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Defend Our Pensions - support Public Sectore Strike

Council Worker | 18.03.2005 14:17 | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements

We are calling on all people – the elderly, disabled, unemployed and other council service users, to support this call for strike action by the Trade Union UNISON.



We are urging all people to join the pickets and protests that are being organized up and down the United Kingdom by UNISON, on Wednesday 23rd March 2005. For more information on the strike action, please read the appeal below.

As you are aware the recent UNISON ballot on industrial action in Protest at the government’s attack on the Local Government Pension Scheme resulted in a large majority voting “yes” to taking strike action.

There will therefore be a day of all out strike action on Wednesday 23rd March 2005.

This action will be supported by the Transport and General Workers Union in Local Government, although the GMB have not balloted members. The action will be co-coordinated with other Trade Unions in the Public Services including the Civil Service, to deliver a massive protest at Government attempts to attack our pensions.

Why You Should Strike!

The British Government, whilst consulting on amendments to Public Sector pension schemes, suddenly tabled new regulations in Parliament which will raise the retirement age in Local Government from 60 years to 65 years and increase the earliest age that workers can apply to draw their pensions, except for ill health, from 50 years to 55 years.

The proposed changes are a cut in terms and conditions. Pensions are deferred pay and increasing the age at which an unreduced pension becomes payable from 60 years to 65 years will decrease the value of future scheme membership by around 30%! Local Government staff will be forced to work 5 years longer or face a cut in their pension.

If we do not take action to try and prevent these regulations from coming into force on 1st April 2005, the Government will also be encouraged to pursue other so-called reforms perhaps including increased contributions instead of final salary, cuts in ill-health retirement etc.


WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP!

With this letter are a number of attachments;

1) Ensure maximum support for the action from colleagues in your work place.

2) Support the picket of your workplace. Posters, official picket placards are available from your nearest UNISON branch office.

3) Display Posters in your workplace, community centre, window, in your car etc.


Attend the Rally!

In Manchester a protest rally will be held on:

Wednesday 23rd March,

12.00 noon,

Albert Square, Manchester

(facing the Manchester Town Hall)


For more information please contact 0161 254 7500

This has been copied from the UNISON letter sent out on 14/3/2005.



Council Worker

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Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Pissed off GMB council worker

18.03.2005 17:10

All public sector workers should be out on the 23rd supporting this day of action. Unfortunately the conservative minded wankers who make the decisions in my union (GMB) decided that there was not enough interest at grass roots level to even bother to ballot their own members. What a load of bollocks....!!!!! GMB members are no different than unison, PSC, T&G etc If we had been given a chance of a ballot the same as every other public sector union, we would be out on strike supporting our comrades, instead people like myself had to book a days annual leave so that I can stand on the pickets with my brothers. If we are going to win this fight against this government regarding pensions we all have to stand together and be counted, and not have to live with the petty sectarianism of some of our leaders.

Mark


Join another union if you can and you could strike on the day

18.03.2005 17:52

My advice to the gmb worker is to join another union which represents local government workers if that is possible, the gmb has always been a useless union which rarely stands up for its members interests although it has to be said that other unions in local government are not much better.

Dan

dan


Trade Unions

18.03.2005 19:42

If your union is serious about challenging the government perhaps a good starting place would be to withdraw the financial support that it pays the labour party - regardless of the wishes of it's members. - Not much chance until after prentice gets his nighthood?

Jes'


Pissed off UNISON member

18.03.2005 20:30

UNISON "forgot" or chose not to ballot the arms length management organisation i work for because although we ex-city council employees are still members of the original pension scheme and were tuped over when the ALMO were created, because we work for an ALMO now, we weren't balloted and we have been told by UNISON and management, we cannot strike.

This is disgusting and myself and other paid up members of UNISON who work for the ALMO and who will be affected by the proposed changes to pensions are seriously angry with UNISON about it. I am thinking of cancelling my subs to UNISON. After all, if we are not treated as full members of the union then why should they take our money?

I'd be happy to ensure maximum support for the action from colleagues in the workplace but UNISON have effectively ruled that one out. How crap is that when city council employees and ALMO employees work together in some buildings that will be picketed. Both the union and the management are telling us we cannot strike and so effectively, union members are being told by UNISON to cross picket lines.

scab


Pissed off UNISON member II

19.03.2005 19:47

Bolton almo workers were not balloted either but are withdrawing labour in support of the strike.

- UNISON are shite - they are full of labourites who will beat their chests but not actually do anything.

I think the stuff about prentice waiting for his knighthood is true.

All unison use my details for is to send me financial circulars!!

Sha'


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