Birkenhead Land Registry staff to be balloted over industrial action

May 27 2011 By Matt Hurst

BIRKENHEAD Land Registry staff will decide whether to pursue strike action after the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) voted in favour of balloting members at its annual conference.

More than a quarter of a million PCS members from across the country voted overwhelmingly in favour of a poll on industrial action, as they seek to force government to shelve plans to cut pensions, jobs and pay.

Only last year, Land Registry staff successfully fought off attempts to cut 60 jobs at the organisation’s Old Market site.

PCS delegates are unhappy about government plans to implement Lord Hutton’s proposals on public sector pensions, which would see civil and public servants pay higher contributions and work longer for a lower pension.

Delegates at the annual conference made clear their view that coalition policies will "wreak havoc on their livelihoods".

They articulated their concerns that a "slash and burn approach" will see hundreds of thousand of public sector workers made unemployed, while those that remain will have to shoulder a pay freeze and hard-won rights on pensions and redundancy terms will be lost.

PCS Land Registry Birkenhead Branch chair, Dave Lunn said: "PCS members in Land Registry offices across England and Wales will have started receiving ballot papers from last week.

"We urge them to attend any meetings held by their local branch, talk to their reps, read the materials and most importantly, vote ‘yes’ to support the action."

Last March, almost 400 Land Registry staff walked out for 48 hours over plans to limit redundancy payments to a maximum of £60,000.

PCS reps also successfully avoided compulsory redundancies, as management sought to shed 60 jobs.

Negotiations also saw the Birkenhead office given a guarantee of continuing operation until at least 2012.

The fight came just a year after 100 jobs were lost when Land Registry’s Rose Brae office was closed, and remaining staff merged with those at the Old Market site.

PCS general secretary, Mark Sewotka said: "Everything we have ever worked for is under threat.

"The economic crisis was not caused by our members’ jobs, pensions or pay and it is shameful and wrong that the coalition government is attempting to scapegoat them in its bid to slash and burn the welfare state."

The ballot over strike action will close in the middle of June.