Workers at two government departments in Britain, including sanitation staff, receptionists, security guards and other support staffs struck work on Tuesday, demanding fair wages. The workers were employed in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Started a two day strike on Tuesday demanding fair wages. The workers also held a joint rally under the banner of the unions. United Voices of the World (UVW) and Public and Commercial Services (PCS), demanding an increase in their pay from £9 an hour to a living wage of £10.55.
Morning Star reported that Labour party MPs, including the shadow justice minister Richard Burgon, visited the picket lines and expressed their solidarity. While addressing the workers, he said that he was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and all workers on strike for a proper living wage. “You will win this struggle, not just for workers here but for workers across all government departments,” he added.
Shiri Shalmy from United Voices of the World (UVW) told ThisWeekinFM that “Today, we have seen the movement for fairer pay and working conditions spread across departments through the heart of government, bringing together more militant organizations such as UVW with established traditional trade unions like PCS.”
“All employers who try and hide behind outsourcing contracts to evade their responsibilities to staff, including the government itself, have been put on notice – pay your workers a living wage or face the consequences”, she added.
Meanwhile, Morning Star also reported that staff at the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace went on strike on Tuesday in a dispute over pensions.
