Make N30 a Festival of Resistance to cuts

By Paul Mackney
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called a Day of Action for pensions justice on November 30. Up to 3 million public sector workers from 20 unions are expected to take part in the biggest strike since the General Strike in 1926.

The formal dispute is over public sector pensions (well-explained here http://pensionsjustice.org.uk/the_attack_on_pensions ). But it is clear that November 30th also represents a fundamental challenge to the cuts and privatisation programme of the ConDem Government.

The Coalition of Resistance (CoR) has called for the maximum possible co-ordinated strike action. In addition, we want all anti-cuts committees and activists, whether in a union or not, to pull out all the stops to turn November 30th into a Festival of Resistance, with pensioners, students and unemployed people joining together in a massive day of defence for jobs, the NHS, the Welfare State, and free education.

Len McCluskey, UNITE general secretary, has said: “Every conceivable form of protest and action should be considered, from civil disobedience through to co-ordinated industrial strikes in the face of the type of onslaught we are looking at.”

This Coalition of Resistance site will keep you up to date with developments. If you have items please send them to: [email protected]

Other useful sites include: South East Regional TUC (SERTUC); http://www.tuc.org.uk; and the TUC’s new website http://www.pensionsjustice.org.uk

UNISON’s Support the Day of Action Facebook site http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=124093074357175 .

6 October Circular from TUC calls for Action Saturdays in run up to November 30th

This TUC circular notes that in addition to winning massive turn-outs in the ballots, it is important to win the argument and to “organise a series of Action Saturdays to leaflet to centres and other venues” – 29 October or 5 November and 19 November are suggested days. Trade Councils are particularly well placed to take a lead in many of these actions.
http://www.tuc.org.uk/union/tuc-20138-f0.cfm

It also gives details of the ‘template’ for action on the day itself with mornings reserved for picketing and delivering the action and from lunchtime onward, short marches and rallies that provide an opportunity for a public show of strength.

Union publicly declared positions (4 October 2011)

ATL (30 June ballot mandate still valid) Any action by ATL on Wednesday 30 November will be decided by ATL’s National Executive and will be based on the success of the negotiations and lobby
http://www.atl.org.uk/pensions/campaign/pensions-campaign-overview.asp

CSP is currently organising local meetings to gauge support for this action
http://www.csp.org.uk/professional-union/union-support/pay-conditions/pensions

FDA is to begin the process of organising a ballot of members for action on 30 November
http://www.fda.org.uk/Media/Whats-new/FDA-agrees-to-ballot-on-TUC-wide-Day-of-Action.aspx

NASUWT The National Executive has already decided to prepare for a ballot for industrial action to commence in the autumn term
http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/Whatsnew/NASUWTNews/PressReleases/NASUWTEndorsesTUCCallForADayOfAction/NASUWT_008275

NUT (30 June ballot mandate still valid) will be giving its full support to the TUC-led day of action on November 30
http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/13857

PCS (30 June ballot mandate still valid) A quarter of a million civil and public servants from PCS will be part of an historic day of mass industrial action and protest on 30 November
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/index.cfm/id/B080D925-89E1-4CDB-8D5B120767C66106

Prospect The union’s National Executive Committee has already given contingent authority to ballot members in the civil service and related areas on strike action and action short of a strike
http://www.prospect.org.uk/news/newsstory.php?news=934

SCP ‘we will continue to work with other health service unions in planning and preparing to ballot members for industrial action should the negotiations stall’
http://www.feetforlife.org/podiatry-news/news-archive/public-sector-pensions-scp-continue-negotiations-at-scheme-level/

UCU (30 June ballot mandate still valid) will be joining other unions in a day of action to defend pensions on 30 November
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5738

Unison will be balloting members (eligible for the local government pension scheme, NHS pension scheme or civil service pension scheme) for industrial action over the threat to your pension
http://www.unison.org.uk/pensions/protectour.asp

Unite will ballot its 250,000 members in the public sector for industrial action in defence of public service pensions
http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_to_ballot_its_250000_pu.aspx?lang=en-gb

Joint Teacher Unions’ Petition on Fair Pensions for All

NUT, UCU, ATL, NASUWT, ASCL, NAHT and UCAC will be handing in a joint unions’ Teachers’ Pension Scheme petition on 26 October 2011 . If you haven’t already done so, please sign it online now by clicking here: http://www.ucu.org.uk/tpspetition.

