100,000 civil servants, including DVLA and National Library of Wales staff, vote to strike

Around 100,000 civil servants – including many from Welsh organisations including Natural Resources Wales, the DVLA and the National Library of Wales – have voted to strike in a dispute over pay, pensions and jobs.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said the legal threshold for industrial action had been reached in 126 separate areas, covering workers including driving test examiners, border force officials and Jobcentre staff.

Among the Government departments have reached the 50% threshold and voted for strike action are: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Natural Resources Wales, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Audit Wales, the National Library of Wales, Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, the Wales Office, and the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales.

The union warned that unless it receives “substantial proposals” from the government, it will announce a programme of “sustained industrial action” on November 18.

General secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The government must look at the huge vote for strike action across swathes of the Civil Service and realise it can no longer treat its workers with contempt.

“Our members have spoken and if the government fails to listen to them, we’ll have no option than to launch a prolonged programme of industrial action reaching into every corner of public life.

“Civil servants have willingly and diligently played a vital role in keeping the country running during the pandemic but enough is enough.

“The stress of working in the civil service, under the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis, job cuts and office closures means they’ve reached the end of their tethers.

“We are calling on the government to respond positively to our members’ demands. They have to give our members a 10% pay rise, job security, pensions justice and protected redundancy terms.”