Workers at the UK passport office began a five-week strike on Monday, the newest walkout in a strike-plagued Britain as the nation battles the worst inflation crisis in a century.
The Public and Commercial Services organization (PCS) charged that the government was not treating employees in the public sector fairly.
Recent months have seen a wave of industrial action impact the UK’s economy, affecting everyone from doctors, teachers, and dock workers to train workers, ambulance staff, and rail employees. According to unions, a number of decades have combined to harm their members.
According to unions, their members have struggled to pay their expenses as a result of decades-high inflation and stagnant wages. Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, claimed that despite talks having begun with unions that represent teachers and health care workers, ministers had “failed to hold any meaningful talks” with civil servants.
“They’re treating their own workforce worse than anyone else. They’ve had six months to resolve this dispute but for six months have refused to improve their two percent imposed pay rise, and failed to address our members’ other issues of concern,” he said.
“They seem to think if they ignore our members, they’ll go away. But how can our members ignore the cost-of-living crisis when 40,000 civil servants are using foodbanks and 45,000 of them are claiming the benefits they administer themselves?” he added.
The union wants discussions about wages, employment circumstances, pensions, and retirement plans. Picket lines will be set up outside eight locations, and more than 1,000 members of the PCS civil servants union are expected to participate in the walkout.
On April 28, more than 130,000 civil servants countrywide are expected to strike. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, has rejected calls for significant wage increases, claiming that they are unaffordable and will increase inflation.
