Unions representing staff at the Care Quality Commission have paused strike action that was due to take place next week after bosses agreed to make the £1,500 cost-of-living payment promised by the government to civil servants.
PCS, the civil service’s biggest union, and three other unions with members at the independent healthcare regulator last week announced a strike from July 26-28 to secure the payment offered to civil servants by ministers in May.
Yesterday PCS said that the CQC – which is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care – had confirmed that it would make the payment to staff.
PCS said the decision followed a meeting with CQC bosses and proved “the power of workers united in a union, as well as unions working together”.
However it said the CQC would not make the full £1,500 payment to all of its roughly 3,000 staff, with part-time workers being offered a pro-rata sum.
“The joint trade unions believe that this isn’t fair given that the cost-of-living crisis makes no distinction between how many hours an individual works,” PCS said.
“Even so, the payment itself is a positive development and was only made possible by the industrial action that members voted for and delivered.
“Each union will shortly be consulting individually with its members, to see whether they want to accept the £1,500 payment and formally bring an end to our current 2022-23 pay dispute.”
Earlier this month PCS paused strikes at the British Museum after bosses confirmed staff would receive the £1,500 cost-of-living payment.
PCS will next month run a national ballot on ending its current campaign of strike action over civil service pay in light of the non-consolidated cost-of-living payment for 2022-23 and enhancements to the 2023-24 pay offer, which is worth 4.5%-5% for departmental staff.