Participants on Whitehall’s graduate scheme could be the next group of civil servants to walk out over pay, after members of the FDA union expressed support for strike action.
Of those who voted in an indicative ballot, some 81% of officials on the Fast Stream programme backed industrial action, with a turnout of 67%. The FDA has now confirmed it will hold a statutory ballot asking members of the scheme – which is a key sources of digital and data talent for departments – if they want to go ahead with strikes.
Meanwhile, the union said the government had given up some ground on next year's pay offer by committing to submit a case for pay flexibility for fast streamers.
FDA Fast Stream members overwhelmingly rejected a pay rise of 3% this summer. Inflation is now well above this offer, at 11.1%.
