civil servants

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) stated that over 100,000 members will be on strike at the same time as other public sector workers, including teachers and lecturers in a one day strike on 24 April in protest at the government's policy to cap public sector pay to below inflation, which will result in cuts to living standards across the civil service.

Employer attacks on workers' pay is the main issue at stake.

Teachers in the NUT are walking out over their pay deal which was supposed to be revised when inflation rose, but the government refused: effectively cutting their wages.

The two day strike called by PCS members working for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), follows the imposition of a below inflation pay offer which sees the lowest paid receiving increases which take their wage to only 24 pence above the minimum wage and approximately 40% of staff set to receive a 0% pay increase next year.

The Mbudi accord was negotiated in 2004 and has still not been implemented by the government. The pay scale is from $208 to $2080. The government promised to progressively implement the scale in 2006, beginning with a movement to a pay scale from $70 to $700.

Up to 1,800 members working for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), will be taking part in the action.

Members will be picketing outside Caxton House on Tothill St, London today from 12pm-2pm with members in Sheffield, Darlington and Runcorn also taking part in the strike.

The ballot involving 270,000 members working in over 200 different government departments, agencies and non departmental public bodies follows two strongly supported one-day national civil service strikes this year.

A consultation involving 280,000 members of PCS on the next steps of the union's campaign against civil and public service job cuts, below inflation pay and increasing privatisation, got under way today.

The Public Employees Union (PEU), representing almost 5,000 blue collar public servants, has voted to back a strike planned by the country's largest union, the Public Service Association (PSA). The PSA voted overwhelmingly on Friday to strike after the military government slashed civil servants' wages under a plan to save the nation's economy from collapse.

Nurses & teachers ballot

61.3 % of members taking part in the ballot voted for strike action and 77.9% voted in favour of action short of a strike as key services continue to suffer as a result of the government's drive to cut 100,000 civil and public service jobs, the use of consultants spirals out of control and staff face below inflation pay offers.

Civil service workers will walk out if their salaries are not paid by the end of this week, said Ofer Eini, the head of the Histadrut National Labor Federation.

Rallies have been held in Athens and Salonika, whilst over 900 schools are occupied by pupils as part of an on-going battle over pay. There have been clashes between the protestors and parents, but the strike remains strong regardless. Students burned desks in the yard of one Athens school, after using furniture to blockade the gates.

The Korean government declared the 140,000 member union illegal, after it refused to register under new union legislation curbing rights to strike and recruit. From September 22nd, the security services have been shutting down union offices and attacking members.