All-purpose thread for discussion and updates about the governments attacks on public sector pensions as part of its austerity measures.
Sep 9 2011 10:49
Sep 14 2011 11:07
It's the lead story on guardian.co.uk today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/14/unions-ballot-members-pension-reforms
29 November looks like the date. And looks like it could be big. Even the head teachers union NAHT who have never been on strike since they were formed in 1897 are going to ballot.
I haven't heard anything about unison health (which includes a big proportion of nurses), it just mentions unison balloting. A strike by NHS workers would be massively powerful.
Sep 14 2011 12:41
Steven. wrote:
It's the lead story on guardian.co.uk today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/sep/14/unions-ballot-members-pension-reforms29 November looks like the date. And looks like it could be big. Even the head teachers union NAHT who have never been on strike since they were formed in 1897 are going to ballot.
I haven't heard anything about unison health (which includes a big proportion of nurses), it just mentions unison balloting. A strike by NHS workers would be massively powerful.
It does seem like unison are talking about health as well, from what I've just heard on bbc news
Sep 14 2011 14:01
Yes, you're right, they say they are balloting members at 9000 employers "which will cover over a million workers in health, local government, school, FE, higher education, police, the voluntary sector and the environment and the private sector."
Sep 14 2011 16:07
Also date seems now to be 30th November 
Jan 10 2012 17:12
From email:
Quote:
The UNISON Local Government Service Group Executive has reputedly voted by 24 votes to 10 to endorse the proposed Agreement, the Higher Education Service Group Executive voting likewise by 8 votes to 5. This would appear to mean that UNISON is accepting the agreement which UNITE rejected yesterday.Separately the Health Service Group Executive voted to ballot members on the offer to them, and will meet next week to agree their recommendation to members in that ballot.
Jan 11 2012 14:03
UCU are balloting, which I originally thought was good as it means they can't just sign the deal over our heads, but I've now found out isn't actually that good as it means if PCS/NUT/whoever are striking in Feb we won't be, as we'll be in the middle of a ballot.
At the moment we've got a live ballot for strike action so looks like this is a ploy by the leadership to avoid strike action and de-escalate. UCU internal gossip is that Sally Hunt did it unilaterally without the agreement of the NEC.
Jan 11 2012 14:11
fingers malone wrote:
UCU are balloting, which I originally thought was good as it means they can't just sign the deal over our heads, but I've now found out isn't actually that good as it means if PCS/NUT/whoever are striking in Feb we won't be, as we'll be in the middle of a ballot.
At the moment we've got a live ballot for strike action so looks like this is a ploy by the leadership to avoid strike action and de-escalate. UCU internal gossip is that Sally Hunt did it unilaterally without the agreement of the NEC.
Couldn't individual branches decide to strike on the same day as PCS etc.?
Jan 11 2012 14:42
Good question, don't know what individual branches can and can't legally strike over. To get a ballot you have to declare a dispute over a specific issue. Don't know if you can strike as a branch over something that is a national issue or not. Chance of regional giving you a ballot would be pretty slim as well.
That's one side of it. The other is that even if you could, I don't know that people would go for it. What people like about N30 etc is that it is a big national issue with loads of other people on strike. If the national pull the plug on the pensions thing, people will think "Oh that's another defeat, we got shafted again" and won't want to carry on as they will feel that it's already lost.
Jan 11 2012 14:59
I imagine since individual branches haven't been involved with the negotiations and the previous ballot was national, if they wanted to strike on their own it would have to count as a separate dispute and still need a new ballot. They might be able to expedite it a bit if it was on a smaller scale, but probably it still wouldn't be in time for joint action in February.
Jan 11 2012 18:17
fingers malone wrote:
Good question, don't know what individual branches can and can't legally strike over. To get a ballot you have to declare a dispute over a specific issue. Don't know if you can strike as a branch over something that is a national issue or not. Chance of regional giving you a ballot would be pretty slim as well.
That's one side of it. The other is that even if you could, I don't know that people would go for it. What people like about N30 etc is that it is a big national issue with loads of other people on strike. If the national pull the plug on the pensions thing, people will think "Oh that's another defeat, we got shafted again" and won't want to carry on as they will feel that it's already lost.
yes, apart from this second issue in order to ballot over an issue the branch would have to get approval from the region. And of course if the national union has agreed something it will not permit any of its component branches to ballot to strike against it.
It is an incredibly shit situation - and also an entirely unsurprising one
Jan 12 2012 21:18
Got this from UNISON today. Last paragraph is pretty interested (esp in light of Malone's info about UCU):
Pensions dispute – NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE
There have been news reports today alleging that UNISON has agreed to the Government pension proposals. This is incorrect and our Regional Secretary has asked us to pass on the following message:
“ UNISON activists voted yesterday (10 January) to give the union’s negotiators the green light to continue discussions with government ministers on changes to public sector pensions. More than 250 key elected national, regional, rank and file activists attended the Pensions Summit at UNISON’s headquarters to discuss the details of the proposals for the Local Government and NHS pension schemes. They agreed to the frameworks negotiators have developed with Government ministers since 30 November.
