PCS union calls national strike
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has announced its 250,000 members in England and Wales are to take part in a national strike on 15 October.
The union represents local government workers across the UK – but employees in Scotland will not strike as they are under the jurisdiction of the Scottish government.
The action is a further protest over the public sector pay freeze, which has seen many employees in the sector without a pay rise since 2010. The last national strike the PCS held was on 10 July.PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka claimed the pay freeze has "slashed the living standards" of public servants.
"Until we chase down the tax dodgers and invest properly in our communities and public services, the so-called economic recovery will only ever benefit millionaires, while the millions pay the price," he said.
Health workers and council staff are being balloted about action on the 13 and 14 October respectively. The intention is to create a co-ordinated three-day period of industrial action across the public sector.
Public sector leaders less trusted
Public sector managers have less trust in the organisations they work for than those in the private sector, according to research by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).
The Truth About Trust report is based on a survey of more than 1,600 managers in the UK. It found that only 29% of public sector managers have high levels of trust in their organisations, compared to 45% in the private sector.
Central and local government managers have the lowest trust in their employers, with just 10% reporting they have a high level of faith in their organisations.
ILM CEO Charles Elvin told HR magazine that despite the pay freezes, there is "plenty leaders can do" to restore trust in the public sector.
"Just displaying openness in the way you communicate with staff is a big factor," he said. "Even if you have to deliver bad news such as redundancies, the way you do it can increase trust in the organisation and leadership."