Wednesday, February 11, 2004

WHAT ABOUT THE WORKERS?

It looks increasingly likely that at the end of March I will be on strike. My employer has offered a pay deal which after taking account of contractual obligations to generally uprate pay will come to about 2% - some 1% lower than inflation. Even with "performance pay", my pay increase will be about 2.9%. What's more, the increase was due last August. Indeed management tried to get away without paying the contractual increases in August on the basis that we had not agreed the overall pay deal for 2003.

Now I'm a realistic sort of chap. I'm paid a decent wage though I know that I could earn 50% more if I plied my wares in the private sector. Senior staff awarded themselves a 5.5% increase last year. There's more evidence that the Treasury are clamping down on pay.

"Pay rises in the public sector are about to be squeezed as Gordon Brown puts an end to above-inflation increases.

"Top civil servants, judges and senior members of the Armed Forces will be first to feel the pinch (sic), with basic salary rises pegged at about 2 per cent and planned bonus rises cut back."

My union branch voted overwhelmingly to reject the pay offer. An indicative ballot shows support for industrial action. That's likely to mean a series of two day strikes. Civil servants in other Government Departments have already taken action having been offered similarly poor pay deals.

I'd rather not strike because the chances of a significantly better offer are small. But, there's a point to be made, that staff are not going to put up with increasingly poor treatment by our employer.

See you on the picket line.

:: Posted by pete @ 21:55