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Strike!

mutley said:
It's not over yet.

Prentis is clearly playing an utterly disgusting role. Serwotka is showing that he's got principles. The rest are vascillating inbetween to varying degrees, cos they can see how shit the deal is but they're cacking their pants about whether they could win more. So far Serwotka has stopped a general collapse, and lots of the union leaders are stressing that they aren't recommending the current deal and are playing hard to get. This buys us time to get people on stewards committees, in union branches etc mobilised to increase the pressure stopping more union leaders collapsing into Prentis's embrace. If we can keep the rot confined to UNISON, then we can still squeeze more out of the tory scum before we have to settle. NUT, NASUWT, PCS, UCU, public sector bits of UNITE is still a lot of people, and there are forces like the BMA just starting to mobilise.
Conclusion:Serwotka's bought us time, and there's a space in which we can organise - let's use it.

I'm off bloody work until 4th Jan, but if this is still live I'll be organising a workplace meeting asap when I get back.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that this is exactly where we are at. GMB in the last few minutes have announced that they are reviewing their position on the Heads of Agreement in local government. Unite have signed up in local government but not health. Some of the education unions have one foot outside of the 'in' tent. All union leaderships have the same problem to come - how to convince their members, in a ballot, to accept arrangements that they balloted them on strike action over a few months ago.

Finally, before we settle' on pensions is there any chance of the unions taking up the issues of 710,000 job cuts, pay freezes, watering down of workers rights, mass privatisation, casualisation of work etc etc or are is the 'militant' programme that the correct way forward is another one day protest in March over pensions?
 
grogwilton said:
Have spen the past few hours contacting every unison and union rep I know to get them to contact their union regionally and nationally to oppose this deal. at the lobby today the Unison exec said they had opposed the deal and it still needed to be agreed with them, hopefully they can stand up to their leadership. makes me fucking sick, i sacrificed a lot of time and effort, literally a lot of weeknights and my own funds to help my local tuc organise a demo on N30, what is the fucking point in me doing anything for my union and the wider movement with shit like this in charge? in my workplace we have doubled the number of reps and for what? i'm seen as the go to man for union issues, and frankly if I'm asked why unison has caved and what we gained out of going on strike all I'll be able to reply is 'unison are shit, join the GMB/Unite (presuming they haven't also caved) because the union you joined for this is shit!'
Click to expand...

The position of GMB and Unite is an interesting one.GMB, in local government, seem to have discovered they've signed up to a different deal than the one that is actually on the table. In health they are signed up. Unite appear to think the deal is ok in Local Government but shite in health.

Unison (which represents more public sector workers than the rest of them put together) is awful - but no less hidebound to the Labour Party and sell outs than the rest of them. If your workplace is organised you'd be better staying put and challenging the corrupt leadership imho.
 
'So let the world take note of what we have achieved today. To those who thought the union movement was dead and irrelevant - today is your answer. To ministers who thought they could bully - today is your lesson, and your warning. And to millions of working people, throughout the land suffering at the hands of this cruel coalition, close to giving up hope, let today be the day you take heart, take courage and resolve to stand and fight for what is right.”

Dave Prentis, Birmingham Exhibition Centre, November 30th 2011.'

So what changed?
 
treelover said:
'So let the world take note of what we have achieved today. To those who thought the union movement was dead and irrelevant - today is your answer. To ministers who thought they could bully - today is your lesson, and your warning. And to millions of working people, throughout the land suffering at the hands of this cruel coalition, close to giving up hope, let today be the day you take heart, take courage and resolve to stand and fight for what is right.”

Dave Prentis, Birmingham Exhibition Centre, November 30th 2011.'

So what changed?
Click to expand...

Prentis probably schmoozed his friends in Parliament and got reminded there wouldn't be a safe Labour seat for him if he didn't suck the neo-liberal tit.
 
treelover said:
'So let the world take note of what we have achieved today. To those who thought the union movement was dead and irrelevant - today is your answer. To ministers who thought they could bully - today is your lesson, and your warning. And to millions of working people, throughout the land suffering at the hands of this cruel coalition, close to giving up hope, let today be the day you take heart, take courage and resolve to stand and fight for what is right.”

