Public and Commercial Services Union

PCS

Full name	Public and Commercial Services Union
Members	250,000
Country	United Kingdom
Affiliation	TUC, ICTU, STUC
Key people	Mark Serwotka, general secretary Janice Godrich, president
Office location	London, England
Website	www.pcs.org.uk

The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) is the sixth largest trade union in the United Kingdom. Most of its members work in government departments and other public bodies although some work for private companies.

Membership and organisation

The union was founded in 1998 by the merger of the Public Services, Tax and Commerce Union (which mostly represented the executive 'managerial' grades of the Civil Service) and the Civil and Public Services Association (mostly representing the administrative grades).

The union has over 250,000 members and is the largest trade union representing civil servants in the UK. Its current general secretary is Mark Serwotka.

PCS is organised into groups that deal with different bargaining units such as Revenue and Customs, Department for Work and Pensions and Law and Justice.

Strikes involving PCS members

PCS members on strike in 2006.

PCS members on strike in 2010.

In November 2004, PCS workers across government departments undertook a one-day strike in protest against government plans to cut the Civil Service by 20%. This action was followed by further one-day strikes on 31 January and 1 May 2007.

On 8 March 2010, 270,000 civil servants began a 48 hour strike, over government changes to redundancy payments.^[1]

The union voted for a one-day strike on 30 June 2011.^[2]

Striking teachers and public sector workers march down the Kingsway, London, flanked by police on 30 June, as part of the 2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protests.^[3][4]

Equality Networks

PCS has a network for young members (aged 27 and under).

• PCS Young Members' Charter

PCS has a network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender members.

• PCS Proud

PCS has a network for associate and retired members.

• PCS Associate and Retired Members' Section

See also

• Lobbying in the United Kingdom
• British Civil Service

References

1. ^ "270,000 civil servants join 48-hour strike". bbc. 2010-03-08. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8554345.stm. Retrieved 2010-03-07. 
2. ^ "Britain walks out: UK braced for biggest wave of strikes since the 1980s", Andy McSmith. Nigel Morris. The Independent. 16 June 2011. Accessed 15 June 2011
3. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010086/Public-sector-strike-Union-leaders-insist-walkout-best-response.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
4. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010086/Public-sector-strike-Union-leaders-insist-walkout-best-response.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

External links

• PCS website
• PCS Young Members Website
• PCS Proud
• PCS family tree

Organized labour portal