Hansard

I am sure that I will not need all five minutes.

Yesterday afternoon, all members will have received a briefing from the Public and Commercial Services Union Scotland, describing the process that has taken place since the historic industrial action on 30 November, which was of a scale that has not been seen in Scotland for many years and which was a highly controversial subject in the Parliament.

After that action, the United Kingdom Government imposed an ultimatum on PCS and the other unions to accept the deal that is on the table, which will include public servants paying more, working for longer, and receiving less generous pensions. The unions were to respond to that ultimatum in December. The UK Government was not respectful during the negotiation process, and PCS continues to want genuine and meaningful negotiations to take place.

PCS balloted its members on continuation of the campaign, and more than 90 per cent of respondents rejected the Government’s proposals for a new pension scheme. PCS also says that in

“the largest vote for action in any national ballot the union has held, 72.1% said they supported continuing the campaign, including with further industrial action alongside other unions”

and it has called for a day of industrial action on 10 May.

The briefing calls on members of the Scottish Parliament not to cross the PCS picket lines at the Scottish Parliament building and other government buildings.

I will certainly not be doing so, and members will reach their own view about whether they wish to do so, but business that is scheduled on a day of industrial action in this way can take place only if we expect members, their staff and Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body staff to cross the picket line. I therefore ask the Government not to press ahead with the business motion but to come back with a revised one on Wednesday next week that schedules business for 9 May but not for 10 May.

17:01