PCS courts victory

THE PUBLIC and Commercial Services (PCS) trade union has won a major legal victory against the government on their plans to rip up members' contracts under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS).

The government aimed to reduce redundancy payments under the CSCS in order to drive through job cuts and privatisation on the cheap. This means whoever forms the new government will need to re-open negotiations with PCS. The judgement quashed the scheme the previous Labour government tried to impose saying it was unlawful to change accrued redundancy rights without union agreement.

This will be a blow to the hawks in the Cabinet Office and the pathetically weak minister, Tessa Jowell.

PCS members took three days of industrial action in March and kept up the pressure through an overtime ban and political campaigning while strike action was suspended during the general election. This legal judgement is a significant part of the pressure being applied to reach a fair settlement but if the new government does not see sense and negotiate such a settlement then more action will inevitably follow.

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In The Socialist 12 May 2010:

MPs and party leaders haggling over their jobs... preparing to cut ours!