Major Trade Union in UK Announces Protest Amid Record Inflation

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), the sixth largest trade union in the United Kingdom, has announced the start of its program of sustained industrial action, with strikes expected to affect all areas of transport.

"We met with the Cabinet Office this week, but they did not make any proposals that address our demands for a 10% pay rise, pensions justice, job security and no cuts to redundancy terms," PCS said in a Friday statement.

"Therefore, the union’s elected national executive committee (NEC) met today and agreed an initial programme of hard-hitting, targeted action in the Home Office, including the Border Force, across the Department for Transport and in Defra, affecting ports, borders and all areas of transport."

PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka said as quoted in the union’s release, that PCS will be available for more talks and is waiting for its demands to be met.

"PCS members are angry. They helped to keep this country running during the pandemic, and in return, have been treated appallingly by this government. With inflation now at 11.1%, it is inconceivable that they are expected to cope with yet another real terms pay cut," Serwotka stressed, adding that "tens of thousands" of PCS members are on poverty pay and are forced to choose "between heating and eating."

PCS also announced on Friday that it was going to hold more strikes in His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service starting from December 2 until December 5. The union also plans to continue with its Strike Schools program starting from November 28.

Worker strikes have become more frequent in the UK, in parallel with soaring inflation, which reached a record 11.1% in October. Ex-Prime Minister Liz Truss' failure to curb growing prices and eliminate the budget deficit caused her to resign last month. Her successor Rishi Sunak's government has presented a mid-term financial plan and is counting on tax hikes and cuts in public spending to stabilize the economy.