ALL OUT 8 - 9 MARCH 2010 - Reports from the pickets.

Reports from the picket line


Today's strike action by PCS members working in the civil and public services caused mass disruption across the UK, and helped to highlight how crucial PCS members are in delivering services to the public.

Here are a few of the stories from today’s action.
In London and the South East, the Identity and Passport service (IPS) saw the majority of members join the strike. Appointments were down by around 75%. IPS Glasgow saw only 10 of 190 members reporting for work.

Some of London's biggest attractions were severely disrupted by the strike. At The Victoria and Albert Museum in Kensington only two of 90 members of staff came into work. This resulted in just the ground floor of the museum being open. The British Museum and British Library also saw strong support, with pickets on both sites.

The Serious Organised Crime Agency's (SOCA) operations has also felt the effect of today's action, and training courses have been cancelled as a result of the strike.

One HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) office in the Midlands reported the best support for strike action since 2002. Another HMRC office, this time situated in the North West saw deliveries being turned away by those unwilling to cross the picket, and also saw five members recruited on the line.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in Nottingham saw pickets at all sites, and reported some of the biggest picket lines ever. Branches of the DWP in the North West reported excellent support, with only 15% of staff coming in. This led to five job centres and a benefit delivery centre being closed. In Scotland, one jobcentre saw just under 80% of staff not attending. Refusal to cross picket lines was reported in different DWP offices around the country.

In Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government reception in Carmarthen was closed due to the strike action. Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards visited the picket line. In Cardiff Bay, public access to the building was closed off, and Assembly Members would not cross the picket line. The First Minister was also unable to meet the High Commissioner of the site. Other work areas in Wales also reported a high turnout of members joining the picket line.