PCS goes to ballot from the 26th September – 7th November 2022, and there has never been a more important time to join, or participate. Below are some common questions about the current situation

What is this about?

This is about our pay, pensions and job security – fundamental reasons why most people come to work.

Both have been hit hard over the last few years, and at the national PCS conference in May, members voted to ballot for strike action after a big ‘yes’ vote on our consultative ballot back in March

On top of that, the government very publicly announced its plans to cut down the civil service by 91000 jobs. All departments had to submit plans to outline what 20% (minimum), 30%, and 40% cuts would look like. That’s between 14000 and 27500 HMRC staff – your friends, colleagues, managers are all at risk. And the shape of the civil service – and how much work we need to pick up after this cull – are still unanswered.

This is the largest assault on our jobs in recent memory, and Prime Minister Liz Truss has currently committed to the plans so far.

What’s the problem with our pay and pensions?

We’ve only had relative pay cuts over recent years due to inflation. Inflation is now so high, that along with other extreme cost of living pressures, everyone is feeling the squeeze and many staff are, in fact, really struggling. We also know we have worse to come, such as the next energy price rise which is due to raise the average annual household energy bill to over £3000 (capped by recent policy changes to £2500, which is still an enormous rise on previous years), and huge rises in food prices.

You can use PCS’ cost of living calculator to estimate what differences this is likely to make you your disposable salary

In the meantime, various issues have led to all of us overpaying on our pensions for the last 3 years – a fight that PCS has already taken to the government and the courts. The government has been making us pay for the consequences of their mistakes.

As employees, we shouldn’t have to ‘just accept’ either situation, and they are not fair.

What about PaCR pay increases in HMRC?

Over the last 3 years, Pay and Contract Reform (PaCR) voted on in 2021 and exclusively for HMRC, meant that most HMRC staff received 13% over that time (3% in 19/20 backdated, 5% in 20/21 and another 5% 21/22). This was well above what most other civil service departments were given, but was a unique offer based on the consolidation of the many different contract types in HMRC – we created the funds that gave us this rise.

This negotiation has now expired and the circumstances that gave us that rise are no longer there.

Inflation has eaten these rises away completely, so though HMRC staff’s pay has declined less than some other departments, we still have a problem.

What is a ballot?

A ballot is simply a vote, where members of a union are asked ‘yes’ or ‘no’ as to whether they will take strike action if the union does not reach an agreement with the employer. The demands will be outlined in the ballot papers, or you can look at the PCS website for more information

How does the ballot work?

In 2016, the Trade Union bill was passed, and it made changes to the way unions are allowed to ballot. 50% of all members have to vote for the result to be considered valid. Currently, HMRC do not class as an ‘important public service’ under this legislation, which means we just need a simple majority (other areas such as health, education, fire services etc, have an additional criteria required of needing 40% of the eligible members to vote ‘yes’ to action for it to be valid).

PCS has not conducted a full national ballot under these new rules before. Our consultative ballot, which was run online (not postal) did not hit the 50% turnout (though we got close). This ballot is postal only, creating even further challenge.

We need you more than ever – see below under ‘How can I help?’

What is the latest date someone can join and still participate in the vote?

5pm on Monday 17th October, but this is the very latest date and we’d recommend joining before this

What happens after the ballot is over?

There is a wave of industrial action across many professions building – we need civil servants to be a part of this, to join the voices saying, loudly, that we will not just accept the situation.

The ballot is disaggregated, meaning that each employer will have it’s ballot considered separately – if the turnout threshold isn’t reached in one department, that won’t stop departments that did hit the threshold from striking.

For departments where the ballot reaches the turnout threshold, and it’s a yes, the PCS National Executive Committee (NEC) will decide the next steps, including when and where a strike should be called, what the strike might look like, and for how long. There may be a round of negotiations with the employer and the government first, using the figures. This is why turnout is so crucial, even regardless of how you vote. We need to show that the union, which is made of it’s members, is backed up by it’s members.

This is why further advice will become available after the ballot.

Striking means not coming into work or performing any work duties at all for the duration of the strike (usually a day). Your pay will be reduced equivalent to the strike time (however may £ you would earn in a day, for example). The goal is to show how serious we are, and to drive the employer back to a negotiating table, to drive up our pay permanently. There is a long history of strikes in this country as an effective way to do this – but it relies on us all working together.

Members who are worried about taking strike action should speak to their branch – striking is a legal right very specifically protected in law, including the right not to reveal if you are choosing to strike and the right not to pick up extra work to cope with any lost days. PCS also has a hardship fund for members on lower ends of the pay scale

PCS has a page explaining the next steps here

I don’t know if I can afford to strike, why should I vote yes?

PCS have written a great article answering this question

How can I help?

  • If you are not a member yet – now is the time to join. There are many benefits to being a union member. We are restricted in what we can send to your work email though, so register with a personal email address as well, and make sure you keep up to date with the website news and reading the briefings sent to you.
  • Register for PCS Digital if you have not already – it takes just 5 minutes.
  • Check your details on PCS Digital. If the address on there is not correct, then your ballot has gone to the wrong place, and you’ll need to contact your branch.
  • Talking about it, where you can. You are the most effective tool the union have. Conversations between colleagues is how we get our message to spread and the turnout we so need. However, please be aware of the restrictions on this imposed by the civil service code and HMRC policy. Conversations around the ballot and strikes are NOT ALLOWED anywhere on HMRC systems – such as emails and Teams, or even office WiFi. Keep them to social media, WhatsApp, or face to face. Given the above, there’s a high chance some members won’t even know there’s a ballot happening – this is why talking about it is the most important thing you can do.
  • Vote – take responsibility for finding, filling out and posting back your ballot. It’s more work than an e-ballot, but it’s still a small job and could easily be worth it if it increases your pay.
  • Leafletting – asking your branch if you can help hand out leaflets with them to try and reach members who haven’t voted
  • Social media – follow your branch’s pages, and spread the message to your HMRC contacts on social media. Be bold – members who haven’t yet voted or don’t know about the ballot might be grateful for the reminder from someone they know.
  • Ask your branch if you can help with any other activities they have planned