FBU president Mick Shaw usurps Brian Coleman

I'm going to Scotland tomorrow for a couple of days. I only have time to write a brief report of the Barnet trades council AGM held last Thursday night. Suffice it to say that, incredibly, our agenda was so full we didn't even get around to talking about easyCouncil!

Yes, the challenges are coming thick and fast. The growth of the far-right, what attitude we should take in the elections, tabloid press vilification of trade unions, proposed abolition of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme...

Still, we found time to smile, as the photo at the top, of our guest speaker Mick Shaw, president of the Fire Brigades Union, sitting in the chair usually occupied by Barnet mayor Brian Coleman, shows. We had booked to have our meeting in one of the committee rooms at Hendon Town Hall, but it was needed for another event, so we were fobbed off with the council chamber.

The photos below are, first, of local civil servants talking about their dispute, and, second, the tasty chairs that the councillors sit in when they are in the chamber. Naturally, this being Barnet council, the rest of the time, the chairs just go to waste.

Civil servants to strike on budget day

The PCS union are organising a third day of strike action on Budget Day, 24 March, to protest aginst the government's unilateral ending of their redundancy scheme. The government wants to make it cheaper to sack civil servants.

Budget day tomorrow is when the Chancellor explains his plans for restoring the national finances. Unfortunately, a lot of that is going to be done through cuts in public services, including cutting the number of staff delivering services.

I'll be visiting some of the picket lines around Barnet.

Here is a list - if you are nearby and want to know more about the dispute do go and ask the PCS members there. If it's not specified, please assume that you should go in the morning. Many civil servants are likely to go down to a central London rally in Parliament Square which is from 11am to 2pm.

North London Revenue Branch will be staging a picket outside Capitol House, 794 Green Lanes, Winchmore Hill, London N21 from 7-10am.

London Customs Branch will be staging a picket outside Berkeley House, 304 Regents Park Road, Finchley, London N3.

Jobcentres - there are likely to be pickets at most of the Jobcentres although you might have to go around to the staff entrances to find them!

Here from the Barnet Press is an account of the first two days' successful action on 8-9 March.

Civil service strike, 8-9 March 2010

Congratulations to the civil servants who struck today and yesterday to defend the Civil Service Compensation Scheme (CSCS), their redundancy terms, which the government has decided to drastically downgrade.

The government has done this without consulting its workforce. Four of the smaller unions rolled over and died - without consulting their membership. The largest civil service union, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), balloted its 270,000 members on whether or not to take strike action and they said yes.

I went to the central London march and rally today. I'm posting a few pictures.

It's clear that the downgrading of the CSCS would be a precursor to the government - of whichever political complexion - slashing jobs in the civil service.

PCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka was correct in telling civil servants they must act strongly now to defend themselves. Time is short: the changes are due to take place in the new financial year. The election period creates some turmoil, but also an opportunity for civil servants to pressure the Labour government.