Education unions lobby – 26 October

The joint union campaign against pension cuts (involving ASCL, ATL, NAHT, NASUWT, NUT, UCAC and UCU) is organising a joint lobby of Parliament on Wednesday 26 October 2011. http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/13810

Affiliates’ ballots update (5 October 2011)

1. ATL (30 June ballot mandate still valid) ATL’s Action Committee and Executive Committee decided on 1 October that subject to meaningful negotiations with the government ATL and AMiE will be balloting teachers in Northern Ireland and Scotland as well as members in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) over taking action. Teachers in England and Wales were already balloted and took action on 30 June. ATL along with other public sector unions in the TUC has also agreed to hold a day of action on Wednesday 30 November to protest against the government’s proposed changes to your pension.
http://www.atl.org.uk/pensions/campaign/pensions-campaign-overview.asp

2. CSP the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy will ballot members in the NHS at the end of October on industrial action. If the ballot is approved the CSP will join other health unions in a day of action on 30 November
http://www.csp.org.uk/press-releases/2011/09/29/physiotherapists-vote-strike-action-over-pensions-changes

3. FDA is to begin the process of organising a ballot of members for action on 30 November
http://www.fda.org.uk/Media/Whats-new/FDA-agrees-to-ballot-on-TUC-wide-Day-of-Action.aspx

4. NAHT The National Association of Head Teachers (not a TUC affiliated union) has confirmed the dates of its ballot on strike action over proposed pension cuts.
http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/key-topics/pensions/naht-confirms-ballot-dates-for-strike-action/ Ballot papers will be despatched on Thursday

29th September and the ballot will close on Wednesday 9 November. If its members vote yes, it will be the first time in the union’s 114-year history that its members will have chosen to strike. The NAHT has not yet decided on a date for possible strike action in the light of a yes vote. However, any day of action must be taken within four weeks of the ballot closing date.
November 30 would, therefore, be possible.

5. NASUWT is announcing its timetable for balloting over 220,000 members for industrial action. Employers will receive notice of the NASUWT’s intention to ballot by 20 October. The ballot of members will open on 4 November and close on 17 November. Members will be balloted for action short of strike action as well as for strike action
http://www.nasuwt.org.uk/Whatsnew/NASUWTNews/PressReleases/LargestTeachersUnionAnnouncesBallotForAction/NASUWT_008365

6. NUT (30 June ballot mandate still valid) will be giving its full support to the TUC-led day of action on November 30
http://www.teachers.org.uk/node/13857

7. PCS (30 June ballot mandate still valid) NEC has endorsed a quarter of a million civil and public servants joining a public sector-wide strike on 30 November. This will be followed by a one-month overtime ban.
http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/news_and_events/news_centre/recent-news.cfm/id/8E6068CB-FB42-4837-8F0BAE733248EE87

8. Prospect will ballot members in the civil service for national strike action on 30 November. The ballot will run from 24 October to 14 November
http://www.prospect.org.uk/news/newsstory.php?news=942

9. SCP we will continue to work with other health service unions in planning and preparing to ballot members for industrial action should the negotiations stall
http://www.feetforlife.org/podiatry-news/news-archive/public-sector-pensions-scp-continue-negotiations-at-scheme-level/

10. UCU (30 June ballot mandate still valid) will be joining other unions in a day of action to defend pensions on 30 November
http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=5738

11. Unison will be balloting members (eligible for the local government pension scheme, NHS pension scheme or civil service pension scheme) for industrial action over the threat to your pension
http://www.unison.org.uk/pensions/protectour.asp

12. Unite will ballot its 250,000 members in the public sector for industrial action in defence of public service pensions

http://www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_to_ballot_its_250000_pu.aspx?lang=en-gb

TUC statement on pensions (mid-Sept 2011)

“The TUC’s public service unions met after the conclusion of the TUC’s annual Congress last week to receive a report on the most recent round of negotiations with the government on public service pensions and to consider the next steps in their united campaign to defend decent pensions for millions of public services workers as part of their battle for decent pensions for all.

