Workers to vote over possible strike action

Civil servants are to vote on whether to hold a strike ballot over pay following years of wage restraint.

A decision will be taken at the annual conference of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) today, which said the pay of civil servants has fallen by 9 per cent in real terms since 2010.

The union said it has been told by the government it has only budgeted for a 1 per cent pay rise this year, well below the rate of inflation. The PCS said its members were having to cope with increased workloads amid job cuts.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “Industrial action is always a matter of regret, and we would encourage the PCS to continue to talk with officials to explore the possibilities of reform to civil service pay arrangements going forward.”