The Public and Commercial Services Union announced today that its Members across the Home Office will strike on Thursday 26 July – the day before the start of the Olympic Games.
It’s part of a long-running dispute over job cuts, pay and privatisation and the action includes staff across the Home Office, including the UK Border Agency, the Identity and Passport Service and Criminal Records Bureau.
The Home Office has responded angrily to the announcement, tweeting this afternoon:
“The PCS leadership should be ashamed of themselves.”
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PCS General Secretary, Mark Serwotka, said:
“The lives of staff have been made intolerable by these cuts and they’re at breaking point.
“Ministers have known about these issues for a very long time and need to act now to sort out the chaos they have caused.
“They’re acting recklessly in cutting so many jobs and privatising services, and are provocatively refusing to talk to us with a genuine desire to reach an agreement.”
However, the CBI criticised the union’s move. John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said: “As the world arrives in London for the Olympic Games, every one of us should be giving our guests the warmest possible welcome. For PCS to go on strike on this key day beggars belief. For it to happen because of a vote by 11% of staff is simply outrageous.”