Dave Prentis, Birmingham Exhibition Centre, November 30th 2011.'

So what changed?
Click to expand...

GMB General Secretary Paul Kenny said he was prepared to go to jail as part of a wave of non-violent protests and occupations.
Mr Kenny said: "I want direct action - I'm not talking about violent direct action. If that means I go to jail then I'm prepared to go to jail. I'm not prepared to be a martyr. But when I look at my kids and grandchildren I want to be able to say I did everything I did to protect them and their inheritance."
 
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_response_to_government_s.aspx

Unite national officer for local authorities, Peter Allenson said: ‘Unite is extremely disappointed with the contents of the letter received from Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, following the statement on public sector pensions by Chief Secretary, Danny Alexander.
As a result of this letter, Unite is currently reviewing its position on the Principles Document agreed with the local government group representing local government employers yesterday (Monday, 19 December).

We await further urgent clarification on the government’s position.’

-ends-

Note to news desks:

For further information, please contact Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
 
Fedayn said:
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_response_to_government_s.aspx

Unite national officer for local authorities, Peter Allenson said: ‘Unite is extremely disappointed with the contents of the letter received from Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles, following the statement on public sector pensions by Chief Secretary, Danny Alexander.
As a result of this letter, Unite is currently reviewing its position on the Principles Document agreed with the local government group representing local government employers yesterday (Monday, 19 December).

We await further urgent clarification on the government’s position.’

-ends-

Note to news desks:

For further information, please contact Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940
Click to expand...

They can't even collapse decisively.
 
treelover said:
'So let the world take note of what we have achieved today. To those who thought the union movement was dead and irrelevant - today is your answer. To ministers who thought they could bully - today is your lesson, and your warning. And to millions of working people, throughout the land suffering at the hands of this cruel coalition, close to giving up hope, let today be the day you take heart, take courage and resolve to stand and fight for what is right.”

Dave Prentis, Birmingham Exhibition Centre, November 30th 2011.'

So what changed?
Click to expand...
His principles, presumably.

What a fucking let down. Two weeks after the biggest strikes in decades my union is caving in. If I thought it would do any good I'd resign my membership.
 
The Govt are probably seeing the differences in micro-nuance/detail between the offers affecting the different sectors as maxing up the divide and rule style pressure.

Some glimmers of hope maybe, in todays news, that it might not work just like that?
 
Smokeandsteam said:
The position of GMB and Unite is an interesting one.GMB, in local government, seem to have discovered they've signed up to a different deal than the one that is actually on the table. In health they are signed up. Unite appear to think the deal is ok in Local Government but shite in health.

Unison (which represents more public sector workers than the rest of them put together) is awful - but no less hidebound to the Labour Party and sell outs than the rest of them. If your workplace is organised you'd be better staying put and challenging the corrupt leadership imho.
Click to expand...

I'm not in Unison, I'm in the NUT, but frankly, if I was in Unison i'd apply the pressure until it became clear they've fully sold their membership down the river (after the exec meeting or ballot) and then leave if thats what they did, mass loss of membership (and as a result money) seems to be the only thing they genuinely care about*. I could be convinced differently on the final point were the exec to ballot their membership on the deal, with either no recommendation or a recommendation to reject the deal.

*From every angle agreeing to this deal is madness, not only for the principal and actual campaign and wider union movement, but also for the health of the union itself with the inevitable dissillusion it'll cause among members and activists, particularly those who joined in the run up to NOV 30th. Its a no brainer.
 
fractionMan said:
worth reposting imo UNISON, Unite and GMB withdraw from pensions deal
Click to expand...

Good news for now, however, I'm assuming the irony of this comment:

"the unions say they have lost confidence in the negotiations"

isn't lost on people.

Emails were thick and fast amongst local officers, reps and members in our local area this morning - with a prevailing feeling of anger and betrayal, supported by a slow hand clap soundtrack.
 
