Unison and NUT ballot for pensions strikes

Submitted by AWL on 25 January, 2005 - 6:25

The public services union Unison will ballot its members in local government for a strike in defence of pensions.
The ballot will close on 9 March. Around 28 January, the word was that the strike might be on 17 March, opening the possibility of joint action with teaching unions. But the word now is that the day will be 23 March - in the Easter school holidays.

Amicus, TGWU, and according to some accounts GMB, are also reportedly planning to ballot their members in local government. FBU is consulting its members.

The National Union of Teachers is balloting its members area by area (so that areas with a strike majority can strike even if others don't) for a strike. Word is that the second teaching union, the NASUWT, and the lecturers' union, NATFHE, may also ballot, but the date for any teaching strike is unclear.

All the action is being called against government plans to cut public sector provision, which differ in detail and timetable from area to area but are fundamentally similar across the board, from education through local government and civil service to the health service.

Unity will greatly strengthen the impact of the action, and increase the chances of further action after March - which will certainly be needed if the government is to be pushed back.

London AWL is holding a forum on "The Future of Pensions" on Thursday 17 February, 19:30 at the Lucas Arms, 245A Grays Inn Road, near Kings Cross. Robin Blackburn, former editor of New Left Review and author of "Banking on Death, or, Investing in Life. The History and Future of Pensions", will be speaking.

The London Region of the Fire Brigades Union has issued a circular calling for strike action too, as follows.

Members may have heard that UNISON is calling for a one-day strike against the changes on March 21st.

The Executive Council has agreed that the members should be consulted as to whether they believe that FBU members should be joining this action. In order to gauge the views of the London membership, the London Regional Committee agreed that there should be a standard motion put before members at the branches. The motion that branches are asked to consider is printed below. Branches need to discuss and vote on this motion by 14th February 2005. We recognize that this is a tight timetable but this is unavoidable if the decision is that a ballot should take place. We urge all members to attend meetings organized by officials of the FBU in order to maximize the membership involvement in the decision-making process which is a core principle of the London Region.

"This branch notes the ODPM's proposals to worsen the pensions for existing members and to introduce a second rate scheme for new members. We totally oppose:
▪ forcing members who cannot retire before April 2013 to work until they are 55;
▪ forcing new members to work until they are 65 before they receive a full pension;
▪ worsening ill health and injury pension provisions for existing members
▪ the imposition of a pension scheme for firefighters that is considerably worse than that proposed for the police
We note that all central and other local government employees are facing proposals to worsen their pension schemes and believe that trade unions representing those workers should co-ordinate their efforts in order to put maximum pressure on the government particularly in the run up to the anticipated general election in May 2005.

We further note that UNISON, the biggest trade union in the UK, are intending to ballot local government members for a one-day strike on the issue on 21st March and believe that the FBU should take action alongside our UNISON colleagues and encourage other unions to do likewise.

We welcome the opportunity for the membership to consider and make the decision as to whether we should join that action to defend our pensions.

Having discussed the issue and recognizing the need to challenge the government’s proposals, this branch agrees that the Executive Council should take the necessary steps to ballot all FBU members for a one-day strike on March 21st.”

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 25/01/2005 - 23:54

it appears that unison's consultative ballot in local government on pensions has been very successful
The real ballot will start soon with proposed date of strike action to be 23 March (I was told 23 not 21.. but I am sure its being proposed to coordinate) ...
Prentis is supposed to be talking to PCS to coordinate it...

Ed, Newcastle

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