The union includes employees of HM Land Registry and the Registers of Scotland, and 86.2 per cent voted for industrial action. This was the highest percentage vote in PCS’ history.
Some 82.5 per cent of Land Registry employees voted for strike action, as did 90.6 per cent of workers at the Registers of Scotland, meaning mortgage transactions and property completions could be hit with delays.
The PCS national executive committee (NEC) has sent a letter to the Cabinet Office to negotiate its proposals and said unless these are sufficiently met, it will agree on a programme of industrial action at its meeting on 18 November.
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS, said: “The government must look at the huge vote for strike action across swathes of the civil service and realise it can no longer treat its workers with contempt.
“Our members have spoken and if the government fails to listen to them, we’ll have no option than to launch a prolonged programme of industrial action reaching into every corner of public life.
“Civil servants have willingly and diligently played a vital role in keeping the country running during the pandemic but enough is enough.
“The stress of working in the civil service, under the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis, job cuts and office closures means they’ve reached the end of their tethers.
“We are calling on the government to respond positively to our members’ demands. They have to give our members a 10 per cent pay rise, job security, pensions justice and protected redundancy terms.”
If they go ahead, strikes are expected to begin in December and last into the new year.
A spokesperson for HM Land Registry, said: “The PCS national executive committee will take a decision on 18 November regarding whether it will call for strike action. In the meantime, HM Land Registry is reviewing the controls it has in place to mitigate and reduce the impacts of all identified risks potentially arising from single-day or sustained action.
“Currently, we anticipate minimal disruption to our services by planning for different scenarios.”
