Unions (part 1)

GCHQ was not alone, within the Civil Service or in the country generally, in the industrial relations problems which occurred during the 1970s. It did, however, make headlines all of its own during 1984.

Events leading up to January 1984

The problems which came to a head in that year had been of long standing. They could be traced back to aspects of terms and conditions of employment (such as shift working and the introduction of new technology) the general features of which could be found in many other employers, but which every organisation implemented in detail in its own way.

More significant, however, was the wider background against which the unrest at GCHQ took place. The government's attempts to control the economy in the difficult years of the later 1970s, when inflation at one point rose to 25% per year, included restrictions on pay in general and Civil Service pay in particular.

There were, between 1976 and 1982, several Civil Service-wide strikes or other actions which affected the department in addition to a number of disruptions caused by internal disputes between GCHQ management and several national trade unions which had negotiating rights for different groups of staff.

From GCHQ's viewpoint, any industrial action must inevitably cause the organisation to function less effectively, and therefore undermined national security. Many indeed felt that unions which required their members to take such action were, at best, irresponsible. Moreover 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.

The solution eventually adopted was to introduce new conditions of service under which GCHQ staff could no longer be members of national trade unions. In recompense for the loss of statutory rights such as access to Industrial Tribunals, staff were paid £1000. Those not prepared to accept these new terms were offered transfers to other departments or had to leave the Civil Service.

The new terms were announced on 25 January 1984, to take effect at the end of March.

Top of page