UK Civil servants threaten to coordinate strikes as union leader warns some workers are skipping meals

2 January 2023

Dave Penman said some junior civil servants were skipping meals due to the cost of living crisis. Picture: Getty/Alamy

By Henry Riley

Civil Servants have been skipping meals, and unable to heat their homes according to a union leader.

Dave Penman, the General Secretary of the FDA Union, which represents civil servants, has told LBC that civil servant graduates, some of whom are supporting government ministers, 'cant afford to eat, or heat'.

He added they were 'skipping meals' and 'not going out at night' because of the cost of living crisis.

The union, which is currently balloting some of its members, said that it was 'unprecedented' that 'some of the brightest and most able graduates in the country' were considering industrial action.

Mr Penman said his members were considering the action because of a 3% pay offer on top of a very low starting salary - adding that when the ballot closes on the 16th January 'we'll be considering what strike action our graduates will take', saying it was an 'embarrassment for the government'.

The Union also refused to rule out co-ordinated strike action, admitting 'of course we talk to other unions around their action, and whether co-ordination makes sense'.

Dave Penman went on to tell LBC that there were 'common themes with a lot of these disputes'. When pressed about whether this meant this meant the FDA would co-ordinate any future action, he said it 'may well be working with other unions... the responsibility for any co-ordinated action is with ministers, not the unions'.

The government said 'Unions should step back from this strike action so we can start 2023 by ending this damaging dispute.'