Workers' Liberty

Market to blame for NHS crisis

12 Apr 2006

UNISON health workers hold their annual conference later this month. As Nick Holden explains, they have a lot to discuss. New reports each day of hospitals slashing jobs, and cutting back on services seem to indicate an NHS falling apart at the seams, despite the claimed investment of millions of pounds of new money. Propaganda about the “NHS crisis” serves various agendas On the one hand, NHS unions and activists use the financial crisis to bolster their argument for more money — although the unions are struggling to respond adequately to the suggestion that the cash crisis is at least partly...

Local government unions call further action for 25-27 April

30 Mar 2006

An official statement from the public services Unison on 30 March condemned the Deputy Prime Minister’s “provocative” action in pressing ahead with cuts in local government pensions. General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said: “John Prescott’s action today in laying an order in Parliament to cut pension rights is provocative, premature and unnecessary. It will further inflame the anger felt by our members at the way in which they are being treated by their Government and their employers. “We put forward proposals both yesterday and today that would have formed the basis for joint talks. The...

Good turnout for local government strike day

30 Mar 2006

Snippets from the local government unions’ strike day on 28 March, when over a million workers struck against planned cuts in the local government pension scheme. The unions’ next plans now are for a week of rolling strike action starting 24 April. The rolling action will be based on geographical areas, with all out strike action in different areas on different days of the week. They also plan selective strikes by meat hygiene workers. The unions met the Government for new talks on 29 March, but no reports from that are available yet. DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY A mass picket of 300 people took...

Build from March 28!

25 Mar 2006

by a unison member Build unity; reach out to other sections of the working class; organise hard-hitting action — and local government workers can win the huge battle over pensions due to open on 28 March. The local government unions announced on 15 March that they have ballot majorities of around 80% to strike. They want to defeat the Government’s plans to abolish the “Rule of 85” which allows local government workers to retire on a full pension at 60 if they have 25 years’ service. The unions are moving into action — late in the day, but they are moving. One worker due to strike on 28 March...

Unison Labour Link suspends support for Labour

23 Mar 2006

"Unison Labour Link", the structure by which the giant public services union Unison deals with its relations with the Labour Party, has suspended its support for Labour. Its statement reads: In the circumstances of the union taking national industrial action against the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, named as Regulator and decision maker regarding the LGPS, in is felt that it is not appropriate or politically sensible to be organising, on one hand, for industrial action by the union while sending out letters and leaflets to many of the same members asking them to vote Labour. The...

Local government workers to strike on 28 March

16 Mar 2006

One million workers in local government, members of Unison and other unions, are set to strike on 28 March against the Government's plans to cut their pension provision. Some time back the Government declared its intention to raise the age at which public sector workers can claim their pensions, usually from 60 to 65. Most public sector unions agreed a deal with the Government in October 2005 whereby the pension age will be raised for all new entrants, but existing workers will be protected. Local government workers, however, were not covered, and now face proposals to abolish the "Rule of 85"...

We need a national fight back

11 Mar 2006

By Becky Crocker The 2 March demonstration in Westminster against the Government's plans for schools, called by Ealing NUT, was about a hundred strong. Despite the poor turn out, activists from NUT, UNISON and other unions showed determination to defeat this bill. The demonstration was followed by a rally at Westminster Central Hall, where a number of speakers called for an end to selection and demanded high quality, publicly-funded and accountable local schools. The NUT's Deputy General Secretary Christine Blower advocated wholesale opposition to the bill, not a compromise with the government...

Draft text for motions in Unison branches on the pensions campaign

06 Feb 2006

The following text, submitted to Newcastle City Unison, may be useful to other Unison activists seeking to discuss the campaign over local government pensions. This branch/region notes: The government will place regulations to parliament from 28 February, with the plan to end the 85 year rule (ending the option of retiring at 60 without penalty for 1.5 million workers in the LGPS) Unison has said that unless the government withdraw proposals they will call a strike ballot The Government plan to cut firefighters’ pension from April 2006 provision so that: Their normal retirement age will rise...

start a fightback!

10 Dec 2005

With health, teachers and civil servants having agreed a deal over pensions with the government, local government workers have been left to battle on alone. The government has now said they will scrap the “Rule of 85” under which some council workers can retire on a full pension at 60. If the “Rule of 85” ends, all two million local government workers will work until the age of 65 by 2013. The government say the rule is “age discriminatory” and therefore illegal. That’s hogwash — the move to scrap it is part of the what the government wants to claw back from local government workers and their...

Defend Eileen Short

10 Dec 2005

UNISON and NUJ members in the Press and Publicity department of Tower Hamlets Council took strike action on Monday 28 November in defence of Eileen Short, who has been threatened with losing her job as a result of restructuring. She has worked for the council for 14 years. The department has been “restructured” five times in the last five years. The latest restructuring is just an excuse for the council to get rid of a thorn in their side. Eileen has been an ardent campaigner against the selling-off of council homes in the borough as well as being a UNISON steward. Restructuring in Eileen’s...