Hello, this is Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of PCS
sending this video update to all PCS members.
Now around a week ago we announced the result of our national consultative ballot
of all PCS members in the public sector.
We asked you whether you supported a pay claim of 10%
and we asked you whether or not you were prepared to take industrial action
if the government didn't listen to your message.
In a ballot in which over 70,000 people voted
on a 45% turnout, you voted overwhelmingly to send the government the clearest of messages.
Nearly 98% of you voted for a 10% pay rise
telling us exactly how you understand
in the real world, why you need 10% just to keep your heads above water.
But also nearly 81% of members voted to say you would take industrial action
if the union organised a lawful ballot.
So as we promised you, we took that message to the heart of government.
Fran Heathcote, the unions' national president, myself and our negotiating team
have had a number of meetings over the last week.
I have personally met the new Cabinet Office minister, Mrs Wheeler,
and our negotiating team have met Cabinet Office officials.
And today I can tell you, that their response to your message
is insulting, it is outrageous
and it is essentially sticking up two fingers, to every PCS member
and your families, and this time of need.
Because today they have confirmed, that their pay offer this year
will be 2%. A 2% pay rise
in reality compared to inflation
means at least, a 6% reduction in your living standards.
That comes after ten years of real terms pay cuts.
It comes at a time when we have the biggest cost of living crisis in this country
since records began.
It comes at a time when you have delivered front line services
for the people of this country throughout the Covid pandemic
and now are trying to continue to deliver those services as we
move into a new phase.
This is not just insulting, it is outrageous.
It is something that we cannot accept
because we know well from hearing from you direct how you are worried
about turning on the heating
about feeding your families
about what the future holds
so now what we have to do given the government have insulted us in this way
is to take action. We have to turn this consultative ballot vote into a campaign
that can force the government to think again.
So I can confirm to you today, that over the next two weeks your national leadership
will be meeting, we will be analysing the ballot results in detail
it is already clear that a number of employers have broken the 50% threshold
and in most cases we've come very close. So now we have to decide what to do
and when to do it. We will be consulting your representatives
and we will be consulting you over the coming weeks and months.
But what I’m sure we can all agree, is that when there's a cost of living crisis,
when in real terms your salary has collapsed over the last 10 years
and when this year, you need an 8% pay rise just to stand still
their offer of 2% is an insult too far.
When you also add into that that when I met the minister two days ago
not only did she offer us no comfort on pay, she also indicated that the government intended
again this year to come back to the issue of your redundancy terms
with a view to trying to reduce them by up to 33%
a move that we successfully blocked in the high court in 2016
it tells us everything we need to know.
They know the cost of everything. but the value of nothing.
So let's be angry, let's be determined
and over the coming weeks and months let's do all we can to get more people in the union
if you voted in the ballot but you know somebody who didn't
encourage them to vote the next time we come out to ballot members
but let's be clear about one thing
in 2022 we cannot leave this unchallenged
you deserve better and we're determined to make sure you get better.
Thanks very much.