The best public sector pension scheme in the whole country is the one enjoyed by our MP’s, yet they have the audacity to claim that other public sector pension schemes are too generous and need to change. The proposals that we are facing will mean we pay more, get less and have to work longer before we receive our pensions. At a time when we are facing mass redundancies, pay freezes and attempts to worsen our conditions of service, it must be time for ordinary union members to say 'enough is enough'.
That is most certainly the case for a number of teaching unions and the civil service union who are to take industrial action on 30 June 2011 to protect their own pension schemes. We need to show our support for them by attending the lunchtime rallies that are taking place across the county. At the time of writing there are 12.00 demos in both Norwich and King’s Lynn outside the Forum and Top Shop respectively. Speak to your steward for news of the latest events. Please do all you can to attend.
In UNISON we look as if the strikes will be in autumn. It is unfortunate that the strikes cannot be all on the same day but it is possible that the unions striking on 30 June 2011 may need further days of action that will be the same day as our own.
Striking for unions is always a last resort and not something we take lightly. However there comes a time when we have to take a stand. The previous Government tried to attack our pensions and industrial action by UNISON members put a stop to that. We have proved industrial action can make a difference so we should feel empowered by that.
For the latest news on the pension campaign check the UNISON national website.
If you work with colleagues who are not members of a trade union please encourage them to join. We are fighting for their pensions and if they join a union they will be able to strengthen our action and improve our chances of success.
- Jonathan Dunning is the Branch Secretary of the Norfolk County Branch of UNISON.
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