Public sector union to hold one-day strike

Tens of thousands of public sector workers are set to take part in a 24-hour strike on Monday 10 November.

This will be followed by a three-month continuous overtime ban - the first - in an ongoing row over pay.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the 300,000-strong Public and Commercial Services Union, said anger among workers subject to a government two per cent pay rise limit had increased after the bail-out of the banks.

He said there was particular fury over Gordon Brown's remark that the Government would "do what it can" to rescue the banks but did not have similar words for the concerns of working families. "This will be the start of a long campaign," he added

The national executive committee of the PCS was meeting this afternoon to approve the strike. It wants to link the action with the National Union of Teachers and the giant Unite union, both of which are holding strike ballots.