Public sector pay battle 2007-8

Next year is the 60th anniversary of the foundation on the NHS. Two generations of British peoples’ lives have been affected by the NHS in one way or another — as health workers, patients or carers. It’s difficult to imagine a time in the past without it, or a future with it gone. For the labour movements that fought for it, free healthcare for all at the point of demand, expressed an notion of social equality and solidarity. All that is now under threat. The trade union-organised demonstration on 3 November is an opportunity to prepare ourselves for the battle ahead to save the NHS. Before...

"We, the undersigned, call upon CWU postal branches, CWU representatives, and ordinary CWU members to sponsor, support and attend an Open Special Conference to organise the maximum No vote in the forthcoming ballot. We would like to remind you just why this deal should be rejected. Flexible working-potentially every day Pensions destroyed in the future - working until 65 Continued threats to mail centres Uncertainty over continued payments for Door to Door A pathetically below-inflation pay deal Agreement to changes in start times which were initially imposed Long days and short days agreed -...

The final text endorsed by the Postal Executive of the postal workers’ union CWU on 22 October seems to differ from the terms negotiated between CWU leaders Billy Hayes and Dave Ward and Royal Mail bosses on 12 October mainly in added warm words. The core is the same. CWU postal workers will now be balloted on the deal. The timetable for the ballot has not yet been set. A senior reps’ meeting was due to meet on 25 October, the day after Solidarity went to press, but it is unlikely to vote on the deal. The CWU leaders obviously didn’t think the deal was likely to be accepted back on 12 October...

Talk about the NHS “reform agenda” and you end up knee deep in a flood of acronyms and abbreviations. Below we try to define what some of them mean. Our definitions are hopefully more to the point than DoH (Department of Health) circulars which prefer to hide the detail of what’s going on by using a private language of “modernisation’ EBP-Evidence Based Practice. All clinical interventions must be justified on the basis that they work and are backed up by research and other evidence. All drug treatments, operation techniques, talking therapies etc must have been proved to have an effect and...

The final text endorsed by the CWU Postal Executive on 22 October seems to differ from the terms negotiated between CWU leaders Billy Hayes and Dave Ward and Royal Mail bosses on 12 October mainly in added warm words. The core is the same. Background here . CWU postal workers will now be balloted on the deal. The timetable for the ballot has not been set. CWU leaders obviously didn't think the deal was likely to be accepted back on 12 October; but the greatest weight in favour of a yes vote in the ballot will come from the simple fact of delay. Industrial action has been demobilised, and the...

Download the 14 October Postworker bulletin (attachment below), or click on "read more" to read online. It looks like the CWU's Postal Executive has endorsed a deal with Royal Mail. But rank and file postal workers still have not been told what was in the deal, negotiated on Friday 12th by CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward; and it is not even clear that the Executive endorsement of the deal is definite. Late on Friday evening, 19th, Dave Ward and union general secretary got the majority support of the Postal Executive for a deal to be put to the members. We understand that the deal is as...

It is the last few days of Unison's ballot of local government members on strike action to win better than their 2.475% pay offer - a cut in real terms. Attached below are leaflets from Unison United Left and from Islington Unison calling for a yes vote. Although the union's official recommendation is formally yes, the official material with the ballot is heavy on the difficulties of action.

850,000 members of UNISON in Local Government will be receiving ballot papers over the next few weeks to vote on strike action over pay. Having already rejected an improved offer of 2.45% the union is calling for a yes vote for action to win an award in line with inflation. If successful a strike across local government would blow a hole in the public sector pay “freeze”— four years of pay restraint, only offering 2%. Any award less than inflation, currently 3.8%, is in reality a pay cut. And a general increase in prices for even the basics like transport, energy bills, childcare affects the...

In Leeds, a local public sector unity committee was set up in June. It drew over 100 to a launch rally on 12 July, with speakers from Unison Local Government and Health, NUT, CWU, PCS and UCU. Luton’s solidarity committee was set up at a meeting of over 40 on 12 September, initiated by PCS and CWU activists and with representation from Unison, TSSA, NUT, and UCU. It is setting up a local hardship fund and will be organising delegations to the CWU picket lines. Email lutonunionsunite@btinternet.com. In South West London, Battersea and Wandsworth Trades Council, together with CWU activists from...

PCS is now in the midst of balloting its members concerning future industrial action. Members are being told that if they vote “yes” in the ballot there will be a one day strike later this year – the stated aim being to achieve the greatest impact on the media, public opinion and politicians. The one day action is to be co-ordinated with other unions if possible. Further, the sub sections of the union, called Groups (these cover a department or agency) are to take action “if there is a dispute over an issue which is part of the national campaign such as pay, redundancies or office closures”...