The TUC and unions are committed to continuing the talks with the government, and with the relevant employers in each of the separate major public service pensions schemes, but the government is urged to bring new proposals to the table urgently to make progress possible. Last Wednesday’s meeting also agreed, however, given the failure of the government to engage properly in the negotiations, to step up the campaign and to hold a first day of action on Wednesday 30 November.

Each union has been asked to consider taking what they judge to be the most appropriate form of action possible to show their support for this united campaign.

This would range from strike action, where ballot mandates have been secured from members and unions judge that appropriate, through to lunchtime meetings, rallies and joint events with community groups and service users. The intention will be to take the call for pensions justice for both public and private sector workers to every corner of the land on that day in the biggest trade union mobilisation in a generation.

Further consideration is being given to what further action may be appropriate beyond the day of action if progress towards a settlement is not secured. A further meeting will be held before the end of September to receive reports from unions on plans being made.

This call reflects the huge anger of public service workers over the threat to their pensions and the deep frustration over difficulties of securing government engagement in meaningful negotiations. This planned day of action will be an unprecedented coming together of the whole public service workforce and the communities they serve in a united demand for pensions justice.

The TUC and unions remain absolutely committed, in good faith, to seeking a fair negotiated settlement of this dispute so that this action will not be necessary. But the government needs to understand the strength of unions’ resolve reflected in today’s decision.”

TUC COMPOSITE RESOLUTION ON PENSIONS (carried unanimously at Congress Sept 2011)

“Our pensions represent the most important condition of employment after pay itself, enabling workers to survive into old age without poverty. Workers’ pension funds represent the single largest source of investment finance and are central to growing our economy from recession.

Congress congratulates unions for the successful industrial action on 30 June in defence of pensions which exposed the government’s pensions plans to closer scrutiny, raised a public debate, and mobilised hundreds of thousands of people on pickets, rallies and marches.

Congress reaffirms its support for the existing public sector pension schemes, and its opposition to the government’s attempts to impose unnecessary cuts on those schemes and present those cuts as an economic necessity rather than a political choice on its part.

Constant attacks on public and private sector pensions, fuelled by this coalition, threaten their viability, meaning that the rights of current and future pensioners to draw their pensions are under threat.

This includes the decision to change the uprating measure from RPI to CPI thus reducing the value of benefits by around 15 per cent, a government attack now being opportunistically replicated across the private sector.

Congress notes the Chancellor’s statement in the 2010 CSR that ‘from the perspective of filling the hole in the public finances, we will seek changes that deliver an additional £1.8bn of savings per year in the cost of public service pensions by 2014-15′. Congress condemns the government’s continuing attempts to impose contributions increases, which are simply a tax on public sector pensions. The intention to increase contributions by 50 per cent plus will cause many members to reconsider their membership.

Congress condemns misleading statements by government ministers on the affordability of public sector pensions and notes that the Hutton report showed costs falling, and that the NAO report showed the reforms agreed in 2007/08 ‘reduces costs to taxpayers by 14 per cent’. Congress notes that the total cost of providing tax relief to higher rate taxpayers is more than five times the cost of public sector pensions. Congress believes that the so-called ‘reform’ of public sector pensions is about making them
‘affordable’ for privatisation.

Abolition of the Fair Deal arrangements will lead to a critical point in schemes where government will be liable for finding additional money to pay current pensioners because there are not enough people contributing to the schemes.

Provisions for Admitted Body Status must be preserved to ensure that workers who are TUPE’d in and out of local government do not have their pension entitlements eroded and that private companies are not given an unfair advantage when bidding for local government contracts.

Congress recognises that pensions are an important element of the reward package and are in fact deferred pay. As the government seeks to dramatically cut the value of pension provision for millions of public sector workers, it is vital that the impact on this total package is addressed.

