More than 100,000 civil servants to strike on Budget Day next month in row over pay
JEREMY Hunt’s Budget risks being sabotaged by 100,000 civil servants going on strike that day.
The Public and Commercial Services union today announced members across 123 government departments will walk out on March 15.
It coincides with the next wave of teacher strikes as workers continue to take industrial action over pay.
PCS bosses have been demanding a 10 per cent wage rise as well as no redundancies.
General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: “”Rishi Sunak doesn’t seem to understand that the more he ignores our members’ demands for a pay rise to get them through the cost-of-living crisis, the more angry and more determined he makes them.”
He claimed 40,000 civil servants have had to use a foodbank due to a “completely unacceptable decline in their pay.”
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Border Force, DVLA, DVSA, DWP and Rural Payments Agency will be particularly affected by the action.
Brits are set to find out how much the price of beer, cigarettes and fuel are changing when Mr Hunt finally reveals his Spring Budget next month.
The Chancellor could have billions extra to play thanks to gas price falls — heaping pressure on him to cut tax this year.
Tory MPs will urge him to slash the burden because the scaled-back energy support package will cost 90 per cent less next year.
A Resolution Foundation think-tank report said the Treasury would be in line for a “big windfall” with the outlook “a little less bleak”.
Senior Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith said “We need to start planning for easing the tax burden.
“Forecasts of doom and gloom are wrong.
“The UK economy is in a robust position.
“As we run up to the Budget we should not make the squeeze any worse.
“The rise in corporation tax in April will just squeeze the economy even more.
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“But we do need to start planning for easing the tax burden as it hurts individuals and businesses – and get growth going.”
But Mr Hunt signalled last month that any tax cuts would only come “when the time is right” as he tried to dampen speculation.