Any further word of whether or not those unions involved in the recent High Court action over CPI/RPI pensions indexing, will purue their apparant planned appeal next year?

The case was defeated, but not unanimously by the 3 HC judges. There seems to be very very little online discussion that I can find -- presumably because that particular subject is all too sub-judice for now? :confused:
 
Health sector bullshit heads of agreement document.
Heads of agreement said:
...government have made clear this sets out their final position...
...This includes a commitment to suspend any further industrial action while the final details are resolved...
Career Average... Revaluation with CPI+1.5%... 1/54 Accrual... Year 1 avg employee contribution 9.8%. Protection under £26,557 for one year only
etc.
Click to expand...
 
grogwilton said:
Are they not now back in since Alexander has claimed the letter from Pickels was false?
Click to expand...

Apparently they have 'lost confidence' as a result - what they only just realised!!

They are now under pressure they have probably never experienced to his extent before - so they will have to be seen to be backing off from the obvious sellout

More importantly - every trade union activist should now be coming along to this organising conference - regardless of the trade union you are a member of:

PCS Left Unity National Committee

DEFEND PENSIONS - ESCALATE ACTION - NAME DAY FOR NATIONAL STRIKE

Organising Conference Saturday: Friends Meeting House (opp. Euston Station) 7th January 2012 11am – 4pm

Chair: Janice Godrich PCS President Speaker: Mark Serwotka PCS General Secretary
(other speakers to be announced)

November 30th was the biggest show of strength from Britain’s trade unions in living memory. It shook the coalition government and provided a firm foundation for the escalation of industrial action to defeat the unjustified attack on pensions and to challenge the coalition’s pay freeze, cuts and privatisation programme.

At the TUC’s Public Sector Liaison Group Mark Serwotka on behalf of PCS argued the TUC should set the date for a further day of nationally coordinated strike action to bring the government into serious negotiations. Although there was some support for this position the TUC general secretary Brendan Barber argued that all the unions should sign up to a so-called “Heads of Agreement”, this means the core issues, on which we took action, working longer, paying more and getting less, are surrendered, just as the government have wanted. Dave Prentis, the general secretary of Unison, argued for acceptance of this “deal”.

It is almost beyond belief that when the confidence of the movement is at its highest point in decades as a result of November 30th and with an additional 100,000 recruits due to the action such an abject surrender is being considered. Now is the time to set the date, as early as possible in 2012, preferably January, for a further day of nationally coordinated industrial action which can be escalated by bringing even more unions on board including workers, like those in Unilever, fighting to defend private sector pensions.

The PCS Left Unity National Committee invites all activists from all unions to an organising conference on the 7th of January to debate how we can build the campaign to defend our pensions and fight the cuts and prevent any unacceptable “deal” that makes us work longer, pay more and get less.
This will be an organising conference, not just a debating forum. It is intended to arm activists with the issues so they can go back to their workplaces and into their unions in order to build a campaign that will secure justice on pensions.

To cover costs there will be a registration fee of £5 for waged delegates.
FAIR PENSIONS FOR ALL - STOP THE CUTS - NO PRIVATISATION

http://www.leftunity.org.uk
 
A different strike ,London Undergroud taking the union to court came out with peach in arguing whether strike was legal

In a written argument, Bruce Carr QC, representing LU, told Mr Justice Eder: "In short, [Aslef] included in the balloting constituency a significant majority of its members who could not in due course be called on to take strike action on 26 December 2011 as they were not rostered to work on that day."
Click to expand...
 
dennisr said:
And apparently the "deal" is back on again...

http://union-news.co.uk/2011/12/breaking-news-gmb-and-unison-say-pensions-deal-is-back-on

feck sake - talk about led by donkeys

(* wonders: "would turkeys voting for... be more appropriate given the season?" *)
Click to expand...

But this time without Unite?

So at present out is PCS, Unite in local government (but not health?), NIPSA, POA

In/out/too difficult to make our minds up - NUT, NASUWT, UCU

In - Unison, GMB, FDA, Prospect, ATL (but agreements subject to further negotiations and endorsement by executives/members)

Is this right?

