The Executive of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), meeting on 9 February, decided to call for a new strike to defend public sector pensions on 28 March.
The union will survey all members, asking them to endorse rejecting the Government's so-called "final offer" from December and to support further action "beginning with" a strike on 28 March.
It is reliably reported that the civil service union PCS has decided to consult its members for a strike on the same day.
The lecturers' union UCU had called for a strike of its members covered by the Teachers' Pension Scheme (in further education colleges and newer universities) on 1 March, and its Executive meeting on 10 February is likely to shift that strike date to 28 March unless UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt succeeds in cancelling the strike plans altogether.
There are also rumours of the Scottish teachers' union EIS and the Welsh teachers' union UCAC joining the strike on 28 March.
Comments
From Gill George, Unite Health NISC
It's been an important week in the public sector pensions fight.
The NUT, PCS and UCU Executives all met and voted to support strike action on 28th March. Our MOD and Government Departments NISC met on Wednesday, and agreed to support coordinated action in principle and to meet with PCS to take this forward. Our Health NISC met yesterday, and voted unanimously to support the motion below - consultation with our members, on the basis of our strong support for action on 28th March to defend our pensions. Fire fighters may well be backing this date too.
We've now got a real chance of getting this fight back on track. 28th March can be a show of strength, bringing together large numbers of public sector workers from different unions and different areas of work. This united approach makes us stronger and more confident. We have to find ways for all workers - our members and others in our movement - to recognise our own strength again.
There's nothing automatic about our ability to deliver the united pensions fight we all want to see. We've had a campaign that's been off the boil since November 30th, and inevitably we've lost a great deal of momentum. Rebuilding this fight needs to be the job of everyone on the left, not just our public sector members. A victory for us is a victory for all workers. It's time to turn the tide on the Tories.
Unite health service ballot
Unite's official announcement is as follows:
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_to_ballot_members_on_nhs.aspx.
Unite is set to hold a consultative ballot of its health service members on the NHS pensions’ reform proposals – with a recommendation that they are rejected – unless significant progress is made.
Unite’s NHS executive, which represents 100,000 health service members, today (Thursday, 9 February) reiterated its total rejection of the government’s proposals and agreed to hold the ballot supervised by the Electoral Reform Society.
The government has a self-imposed deadline of 20 February for the pension negotiations to end. If there is no significant movement by ministers then, the Unite ballot will proceed.
The prospect of strike action over the NHS pensions’ issue is a real possibility.
Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said: ‘There have been no substantive changes from what was on the table before Christmas - our hard working members will still be expected to pay more, work longer and get less when they retire.’
‘Our members are deeply unhappy at the government’s stance and we will be holding a consultative ballot to reaffirm our members’ position – the prospect of further strike action will be very real, unless ministers move on their hardline position.’
‘Unite calls, yet again, for ministers to enter into real, genuine and meaningful negotiations on the future of NHS pensions before the deadline of 20 February for talks to end.’
‘The government’s attacks on public sector pensions are politically driven, as part of the strategy to privatise the NHS, cut public services, break-up the national pay agreements, and disrupt legitimate trade union activities and organisation.’
‘Unite believes it is important to continue a strong campaign to maintain a fair and equitable system of public sector pensions.’
In December, Unite unanimously rejected the ‘Heads of Agreement’ document as a basis for a satisfactory outcome, but the union’s negotiators have remained in talks with the Department of Health and will continue to do so. This position has been reinforced at subsequent meetings.
Unite’s continuing concerns centre on three areas:
A high proportion of NHS staff will see their pension contributions jump from the current 6.5 per cent to 9.3 per cent by 2014/15. Contributions will average 9.8 per cent by 2015
The linking of the NHS retirement age to the state pension age. The state retirement age is set to rise to 66 in 2020 and 67 by 2026, with the prospect of working even longer in future decades. Unite is concerned that, for example, paramedics and nurses could be doing heavy lifting into their late 60s
The career average (CARE) scheme will deliver lower benefits for many members compared to the final salary pension scheme.
Resolution agreed at UNITE Health NISC - 9th February 2012
On the 5th January 2012 the Health National Industrial Sector Committee of Unite the Union unanimously rejected the NHS Pension Scheme Heads of Agreement as a means of resolving the pensions dispute for NHS members.
The Scheme Specific Discussions have continued and we believe have failed to progress to a position that this NISC can recommend. These talks are ongoing and the government has imposed a deadline of the 20th February 2012 for their conclusion. Our position remains that we unanimously reject the NHS Pension Scheme Heads of Agreement and the outcome of the talks to date. At the meeting of the HNISC on 9th February 2012 it was agreed to continue dialogue with other unions to coordinate a campaign strategy, including possible nationally coordinated strike action on 28th or 29th March, unless significant progress is made.
We want to immediately communicate this to our membership. We have given an undertaking to produce a range of materials to inform our members on the outcome of the pensions talks and to seek endorsement of the position of the Health National Industrial Sector Committee.