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| Civil service and health staff call May strike over pensions | Civil service and health staff call May strike over pensions |
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| Immigration officers, passport office staff and health visitors will stage walkouts on 10 May after Britain's largest civil service union and health workers at Unite called a new wave of industrial action over public sector pension reforms. | Immigration officers, passport office staff and health visitors will stage walkouts on 10 May after Britain's largest civil service union and health workers at Unite called a new wave of industrial action over public sector pension reforms. |
| The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), which has 250,000 civil service members, said it would also organise a rolling programme of strikes by individual groups of workers later in the year, raising the prospect of disruption at call centres, DVLA offices and passport offices in the summer and autumn. | The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), which has 250,000 civil service members, said it would also organise a rolling programme of strikes by individual groups of workers later in the year, raising the prospect of disruption at call centres, DVLA offices and passport offices in the summer and autumn. |
| The PCS expects other unions to join the 10 May strike, with teaching unions in Wales and Scotland and the University and College Union among the organisations considering walkouts. | The PCS expects other unions to join the 10 May strike, with teaching unions in Wales and Scotland and the University and College Union among the organisations considering walkouts. |
| UK Border Agency staff affiliated to the PCS could cause the most significant disruption, although major airports did not report serious delays during previous strikes on 30 June and 30 November. Airlines including British Airways, however, remain concerned about staffing levels at border control and have warned the home secretary, Theresa May, of a "mismatch between policy and resource" at the Border Agency. | UK Border Agency staff affiliated to the PCS could cause the most significant disruption, although major airports did not report serious delays during previous strikes on 30 June and 30 November. Airlines including British Airways, however, remain concerned about staffing levels at border control and have warned the home secretary, Theresa May, of a "mismatch between policy and resource" at the Border Agency. |
| May's action will be smaller than previous walkouts, particularly those of November, because unions such as Unison will not be participating. About 1 million public sector workers took part in the 30 November walkouts. | May's action will be smaller than previous walkouts, particularly those of November, because unions such as Unison will not be participating. About 1 million public sector workers took part in the 30 November walkouts. |
| Unite is Britain's largest union but has a smaller public sector membership than Unison. Unite has about 100,000 health members, including health visitors, pharmacists and paramedics. | Unite is Britain's largest union but has a smaller public sector membership than Unison. Unite has about 100,000 health members, including health visitors, pharmacists and paramedics. |
| Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, said: "The ongoing programme of industrial action with other unions we have agreed sends a clear message to government ministers that we do not accept their unnecessary plans to force public servants to pay more and work longer for less in retirement. | Mark Serwotka, the PCS general secretary, said: "The ongoing programme of industrial action with other unions we have agreed sends a clear message to government ministers that we do not accept their unnecessary plans to force public servants to pay more and work longer for less in retirement. |
| "The government must talk to us with the genuine aim of reaching a settlement, but if it refuses we will press ahead with strikes and protests the length and breadth of the country in the coming weeks and months." | "The government must talk to us with the genuine aim of reaching a settlement, but if it refuses we will press ahead with strikes and protests the length and breadth of the country in the coming weeks and months." |
| PCS members have voted for strikes over reforms that include pegging the public sector pension age to the state pension age, higher contributions and switching the measure for increasing benefits from the RPI rate of inflation to the typically less buoyant CPI rate. | PCS members have voted for strikes over reforms that include pegging the public sector pension age to the state pension age, higher contributions and switching the measure for increasing benefits from the RPI rate of inflation to the typically less buoyant CPI rate. |
| Explaining the significance of the 10 May date, the PCS said the strike will take place one day after the Queen's Speech, setting out the government's legislative ambitions, whichb is expected to include a bill enshrining pension changes in law. | |
| Reacting to the Unite vote, the NHS Employers organisation said strike action would cause distress to patients. "I know staff feel anxious about changes to pensions but announcements of industrial action will be distressing for patients and confusing for staff," said Dean Royles, director of the NHS Employers. | |
| The National Union of Teachers said it would not be joining the 10 May walkouts but is discussing action with other unions. The NUT's annual conference has already voted for a one-day strike before the end of June. | |
| Kevin Courtney, the NUT's deputy general secretary, said: "While the NUT will not be taking national action on 10 May we do offer our support to those unions who are. | |
| "We will be seeking talks with the other unions, including the other teacher unions, who have not signed up to the Governments proposals on pensions with a view to agreeing a co-ordinated campaign to defend our pensions." | |
| Last month Serwotka admitted that the PCS and other unions still committed to industrial action over pensions reforms would have to "rethink tactics" because there were no longer 29 unions lined up against the reforms, with the likes of Unison, Prospect and the FDA signalling that they would not join renewed national walkouts. | Last month Serwotka admitted that the PCS and other unions still committed to industrial action over pensions reforms would have to "rethink tactics" because there were no longer 29 unions lined up against the reforms, with the likes of Unison, Prospect and the FDA signalling that they would not join renewed national walkouts. |