UNITY IS STRENGTH :facepalm:
 
latest GMB email seems to suggest some sort of victory for now and that the gov have backed off so no increased contributions for a couple of years at least.
striking works! yay!
gmb said:
After months of discussion, GMB and the other main local government trade unions and the LGA on behalf of local government employers have put together a plan for a tightly timetabled series of new negotiations designed, on common principles, to produce a reformed LGPS to be introduced in April 2014. This has been agreed by government without conditions or qualifications.

The plan agreed by employers and unions and approved by the Secretary of State removes the requirement for member contribution increases in April 2012. As a funded scheme worth £165bn, any contribution rise threatened the sustainability of the scheme and the pension savings of four million people in the UK. With three quarters of members earning below £21,000 a year and the vast majority working part time, the LGPS membership is acutely sensitive to cost. Unlike the rest of the public sector, the local government workforce has not had any pay rises in the last few years, even for the lowest paid. In fact many members have had pay cuts.

GMB is pleased that the government has finally recognised that the LGPS needs a reform process that produces a sustainable scheme that the workforce can afford. We now intend to embark on an intensive timetable of negotiations in order to determine the details of a new scheme that can be put to members next year.

The objective of the agreement is to roll the requirements for short term savings and long term reform into a ‘one step’ process. This process envisages regulations by March 2103, in time for the next scheme valuation, with any changes in place by April 2014/15.

The principles cover both scheme design and the ongoing cost management and governance of the scheme. Discussions on the details including accrual rates and contributions will start in the new year with the ‘big ticket’ items due to be settled on by April 2012.

In reaching this agreed process all those involved have demonstrated their commitment to and belief in the continuing value of LGPS to both members and employers. For its part, the Government has recognised that the distinctive funded nature of the LGPS allows for a different approach than may be taken by the other public service schemes.

The full text of the way forward agreement is available on the GMB website at www.gmb.org.uk/pspc. Also available on the website are the letters to and from the Secretary of State confirming government’s support for this process.

It is clear that the strike on 30 November helped secure an acceptable way forward that means the imminent threat of unfair contribution increases and the wholesale decimation of the LGPS has been halted. Instead we will enter new negotiations in 2012 and it is expected that any negotiated changes will not come into effect until 2014/15. Of course, GMB members will be consulted before any final outcomes are agreed and you will be kept informed of progress along the way.
Click to expand...
"way forward" :hmm:

can't find any info for today on the gmb website just yesterday
http://www.gmb.org.uk/newsroom/latest_news/lgps_latest.aspx
 
Delaying the supposedly-inevitable isn't victory, it's delaying the supposedly-inevitable. Perhaps the unions, rather than (as some are doing) buckling under pressure, should be asking exactly how, if these changes are so very necessary, the government can pull a year or a two year delay out of its' arse at the drop of a hat?
Or would the asking endanger the post-union political career prospects of the likes of Barber and Prentis too much for them to consider such action?
 
On a related note, I see the Tube Drivers are striking on Boxing Day. Are they deliberately trying to piss the public off?
 
Don't all get your knickers in a twist - there's lots of presure and they clearly feel it.... come to the Left Unity Confrerence - hassle your "representatives"

7th Jan pensions conference CONFIRMED SPEAKERS INCLUDE: Mark Sertwotka PCS, Roger Bannister Unison NEC member (personal capacity), Kevin Courtney NUT, Mark Campbell UCU and John McDonnell MP
 
mk12 said:
On a related note, I see the Tube Drivers are striking on Boxing Day. Are they deliberately trying to piss the public off?
Click to expand...

I have to ask - are you actually aware of the transactional basis for strike action?

For example, would there be a point to train drivers striking on a sunday on a line shut down for improvements, or would it be better to threaten a strike on a day where it would cause more inconvenience?
 
I understand the tactics behind it, but if it does go ahead do you think they'll get much sympathy from ordinary Londoners? Is that even a consideration in this?
 
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