On Wednesday, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) took the unprecedented step of announcing a national strike. Members at DWP service center in Lincoln will strike for two weeks in response to threats of closure of their service center. The creation, located in Lincoln’s City Hall, has been an indispensable asset to the community. With the nearest service center more than 40 miles away, the fact that they chose to strike at this critical moment speaks to the severity of the issue.
Earlier this month, any eligible PCS members engaged in a postal ballot. Of the 60 members eligible to vote, 37 cast ballots—an extraordinary turnout of 61.7%—with an equally impressive 86% voting in favor of the strike action. Fran Heathcote, a representative of the PCS union, said it was “disgraceful” how the long-serving staff were being treated. She continued that members are “being thrown overboard with hardly a second thought.” This feeling speaks to the disappointment of the many who have spent decades both protecting and serving the DWP.
The teachers’ decision to strike is an organized and intentional collective response to their perception that they are being wronged as a workforce. Bradley Wall, secretary of the Lincoln and District Trades Council, emphasized the significance of this action, stating that it showcases “the strength, pride and determination of Lincoln’s workforce.” Wall further noted the wider implications of closing the Lincoln office, asserting, “Closing this office would be a betrayal, not just of the staff but of Lincolnshire itself.”
As the strike approaches, the PCS aims to draw attention to the vital role that the Lincoln service center plays within the community. According to the union, moving services to a far away facility would hurt the folks that live there. It would further be a betrayal of the decades of collective commitment shown by its often visionary members.
