Pensions: strike on 28 March, plan next action!

Submitted by Matthew on 15 February, 2012 - 1:21

The Executives of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and of the civil service union PCS, meeting on 9 February, decided to call for a new strike to defend public sector pensions on 28 March.

The unions 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.

The Exec of the lecturers’ union on Friday 10th “unanimously agreed to join with our sister trade unions the NUT and the PCS in co-ordinated strike action on 28 March”. The Exec rejected a call from UCU general secretary Sally Hunt for a further formal ballot, but will have a “survey” like NUT and PCS.

The Scottish teachers’ union EIS, the Welsh teachers’ union UCAC, the Northern Ireland public service union NIPSA, and healthworkers in Unite may also join the strike on 28 March.

Workers’ Liberty activists in the unions will:

• advocate a perspective for rolling action after 28 March.

(All the unions involved officially and generically favour “further action”; the issue is whether this means a high-tempo, self-controlling surge of action, realistically focused on winning concessions from the Government, or a recommendation to workers to go home on 28 March and wait for the general secretaries to hand down a further protest-strike date some weeks or months in the future).

• argue for proper strike meetings (not just rallies) and proper picket lines on 28 March.

• win the “surveys” and “consultations” on action.

The December “final offer” included only sideways adjustments from the “work longer, pay more, get less pension” package pushed by the Government since 2010. Most workers know that. In April the Government will start taking extra contributions out of workers’ pay-packets.

Despite that, and because of the two months’ delay since December while even those union leaders who reject the Government’s terms have done nothing except mumble almost inaudibly about maybe having some further action of some sort, some time, it may take effort and energy to win majorities for action in the “surveys”.

Activist meetings to discuss and make plans for rolling and selective action after 28 March may be important for that effort, giving workers the conviction that 28 March need not be just a limp final gesture.

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