This branch believes:
1) It will take a sustained and determined campaign of action to force the government to a position where they withdraw all or significant parts of their pension proposals. This government will only concede on its fundamental objectives if and when faced by trade unions visibly prepared to remain mobilised and active longer than the Coalition can deal with.
2) That this has been confirmed by the decisions announced by George Osborne in his Autumn statement to freeze public sector pay for longer, increase spending cuts and speed up the raising of the state pension age.
3) That any outcome to the dispute short of the defence of existing pension schemes will be a defeat. This must be our union's bottom line in negotiations.
This branch further believes:
1) The government's intensification of its war on public sector workers requires an intensification of our fightback.
This branch resolves:
1) To fight for the intensification the campaign in the following ways:
- Seek to agree two further days of nationally co-ordinated strike action in January and February with other public sector unions.
- Co-ordinate, with those unions willing to take part, additional regional or targeted strike action to take place in January and February.
- Develop a plan for rolling sustained strike action at a local level linked to plans for demonstrations and rallies.
- Develop a plan for escalating and sustained action by groups of workers capable of applying the maximum pressure to government, supported by strike funds.
- Develop, as a matter of urgency, a plan to levy strike funds at a national level to finance sustained action.
- Identify action short of strike action which can be organised in furtherance of this dispute.
- Approach other unions, including those with members in the private sector and the NPC to develop the ‘Fair Pensions for All’ campaign as a high-profile public campaign involving street stalls, public petitioning and a national demonstration early in 2012.
2) To work with other unions through local cross-union strike committees and Trades Councils to discuss this strategy.
3) To work with other branches to call a branch-based conference to discuss the way forward for the dispute.
