UNISON members in local government in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have voted in favour of strike action on pensions, returning a massive majority in the consultation exercise on strike action UNISON ran in January.

Members are furious at government plans to attack public sector pensions. They returned their pensions ballots in record numbers. The government's plans include raising the retirement age from 60 to 65, and the early retirement age from 50 to 55.

UNISON United Left General Secretary candidate Jon Rogers said that the 82% vote for strike action in the consultative ballot showed how strongly UNISON members felt about the attack on pensions.

'We need to turn this into an even larger Yes vote in the official strike ballot which I hope the Industrial Action Committee will agree to on Thursday 27,' he said.

Momentum is building for a real fight with government. UNISON’s Industrial Action Committee meets on Thursday 27 January to consider the consultation result. An official ballot should be triggered. Strike action could take place in the week beginning 21 March 2005.

Jon Rogers said that members, activists and branches in Scotland - which faces pensions cuts next year - and in other service groups needed to ask themselves whether they want to wait until after this year's general election to fight for their pensions.

'I believe we should unite the whole of our union with as many other public service unions as possible, in a single day of strike action as soon as we can achieve it.,' Jon Rogers said. 'Our aim should be for a public sector general strike for pensions. If we get this wrong, we will have the rest of our lives for regrets.'

You'll find a list of updates of action from other unions below:

The Civil Servants' Union PCS and pensions
The PCS is due to reconvene its national executive, and looks set to call for joint strike action. The executive of the main teachers union, NUT, is meeting on Thursday 27 January to discuss its plans to defend pensions.

GMB - United Action
The GMB union is also considering balloting members on strike action. With potentially a million public-sector workers on strike, union members will be in a position to force Blair’s government into retreat on pensions in the runup to this year's general election.

NATFHE Union Plans
The NATFHE union's executive for lecturers in further and higher education has also called for ballots this term, and the FBU is consulting on action over attacks to their pension scheme.

The aim now is to fight to build the broadest action possible.

In UNISON:

It's important that as many sectors as possible with Local Government Pension Scheme members are balloted about strike action to save pensions. This includes 'new' universities in Higher Education, many privatised sectors like utilities and former local authority bus and passenger transport companies, voluntary aided schools, transferred staff in, for example, housing companies or ALMOs, and other bodies with admitted status.

Many Scottish branches are calling for Scotland to join the action now. Pensions changes in Scotland are due to hit next year.

In the health sector, protests have already been held at a number of hospitals. Union activists need to push for the maximum possible participation in the TUC day of action on 18 February

In local government, activists need to work with GMB and TGWU stewards to call for joint action across the sector. Contact those stewards today and keep up the good work!