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Unions |
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GCHQ was not alone, within the Civil Service or in the country generally, in the industrial relations problems which occurred during the 1970s, and there were between 1976 and 1982 several Civil Service-wide strikes or other actions which affected the department. From GCHQ's viewpoint, any industrial action must inevitably cause the organisation to function less effectively, and therefore undermined national security. Because GCHQ's work did not directly affect the public, the Government saw that unions could use the threat of action at GCHQ to exert pressure without endangering popular support. New conditions of service were introduced under which GCHQ staff could no longer be members of national trade unions, to take effect at the end of March 1984. Over 98% of staff accepted the new conditions but some believed that the unions removal was an attack on civil liberties. Several legal cases were fought through the full process in the UK and Europe and eventually the last fourteen employees who would not give up their union membership were dismissed. To mark the plight by the wider world of those who had held out and accordingly suffered through early retirement, transfer or dismissal a rally was held in Cheltenham every year from 1985 to 1997. The Labour Party was committed to reversing the ban so following the 1997 elections Robin Cook, the new Foreign Secretary, announced to Parliament on 15 May that it would be removed and that compensation arrangements would be made. The lifting of the Union ban was the first manifesto fulfilled by the new Government as soon as a 'no disruption agreement' had been reached with the Union recognised by GCHQ (The Public and Commercial Services Union). Those who had been dismissed or transferred to other departments who had not retired were given the chance to return to GCHQ if they wished.  |
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