Employees at the conciliatory organisation ACAS are to go on strike in a dispute over pay.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union voted almost two to one in favour of the action, which will see staff downing tools over a series of one hour stoppages.

A publicly funded organisation, one of ACAS’ roles is to mediate workplace disputes. News of the action follows successful strike ballots at the Maritime Coastgaurd Agency and one at the Department for Transport which caused approximately 5,000 driving tests to be cancelled last week.

Union general secretary Mark Serwotka took advantage of an opportunity to call on the government to improve public sector pay.

“Pay across the civil service is creating anger and frustration as the government press ahead with its discredited policy of below inflation pay resulting in pay cuts in real terms,” he said.

“The government can avoid embarrassing and damaging strike action in ACAS and elsewhere in the civil service by addressing low pay and paying a fair wage.”