Unison conference, members must call on leadership to call date for strike ballot

Council workers are facing unprecedented attacks - in the form of massive job cuts and a tearing up of terms and conditions in many areas.

In just two weeks time it is expected that the government will announce their intention to impose a 3% increase in public sector pension contributions. This is a pay cut in real terms and comes on top of a two-year pay freeze. Unless defeated through mass strike action, many workers will be faced with the choice of pay up or be forced out of the pension scheme.

The government is also proposing a career average instead of final salary scheme. They plan to cut the local government pension from 1/60th of our annual salary to as low as only 1/100th and they want to make us work till we are 68.

These changes, if effected, could cost some workers up to £1,000 more a year for a pension worth nearly half of what they would get now.

Even some of the employers are panicking. They are predicting that 20-40% could leave the schemes, sending the funds into downward spirals.

If the government gets away with it, this would be the biggest attack on public sector workers' pay and conditions in a generation. That is why it requires the unions to use the full strength of the five million public sector trade unionists.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison has now declared that Unison will ballot over the summer or early autumn for strike action over pension attacks if the meeting with government on 28 June does not lead to a deal. Prentis also said: "It will not be one day of action - it will be long-term industrial action throughout all our public services to prevent destruction of our pension schemes."

This is to be welcomed by Unison members and other public sector trade unionists. This shows that trade union leaders can be forced to ballot for action, when faced with an onslaught of attacks from this government and growing anger from public sector workers.



But members attending this weeks national Unison conference which is still very labour centric sadly need to put as much militant pressure on Dave Prentice and his leadership to call the date for the strike ballot.

We heard at the NSSn conference many Unison activists saying the union would ratehr they fight isloated local issues ratehr than join mass action with other unions.

But pressure is growing and members are asking themselves why are we not joining other trade unions on strike on 30th june and later in teh Autumn.

Dave Prentice must be made aware that now is not the time for pussyfooting around. His members are under attack and are under attack right now. They need the full backing of the union and its resources to defeat these pension reforms and the further attacks on our class.

The start of the fightback will come from the three quarters of a million workers in education and the civil service who are preparing to strike on 30 June.

Unfortunately Unison will not be taking action with other unions on 30 June but the union leaders are calling on all members to support the lobbies and demonstrations and for members not to cover the work of the strikers.

Only recently Socialist Party members on the Unison national executive tried to commit the union to action on pensions no later than 31 October 2011 but this was not agreed. At a local level there are Unison branches whose members are demanding to ballot for strike action against cuts. They are being prevented from doing so by the union leadership. These ballots should now immediately be sanctioned.

We must now give full backing to the 30 June strike and use it to build for an all public-sector strike that would rock this government to its foundations.

Unison must be ready to start the pensions ballot immediately if the government refuses to back down on pension attacks
For an all public-sector strike in defence of pensions
Defend the final salary scheme
No increases in contribution rates
No to lower pension benefits

Now is the time for action and co-ordinated strike action to push the government back on this issue and further the advance on the anti cuts movement.

Union shop stewards reject Cables anti trade union threat

National Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) 5th Annual Conference - 11.30am-4.15pm, Saturday June 22nd - South Camden Community School, London E10 9DE



On Saturday, over 400 shop stewards and union reps will be sending a message of defiance to ConDem minister Vince Cable after he warned unions about more anti-union laws to restrict their activity. Cable suffered heckles from outraged delegates at this week's GMB conference as he lectured them about not joining the June 30th strikes against the government's attacks on public sector pensions. The NSSN will be using its 5th annual conference in London to prepare rank and file workers to build support for the 750,000 workers from the public sector unions PCS, NUT, UCU and ATL who are now balloting to take strike action.



The NSSN will be voting on a motion encouraging its supporters in unions not yet balloting to push for strike ballots so they too can take action later in the year. The conference will also be supporting trace unionist who have been victimised by their employers for trade union activities. These include Arwyn Thomas the London Tube driver. His union the RMT has just called strike action to demand his reinstatement.



Other speakers include RMT President Alex Gordon, PCS President Janice Godrich and Apostolis Kasimeris a member of the Executive Committee of the Union of Public Transport Workers in Attica (Athens and Pireaus region).



ENDS



For more information, contact contact Rob Williams NSSN chair:

Telephone: 07816134690

Email: info@shopstewards.net

The desire for industrial action grows

As public and workers anger gains momentum there is evidence to suggest that the want and desire to take industrial action is becoming more and more common place in the workplace in the public sector certainly.

almost half the population supports strikes over public sector cuts. And a survey of 2,000 nurses and midwives in the trade union Unison showed that almost three-quarters are prepared to take industrial action to protect their pensions.


This is sad as Unison one of the most labour party friendly unions who seems to tie itself firmly to labour and will sell out its members at any opputunity it would seem. For example in East Herts

A STAFFING agreement which will eventually save Herts County Council £10.7m a year has been formally approved by authority members.

After endorsing the collective agreement with employees’ union UNISON about changes to terms and conditions, Cllr David Lloyd, executive member for resources and performance, said: "Despite the tough economic conditions we are facing, Herts County Council is determined to continue to provide the high quality services our residents rely on.

"We have already put into place efficiency measures that will save the council £135m over the next four years, but we need to do more in order to safeguard frontline services. Changes to our employment package, including the way we pay staff for sick leave, will generate substantial savings for the county.

“Our intention throughout has been to make any changes with the support of UNISON, so the final successful round of talks and resultant agreement is a really positive step. Both the council and UNISON believe that this agreement provides a responsible balance between the need to find savings and protect jobs and frontline services.

