31 March 2004 - Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on STRIKE!
Staff working in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) called a one-day strike on Monday 29 March over pay following a breakdown in talks with management and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS).
Inspectors, scientists and other professionals represented by the union
Prospect joined administrative and managerial staff from the Public and
Commercial Services Union (PCS) in the one-day strike. The strike action
will be followed by a work-to-rule campaign.
The union Prospect said the offer tabled by the HSE would result in
its most experienced staff receiving a 1.5% pay rise this year. The unions
say that HSE has 3.7% of its pay bill to spend, while the cost of their pay
claim is only 3.3%.
Major incidents and court cases will be given dispensation from the strike
action. However, the strike action across the country, with several
thousand staff working-to-rule, will no doubt lead to significant disruption
to the HSE's operations.
