Civil servants union announces two new days of strike action - including staff at the Environment Agency

Civil servants union, Prospect, has said new strike action planned for May and June is a result of the Government’s refusal to enter pay negotiations
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Thousands of civil servants across 40 sectors are set to strike in May and June. The prospect union has announced two 24 hour strike days following the Government’s refusal to enter pay negotiations.

The union, which represents over 150,000 workers, has announced members will strike on May 1 and June 7. This follows action in March which included a ban on overtime but fell short of a complete walk out.

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Prospect represents tens of thousands of specialist, technical, professional, managerial and scientific staff in the Civil Service. Members work for a wide range of employers, including the Met Office, Health and Safety Executive, Trinity House, Intellectual Property Office, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Natural England and UK Research and Innovation.

Mike Clancy, general Secretary of Prospect, said: “We have repeatedly offered to engage in pay talks aimed at resolving this dispute provided they followed a comparable approach to that employed elsewhere in the public service. By publishing the pay control, the government has abandoned its staff to further real terms cuts and to remain at the back of the public service pay queue.

“This industrial action was entirely avoidable, but the government’s failure to bring anything to the table has made it inevitable and it leaves hard working civil servants with no option but to protest over their treatment.

Prospect members on a picket line (Photo: Prospect)Prospect members on a picket line (Photo: Prospect)
Prospect members on a picket line (Photo: Prospect)

“Prospect members are the specialists upon whom all aspects of effective government depend. If the government doesn’t change its stance, then it will face a recruitment and retention crisis that degrades the Civil Service and the public services we all rely on.”