"This has been a difficult time for staff and we have tried to involve them throughout the process. We really appreciated their input and some of the suggestions made by employees have been included in the final package."

Changes will take effect from April 1 2012 and will be contractually binding for about 24,000 employees, including those based in schools. The £10.7m savings comprise £6.8m from the non-school staff pay bill and £3.9m from schools and will take full effect from 2013/14.


This further suggests unison are there to sell out their members and take pay cuts and cuts to sick pay laying down. How pathetic. Yet there is increasing pressure from below from workers who want to take action. As we near 30th june there will be huge pressure from rank-and-file members to take action and join the strike on that day. It is key that pressure is put on the leaders of the TUC and unison to buckle and allow their members to ballot for strike action if they so wish to. Denying them this right and holding them back or simply selling them out on their behalf is totally wrong and we must condemn unison on this decision here.

But there is evidence within the various surveys taht workersa re getting angry and do want to fight back the cuts. This is excellent news but they need to find a way to express this to their trade union leaders at the top to either act now or be removed.

There is a distinct feeling in the air i feel of a fight back on the horizon from individaul workers. Whether it comes to anything or not remains to be seen. I think 30th june will be a big barometer on where this movement is heading and if it is gaining enough momentum to take it into the autumn.

But let there be no doubt about it workers will not settle for sell outs and cuts they will want to fight if they can.

Tories relight their attack on trade unions once again

Today we have heard a tory minister named Dominic Raab who was voted in by 42.6% of the electorate is calling again for the government to introduce strike ballot thresholds of a turnout of 50% to be passed officail and legal. Anything less he says would be made ilegal and could not take place.
Bob Crow the general secretary of the RMT union one of the most left leaning unions going made the e xcellent point that if this rule applied to MP's as it is being proposed under the AV voting system if it goes through in may would mean MP's like Mr Raab and many of his career driven polititains not taking their seats in the house of commons. How hypocritical of this man who wouldnt even be in a position to make such remarks if it wasnt for the voting system thatallows MP's to gain office on such low turnouts.

It is clear to me the tories are sparing for a battle with the unions again with this latest drive for cuts and austerity they are almost goading the unions into action to then release these anti trade union laws on them.

Whatever happened to the right to strike. Unions do not ust strike for the sheer fun of it Mr Raab , they use industrial action as a last resort. Mr Raab s claims that due to RMT underground workers strikes last year Londons economy lost millions of pounds of revenue is clearly all a tory minister is likely to notice. They do not see the other side of the coin where workers are loosing their jobs facing reduced pay and conditions. As Bob Crow points out what other ammunition do workers have to defend themselves against the boss's if they cannot use the right to strike to protect their rights.

I am a trade unionist myself and am a member of Unite where in our union we have balloted time after time with BA cabin crew but each time BA seem to find something a technical hitch which means the workers cannot excersise their democratic right to take industrial action.

As the coming months move forward and the prospect of industrial action in the public sector becomes more and more of a reality i imagine we will be hearing more and more scare mongering from tory ministers with clearly nothing better to do than stir up trouble with the unions. We all know tories are no fans of unions they canot stand the idea of workers having collective power in numbers and always look to break them up.
So the hypocrisy of this man is dripping and i do hope that trade unions are not brought under further legislation to curb any industrial activity which they have a fundemental right to use in my opinion. The right to remove your labour is one of the workers last resorts in times of struggle and must be upheld in my view.

RMT to ballot members on strike action over union member victimisation by LU

SO yet more union news here now and further evidence the ruling class's and the boss are victimising union officials in a attempt to drive through their cuts. IF this strike does come about i as a trade unionist will be supporting the strike 100%. No victimisation is acceptable and not least when it c omes to union figures. For London undergroudn to go after this guy for the fact he is a union rep and making him a scape goat and a example is just plain wrong in my opinion and we must support him and RMT if they do vote to take action.

TUBE UNION RMT announced today that it has served notice on London Underground for a ballot of all train operator and instructor operator members for strike action in an escalation of on-going disputes over the victimisation of union activists including two driver members - Eamon Lynch and Arwyn Thomas - over their trade union activities.

The ballot will close on 27th April 2011.

Eamon Lynch, RMT Bakerloo Line drivers’ health and safety rep, has been sacked by LU and although he remains on full pay following the union’s victory on Eamon’s behalf at an “interim relief” Employment Tribunal hearing the company has shown total contempt for the Tribunal process and have upheld his sacking. Interim relief is only ever granted by the Employment Tribunal where there is the clearest possible evidence that an employee has been dismissed on the grounds of their trade union activities.

Arwyn Thomas, a long-standing RMT activist and driver at Morden has been sacked on trumped-up disciplinary charges following unproven allegations made against him by strike breakers. Arwyn has been an RMT/NUR member for over 29 years and has held various positions in the union. Arwyn has also won an interim relief hearing at the Employment Tribunal on the grounds of his victimisation as an RMT activist and has been put back on full pay as a result.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“With the Mayor and TfL announcing this week that they are increasing their cuts assault from £5 billion to £7.6 billion it is clear that part of their strategy is to attack and victimise union representatives and activists in an effort to try and bulldoze through their de-staffing plans across London Underground.

“The attack on Eamon Lynch and Arwyn Thomas is the clearest cut case of victimisation on the grounds of trade union activities that you will ever see and it’s no wonder that the Employment Tribunal was swift to see through the management lies and grant both these members “Interim Relief” - an award which requires the strongest possible proof that their sackings were down to their union activities.

“Eamon and Arwyn have been victimised for fighting cuts to jobs and services that would turn the tube into a death trap. We are balloting all of our drivers to send out the clearest signal that workers who stand up for tube safety will get the full support of RMT members.”