PCS has announced the result of its ballot of members for industrial action including strike action in protest against the privatisation of shared services at Newport and Bootle.
The result, on a 47% turn-out, was an astounding 93% in favour of strike action with just 7% voting No.
The MoJ’s decision over whether to retain SSC in the civil service or outsource to one of two private sector “framework” providers (German company Arvato or the French Steria).is due to be made this coming Monday morning (23 June). The union will be writing to MoJ today to ask them to reflect on the clear feeling of PCS members.
This is a hugely important fight for all unions with members affected. The privatisation represents a massive risk of Napo members’ personal data (performance, attendance, health and disciplinary record, bank account, NI, home address etc.). It also risks being sent off-shore to a country without the firm data protection laws of the UK.
The privatisation is also part of the wider plan to privatise as much of the administrative functions of the civil service as possible.
PCS says: “This overwhelming rejection of privatisation is a clear indication of the massive strength of feeling at both sites. It is also a testament to all of the hard work done over the last six months by the local PCS reps. We are also in discussion with colleagues in Napo (probation workers), POA (prison officers) and PCS Home Office Group about the impact on their members; they are hugely supportive as it reflects their similar fights against the government’s privatisation programme”.
Napo has expressed our full support to PCS and offered our solidarity in their fight that will impact not just on their members but all of those of us who rely on shared services.