Congress further recognises that many public sector workers, particularly those in more senior managerial and professional roles, are paid significantly below levels they could achieve in the private sector. The government’s own evidence suggests that for the civil service, this results in rates of between 20 per cent and 50 per cent below private sector comparators for some of the more senior grades, even accounting for pension provision. This situation will only deteriorate as a result of the freeze on public sector pay increases and the disproportionate impact this has on the civil service where structural pay progression has already been abandoned.

Congress calls upon the government to recognise the value it gains from committed public servants and the need to ensure that they are rewarded fairly for the work they do for the public. Congress further calls upon the government, as an integral part of any pension reform, to commit to open and transparent pay arrangements for public servants that includes reference to external pay comparators as part of a process for pay determination.

Congress further recognises that occupational pension schemes must be designed around the demands of the occupation, including the physical demands of those occupations. Retirement age cannot simply be determined by general conclusions around life expectancy but should be based around the requirements of the relevant profession.

Congress notes the probability of another round of crisis in teacher recruitment and retention if the government imposes its proposals for public sector pension reform, in the forms of a large volume of premature retirement, difficulty in recruiting graduates who are deep in debt, and increased unattractiveness of headship. Congress notes also the threat to the teacher pension scheme from a high opt-out rate.

The government are putting public sector pensions at risk and have failed to act on the private pensions scandal. Further, with some 14 million workers in the private sector having no workplace pension provision, Government and employers should be encouraging people to save for their retirement, not attacking those workers who do.

Congress restates its commitment to fair pensions for all private and public sector workers and existing pensioners and to continuing to campaign, including with pensioner and other organisations. Congress reaffirms existing TUC pensions policy, including for increases in the state basic pension and for a requirement on all employers to contribute adequately to occupational pension schemes for their employees.

Congress asserts that attacks on pay and conditions of service, including pensions, should be challenged by all appropriate means, including legal action.

Congress therefore welcomes the coordinated action by TUC affiliates, securing a judicial review of the imposition of a stealth tax switch to CPI pension indexation.

Congress condemns the undemocratic, underhand and dishonest way in which the coalition government went about changing the index used for public service pension increases from RPI to CPI. Congress notes that this change also affected millions of members of private sector schemes.

Congress is particularly concerned about the retrospective nature of the change that has also resulted in on-going windfall savings for employers whose liabilities have been slashed as there is no obligation to use these savings to improve scheme funding levels. Congress calls on the General Council to work with affiliates in campaigning for the reversal of this government policy.

Congress welcomes the TUC’s support for public sector workers in coordinating and leading talks with the government on public sector pensions. Congress calls on the General Council to ensure that the TUC continues to coordinate opposition to the government’s proposals, including support for further coordinated negotiations and for further industrial action as necessary, coordinated as far as possible among the public sector unions.

Congress recognises that the TUC and public sector unions must continue to work together in order to secure fair outcomes for every scheme. Congress agrees that the government must not now be allowed to ‘divide and rule’ through individual scheme negotiations.

Congress calls on the government to respect the experience and knowledge brought to pensions negotiations by the trade unions, who have close to their hearts public service delivery as well as the interests of staff.

Congress expresses its concern at the unsatisfactory response of the Labour leadership and instructs the TUC General Council to press for support for future action in defence of the agreement signed with the last Labour government.

Congress calls on the General Council to:

i. robustly defend public sector pensions and campaign for affordable pensions for all workers on the basis that provision should be based on levelling up and making private companies face up to their responsibilities rather than cutting public sector pensions

ii. support and co-ordinate close collaboration between affiliates in defence of schemes

iii. mobilise, politicise and campaign with pension groups and civil society to prevent poverty in the future.

iv. give full support to industrial action against pensions cuts, including action planned for this autumn, and maximise its co-ordination

v. use the media to dispel the myths and falsifications around pensions

vi. campaign for Fair Pensions for All.”

Composite of Motions from: UNISON; Public and Commercial Services Union; National Union of Teachers; Association of Teachers and Lecturers; Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association; FDA ; Unite; NASUWT; Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians; Fire Brigades’ Union

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