18 April The union's national executive this afternoon
unanimously agreed a programme of ongoing action, starting with
national strikes over pensions co-ordinated with other unions on
10 May and at the end of June.
The action across the civil service, health and education, will
include joint national strikes; national, regional and local
protests; lobbying of ministers, MPs and other politicians; and
co-ordinated, targeted industrial action in employer groups and
sectors.
The plans are designed to help build the maximum possible level
of co-ordination between unions in the weeks and months ahead,
to press the government for more meaningful negotiations.
Following our ballot result – in which 90.5% voted to reject the
government's pensions offer and 72.1% voted for a programme of
further action – we wrote to Cabinet Office minister Francis
Maude requesting genuine negotiations but, as yet, have not
received a reply.
Since March we have successfully worked to build a coalition of
unions ready to take the action needed to put real pressure on
the government.
Unite has already announced that its members in health will hold
national strike action on 10 May and a ballot of Unite members
in the civil service closes tomorrow, with an expectation they
will also join the action.
In education, UCU has confirmed it intends to strike on 10 May,
though this is subject to a decision next week. Following its
annual conference, the NUT executive is due to meet next week to
take final decisions on rolling regional and national strikes,
including proposed national action in June.
The main Northern Ireland public sector union NIPSA has
confirmed plans to take action on that date and RMT members in
the Royal Fleet Auxiliary will also be on strike.
The action will come a day after the Queen's Speech, which is
expected to include a parliamentary bill forcing through changes
to public sector pensions that will mean civil and public
servants paying much more every month and working up to eight
years longer for a lower pension in retirement.
Campaign plans for members in employer groups are being drawn up
alongside proposals for national action, with groups encouraged
to consider how their own issues are taken forward.
On 10 May, we will be organising strike day activities in each
region with other unions – including, marches and rallies – and
we will look to include other campaign groups such as the
National Pensioners Association, UK Uncut, Disabled People
Against the Cuts, BARAC and local anti-cuts alliances.
The Police Federation is also planning a national march through
central London on 10 May to protest about cuts to pay, pensions
and jobs.
More information about these plans will be posted to our website
by early next week.
Since the last NEC, lobbying events have been organised,
starting with a protest in deputy prime minister Nick Clegg's
constituency in Sheffield at the weekend,. Others are planned in
the constituencies of key cabinet members, including David
Cameron, George Osborne, Francis Maude, Michael Gove and Danny
Alexander.
