UK: Talks hope to avert civil service strikes

Crucial talks aimed at averting a fresh wave of strikes by civil servants in a bitter row over pay and jobs will be held todayin the UK today.

Leaders of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) will meet Government officials amid renewed fears of huge job losses and below-inflation wage rises.

The union voiced concern at reports the Ministry of Defence could cut up to 9,000 jobs among workers who buy and maintain equipment for the armed forces.

The union said it would fight any cutbacks at the MoD as part of its campaign against job losses across the civil service.

The union will today deliver an “alternative Queen’s Speech” aimed at highlighting the role civil and public servants play in implementing the Government’s legislative programme.

General secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Job cuts, below-inflation pay and outsourcing are all taking their toll and will ultimately undermine the Government’s ambitions which they are setting out in today’s Queen’s Speech.

“This is the message which we will be articulating as we enter in to meaningful negotiations with the Cabinet Office in an effort to find a negotiated outcome to the union’s national dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.”

Prospect, the union for defence specialists, attacked reports that the MoD’s defence equipment and support organisation faced a cut in its workforce from 28,000 to 19,000 because of last month’s comprehensive spending review.

“Operational demands on the army increase day-by-day but logistics support to the armed forces is to be slashed by a third,” said national officer Steve Jary.

“This contradiction makes no sense, militarily or economically. MoD is not about to cut bureaucracy and administrative overheads, it is cutting the direct supply chain to the front line – clothing and equipment, accommodation and training.

“These are roles and activities the armed forces and the defence select committee has said are vital to the UK’s military effort and which are already in a state of shock because of previous rounds of cuts.

“The MoD is literally disintegrating before our eyes. Government must act now to re-balance the demands for support to the army, navy and air force.

“Investing billions of pounds in aircraft carriers and Trident’s replacement are absolutely irrelevant to the pressing need for more army support for the front line. The last strategic defence review was in 1998 and the Government must update its programmes to face the reality of the military challenge in the 21st century.”

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