Union launches overtime ban

Hundreds of thousands of teachers, lecturers, civil servants and other workers walked out for 24 hours on Thursday, closing thousands of schools, museums and colleges and disrupting courts, jobcentres, and Government departments.

And yesterday members of the Public and Commercial Services union started a month-long ban on overtime, which the union said will have a cumulative effect on Government services.

PCS leaders will meet later this month to consider the next phase of the union’s campaign, which could include strikes against individual Government departments.

Leaders of public sector unions are expected to hold fresh talks with the Government in the next few weeks.