Civil servants' strike on cards with union balloting over pay and pensions

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/16/civil-servants-strike-union-balloting

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The government is facing a fresh strike by civil servants after a union announced it was to ballot 250,000 of its members in over a dispute concerning pay, pensions and working conditions.

The Public and Commercial Services union warned of a series of walkouts across England, Wales and Scotland, adding that it would seek support from other unions about co-ordinated action.

Voting will start on 8 February and close on 4 March, raising the threat of stoppages before Easter.

The union has already held three days of strikes over pay and the long-running dispute over controversial reforms to public sector pensions.

Officials said the government was planning to attack hours, holidays, sick pay and flexible arrangements, under a review of working conditions that was announced last year.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, said the lives of civil and public servants were being made more difficult by the cutbacks.