Senior Government staff to strike for first time in over two decades - 14 March 2005

Senior Government staff in the civil service have voted resoundingly to join other public sector unions in strike action on the morning of 23 March.

Announcing the result of its first strike ballot since 1981, FDA general secretary Jonathan Baume said that the 68% 'yes' vote in a 52% turnout "should send a strong message to Government that even its own managers consider the new pension plans to be unacceptable and bad for the civil service".

"This is a strong signal from our members, particularly given that one-third of those balloted will not be affected by the proposed pension changes. Our members clearly believe civil servants deserve choice over their retirement and pension arrangements. The Government still has not justified scrapping the final salary scheme for existing civil servants. This is not a vote against pension reform. This is a vote against bad pension reform and a contradictory, incoherent pension policy.

"Our members should have choice over their retirement. Forcing people to retire at 60 - or even 65 - when they want to continue working makes no sense at all given the genuine issues about the sustainability of the pension schemes that the Government is trying to address.

"If the Government is truly sincere about pension reform, it should abolish all fixed retirement ages in the civil service next year and immediately lift the retirement age to 65 for all staff currently forced to retire at 60," said Baume. "If that means that some civil servants work until they are 70 or older, what's wrong with that? The Government should create a positive culture in the civil service that values older workers rather than force them into retirement. This would make a genuine contribution towards supporting the pension scheme and introduce flexibility into working lives."

The FDA is especially critical of the Government's reluctance to fully enact EU Age Discrimination legislation which called for the scrapping of fixed retirement ages. Instead, the Government intends to allow employers to establish a 'default' retirement age of 65 which they will not review for another five years.

"The Government wants to rush through changes to public sector pension schemes, yet it is prepared to allow employers to force people to retire at 65 for another five years," said Baume. "The FDA, and the Pensions Commission, recommends flexibility around retirement and yet the Government is trying to push through an arbitrary diktat."

Baume welcomed reports that Government was beginning to engage in 'constructive dialogue' with other public sector unions. "Clearly the pressure we have been putting on Government is bearing fruit. This resounding 'yes' vote should sharpen the impact of our negotiations and open the way for more dialogue over the coming days."

Notes for Editors
1. The FDA is the trade union and professional body representing the UK?s 13,000 senior civil and public servants. Our members include policy advisors, senior managers, tax inspectors, economists, statisticians, accountants, special advisers, government lawyers, diplomats, crown prosecutors and NHS managers.

2. The FDA should be referred to simply as "The FDA" and can be described as "the senior civil and public servants' union" or something similar. We hope you will avoid calling us the 'First Division Association' as this is not our name and causes all sorts of confusion with football clubs and the like. Thank you!

3. For further information contact: