Walkout fear as civil servants in strike ballot

Teachers, lecturers, coastguards, driving test examiners, courts and civilian staff and others could take part in a one-day walkout on June 30, followed by further industrial action.

Firefighters added to pressure on the Government yesterday by voting to launch a pay campaign which, if necessary, would include a ballot for industrial action.

It came as delegates at the annual conference of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) agreed to ballot more than 250,000 civil servants, with the result due next month.

The union’s general secretary, Mark Serwotka, said the decision showed the level of “anger and concern” among public sector employees at the Government’s “brutal” cuts.

“The cuts are going ahead at break-neck speed, hitting government departments such as the equalities commission, jobcentres, tax offices and services to help the unemployed,” he said.

“I hope June 30 will lead to much bigger action and I predict that over the summer a lot of strikes will break out.”

Mr Serwotka said he believed the strikes would be popular with the public as the scale of the cuts become known because people would support workers “fighting back”.

Three teaching unions have already agreed to ballot members on strikes in protest at pension changes.