Civil servants never cease to amaze with just how lazy and entitled they can be. Not content with switching on their laptops for a few hours a day from the comfort of their sofas, they are now threatening to strike unless they are gifted a four-day week and a 10 per cent pay hike. You couldn’t make it up…
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will hold a strike ballot on 20 October, with demands also including greater protection for working from home, more annual leave and the ‘right to switch off’. At least half of PCS members must vote, with a majority backing industrial action, for the ballot to pass.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Westminster’s laziest ‘workers’ have demanded a four-day week. The union first balloted on the issue in November 2022, while strikes have since been held across the DWP, Border Force and HMRC. And thanks to Angela Rayner’s Employment Rights Act, it is easier than ever for disgruntled workers to throw a hissy fit.
Commenting on the latest antics, Mike Wood, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: ‘Taxpayers’ money should not be wasted on this. But it is no surprise that unions feel emboldened to take this action, having been empowered by Labour’s Employment Rights Act.Labour Ministers must make clear that they do not support a four-day week on full pay for civil servants and stand firm against any strike action.’
A Cabinet Office spokesman responded to the threat: ‘The Government is committed to recognising the hard work of civil servants, while ensuring public sector pay remains sustainable. Discussions will continue with Civil Service unions, including PCS, as part of departments’ ongoing engagement.’
Hard work, eh? Perhaps Whitehall’s finest should try a five-day week before demanding a four-day one…
Comments