The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has confirmed that the civil service will strike this Friday.
Attempts to prevent the industrial action were thrown out at the High Court. The call for a one-day national civil service strike is over government plans to axe over 100,000 jobs.
The one day stoppage is said to be the biggest in a generation and the first nation civil service strike in over a decade.
The strike will impact on many services including driving licences, Jobcentres, benefit offices, tax credits, tax collection and customs operations.
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) which has itself cut 800 jobs attempted to halt the strike through an injuction in the high court. The strike involves over 2000 LSC members.
LSC attempts to prevent the action were thrown out.
The court dismissed their argument that there wasn’t a dispute and that they were not part of the civil service.
Pointing to the fact that their parent department is the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and that LSC staff are members of the civil service pension scheme, the court awarded costs against the LSC and ruled that the legal basis of the union’s dispute was sound.
Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary said the LSC claim was a ‘waste of taxpayers’ money’:
“Unfortunately it highlights the belligerence of the LSC’s approach to industrial relations which would make some of the worst employers blanche. Not only is the LSC’s actions a waste of taxpayers’ money, but it will also serve to galvanise and motive members to take strike action on Friday.”
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