The meeting agreed that the strength of the action on 30 November had seen the government back down, returning to the table and negotiating properly. The negotiations resulted in the following heads of agreement
· Fair Deal / admitted body status improved.
· Protections for members within 10 years of retirement – tapering protection for those within 13 to 14 years of retirement at April 2012.
Protections for low paid. Accrual rates: provisional 1/54th in the NHSPS; LGPS principles to negotiate a scheme over the next few months with a commitment to maintain the value of the scheme relative to other public sector schemes.
For the NHS Pension Scheme, the heads of agreement would see pensionable earnings revalued every year by CPI + 1.5%, commitment to tripartite talks to consider certain occupational groups in relation to pension age, no increase in contributions for those earning below £26,557 in year one.
In the Local Government Pension Scheme principles set out for further negotiations, with no increase in contributions until 2014 and a commitment to restrict/avoid increases altogether. [Negotiations on the local government scheme are due to run until April 2012]
The Government states that based on the heads of agreement it should not be necessary to change benefits or contributions for at least 25 years.
Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary said:
“UNISON is a democratic union, and in today’s consultation, our elected activists from every service group in the local government pensions scheme endorsed the framework proposals we have negotiated, paving the way for more in depth talks.
“Our health members gave their support to talks on the NHS scheme entering a final phase, due to end in late January. When we have a final offer, we will take it back to members in a full ballot.
“Our action on 30 November got ministers back to the table, since then we have made some real progress. No contribution rises in local government until 2014 will be a real boost for many families that are hard hit by the pay freeze, and struggling to cope. The overwhelming majority of NHS scheme members won’t face contribution rate rises in 2012.
“We will continue to campaign to secure the best possible deal, which our members will then be consulted on. Should negotiations fail, our industrial action ballot, which remains live, gives us the option to take more strike action.”
The summit also heard report-backs from the consultations that have been taking place in every region of the union since the new year and the “heads of agreement” proposals received just before Christmas. In every region, the summit heard, the feedback had been that the majority of branches and members backed continuing negotiations.
UNISON activists at the summit recognised that there are still many problems to overcome, but Dave Prentis summed up the mood of the meeting when he declared: "We are not defeatist. We know how to win by taking our members with us. If our objective is decent pensions schemes for public service workers, we will achieve it."
The union is still in dispute with the Government and the industrial action ballot mandate is still live if talks fail or break down. Any decision on final proposals will be made by UNISON members via ballot.
Jan 17 2012 15:09
I was listening to BBC 6 music at home yesterday, and a guy phones up to make a request, they ask him his job, he says he works for UNISON. They ask him if everybody's going to be out on strike again soon, he says no, it's getting sorted out by negotiations. Then he requests "Fun Fun Fun" by the BeachBoys.
Well, really. I was quite shocked. If that was my union I would be asking some serious questions. "Fun Fun Fun" by the BeachBoys???
Jan 17 2012 15:41
I'd be asking questions if he didn't like Beach Boys!
Jan 19 2012 20:44
fingers malone wrote:
I was listening to BBC 6 music at home yesterday, and a guy phones up to make a request, they ask him his job, he says he works for UNISON. They ask him if everybody's going to be out on strike again soon, he says no, it's getting sorted out by negotiations. Then he requests "Fun Fun Fun" by the BeachBoys.Well, really. I was quite shocked. If that was my union I would be asking some serious questions. "Fun Fun Fun" by the BeachBoys???
Can you remember his name or where he was from?
Jan 20 2012 14:19
Unfortunately I wasn't paying much attention until the strike was mentioned.
Jan 21 2012 12:41
Regarding negotiations on the universities pension scheme USS, UCU are going to hold a conference on 31 January with representatives of branches to decide on suspending industrial action. UCU are recommending it's suspended. (UCU members in HE have been doing a work-to-rule since October, and took part in the N30 strike).
Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary wrote:
Following a period of industrial action including both strikes and action short of a strike, the employers have now agreed to move on the following immediate steps:first, they have agreed to jointly review the decision to abolish the right of staff age 55 or over to take an unreduced pension. Rather than end in October 2013 as originally imposed, this entitlement will now continue to at least October 2014 to allow the review to conclude
second, they have agreed to jointly review the USS CARE scheme imposed on new starters last year and compare benefits to that in other public sector pension schemes such as the Teachers Pension Scheme where UCU has been able to negotiate some terms which may be better than in USS. This review will examine issues raised by UCU such as accrual rates, inflation capping and revaluation.
Jan 21 2012 14:45
Slightly confusing UCU news from the SWP:
Quote:
UCU lecturers’ union names the day for further strikes
The executive of the UCU lecturers’ union met today (Friday) and voted three to one for a strike on 1 March over pensions and to invite other unions to join them.
After a detailed debate the executive agreed the government’s “heads of agreement” offer contained no significant changes and so a full members' ballot was not necessary.
It was agreed that the key question was how to escalate the action and keep the momentum of the dispute going.
To break the impasse and to step up the campaign, UCU has put out a call for all the unions who have rejected the deal to meet to organise for a united strike on 1 March.
