on working conditions.