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=27292
Not clear if this is in the dispute about the Teachers Pension Scheme (TPS) or the Universities Superannuation Scheme USS, I presume it's the former.
Jan 21 2012 16:54
That was for TPS (so post-92 HE and FE), the meeting on the 31st is for the USS dispute (pre-92 HE). There seems to be broad agreement that the offer on USS is now worse than what's on offer for TPS so it seems odd that we would vote 3-to-1 to continue action for TPS and then suspend action for USS, but I don't know what's going to happen there. Most people on the activist list seem in favour of continuing strike action, but that's not necessarily representative of who'll be at the special conference.
Jan 24 2012 10:32
Just got this from UCU re TPS dispute - I'm surprised but pleased. Sally Hunt wrote:
Quote:
On 20 January, your elected NEC decided by a majority to reject my recommendation that we proceed with the ballot of members as agreed at the December meeting.Instead, it voted by a majority for a motion which postpones a ballot on the grounds that 'we don’t believe that the government have yet made any improvements significant enough to warrant such a ballot at this moment of time.'
The motion also commits the union: to reject the government's offer on members' behalf, to name a day of national strike action on 1 March to which other unions are to be 'invited', and to further regional strike days during February.
I agree with Alisdair that it's unlikely the USS action will be called off as their deal is crap and their original vote for strike action was stronger than the TPS ballot.
Jan 24 2012 14:17
Yeah, we're out in FE on 1st of March. NUT might be too, they are meeting on Thursday about it I think. I hope they are, if FE are out on our own no-one will even notice.
Mar 16 2012 22:19
Ok, there's been loads of uncertainty about this, different information every couple of days, so it all might change again at short notice. Atm UCU (TPS only) are on strike in London only, and NUT are on strike in London only. However, PCS have just voted in favour of strike action, which might be national, and if it is, UCU might decide to go national as well.
Mar 23 2012 13:02
Ok, it's less than a week, is there any kind of London based co-ordination, map of picket lines, anything?
People probably know anyway but for the record PCS have a strong ballot for strike action but are not striking because the NUT-UCU strike isn't national, which is what they balloted over, though I don't see why they can't strike just in London. But they say they'll be out end of April.
Mar 23 2012 13:02
dp
Mar 26 2012 12:23
ICC leaflet on the NUT/UCU strike on 28 March. Also available as a PDF. To be copied and distributed. Or adapted to taste.
http://en.internationalism.org/icconline/201203/4765/28-march-strike-why-are-we-not-united
28_march.leaflet.pdf 70.93 KB
Mar 27 2012 10:16
Strikes have been ongoing in Scotland around this, which I for one had heard absolutely nothing about!
http://www.unison.org.uk/news/news_view.asp?did=7666
Mar 27 2012 12:25
Have a look at this, including the film from the first strike at the end:
http://union-news.co.uk/2012/03/unisons-strike-two-against-scottish-government-pensions-hike/
Or try reading my posts on Facebook!
Mar 27 2012 20:52
A general point: the bourgeoisie are now very careful about reporting strikes across the whole of Europe so it's not suprising that we hear little about strikes in Scotland for example.
There's been a large strike wave and massive demonstrations in Germany from the beginning of this month. Far from the "privileged workers" of Germany that news around Greece propagates, the workers and youth in Germany are being hammered. Today there's strikes around the airports but there's been strikes over the last weeks of civil servants, hospital workers, teachers and rubbish collectors. The unions are obviously doing their best to maintain divisions between the workers.
Mar 27 2012 23:08
Just to say good luck to any libcommers on strike tomorrow!
Mar 28 2012 00:05
baboon wrote:
A general point: the bourgeoisie are now very careful about reporting strikes across the whole of Europe so it's not suprising that we hear little about strikes in Scotland for example.
There's been a large strike wave and massive demonstrations in Germany from the beginning of this month. Far from the "privileged workers" of Germany that news around Greece propagates, the workers and youth in Germany are being hammered. Today there's strikes around the airports but there's been strikes over the last weeks of civil servants, hospital workers, teachers and rubbish collectors. The unions are obviously doing their best to maintain divisions between the workers.
Though to be fair, the media has made a fuss over the truck drivers strike set to go ahead.
Can comment on articles and discussions
Well, since the June 30 strikes it's been pretty quiet. Not all that surprising considering it was school/university holidays.
Basically the unions agreed to begin sector-by sector discussions around changes, without achieving any concessions on the overall package.
Now, word is that November is the next strike day. PCS has said they will be out then. The smaller civil service unions (the FDA and Prospect), the firefighters' FBU and at least two other unions (the EIS, which represents Scottish teachers and NIPSA, a civil service union in the North of Ireland) have also announced their intention to ballot their members . Even the GMB's General Secretary, Paul Kenny, has been indicating that his union may now become involved in strike action.
Unison local government are convening an emergency meeting to authorise a strike ballot, which previously they had been reluctant to do, as I discussed in my blog here:
http://libcom.org/blog/unison-fighting-cuts-dr-it-21042011