Conference Friday

The final day of LG Conference in Manchester began with motion 41, which concerned policeman being taken off the street to cover for redundant civilian workers despite the policeman being on a much higher wage. A police administrator earns £16,000 but a former police officer doing the same job gets £32,000. There have been articles written in Norfolk papers suggesting that our own local force will be pushing ahead with this policy and this will have an impact on the safety of our streets.

This led onto motion 53 which spoke of the loss of skills and experience due to the closure of the Connexions service and staff being made redundant. In Norfolk our Connexions Rep, Ruth Thacker, worked hard to organise the young people to campaign to save their service, but there was still a loss of staff. The mover of the motion made mention of a friend in Suffolk whose a leading light in Suffolk Against the Cuts, a likely reference to Ruth! The loss of Connexions staff will prohibit the social mobility of our children because those who currently give the advice are trained professionals in that specific area, while teachers are usually only qualified in the area that they teach.

A lengthy debate ensued about supporting members in the private and community sectors. Our members in the private sector pay the same rates as everyone, but frequently don't have access to the same resources. It is harder to support those in the voluntary sector despite our best efforts, though in Norfolk the presence of Julie Heywood in that sector (who provides fantastic support for her members) makes a real difference. Her role is made harder as it is more difficult to get recognition agreements in the private and voluntary sector.

We must make sure we represent members before and after transfers and outsourcing, providing a tailored approach to suit the circumstances. We need joint local bargaining committees to be strong and fight the reductions of terms and conditions. The community and voluntary sector is the third biggest service group in UNISON and the organisation needs to reflect this.

Motion 65 was called 'Campaigning with the community and voluntary sector to fight the cuts'. This motion demanded an audit of members so we can learn where our members are, build better links with them and help support their local communities. We noticed that there were lots of empty seats through this motion and thought it might be because delegates didn't think it applied to them, but by this time next year they could be working in these areas after being transferred over.

NEC Spokesman Clytus lightened the mood in the break by singing! Amongst certain other numbers was the classic 'There may be trouble ahead...'

Motion 101 concerned equality in marriage and civil partnerships. The only reason that same-sex marriages aren't allowed is because it's believed by some to be a threat to the institution of marriage and to the fabric of society. Philip O'Shea spoke about his desire to get married like Kate did to William, he too wants to marry his prince. He wants to get married in church and he wants to be able to leave his pension to his partner. A civil partnership lacks the love and romance associated with marriage. While the Labour Party made huge inroads into equality with transgender and civil partnerships, we know that we still have a way to go.


Motion 76 sought to actively oppose cuts in the welfare state and highlight the devastating impact theses cuts can have on the most vulnerable in our society. Disability Living Allowance is not a benefit in the truest sense but an allowance that takes into consideration the increased living costs that those with a disability face in order to live an ordinary life.

We finished with an agreement to protect our right to take industrial action, as this government plans to weaken our rights. One amendment asked us to continue to work with the United Campaign to Repeal the Anti-Trade union Laws and the Institute of Employment Rights to promote trade union rights.

Conference Thursday

Composite D was called 'Our NHS, our Future.' In King's Lynn the Queen Elizabeth Hospital has gone to a foundation trust status and the impact of changes is already being felt with sections being hived off and private providers being bought into run them. Terms and conditions are already being ratcheted down and it will only get worse if we don't take steps to stop it now.

Motions 1 and 2 referred to organising and we felt that we need to start being better at organising rather than servicing. It is through organising that we'll strengthen our membership. We found ourselves questioning whether we use the skills of our Retired Members sufficiently. There are 160,000 retired members in UNISON so we must use them. They are willing hands that are prepared to help.


Much was made of the Three Companies Project and the organizing focus it had.

We have looked into the use of social media to recruit and organise. Online campaigning is the way forward but we mustn't do it isolation but rather as a complement to the face-to-face element. As well as a website, our branch has a Facebook page administered by delegate Melissa Brown.

As Senior Steward for libraries, Melissa has worked hard to establish a dedicated Library Facebook page as well as the main one and has also been blogging regular updates from conference. Members in their 50s are less likely to use the internet, so is this an area our branch could specifically target? One branch has themed meet-and-greet days, going out in pairs and speaking to people, both members and non members. The themes focus on a particular area of campaigning, such as pensions.

The Tower Hamlets branch shared a chant they shouted on their recent rally - 1,2,3,4 tax the rich and not the poor, 5,6,7,8 help us save the welfare state.

There was a video by Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese democracy leader and honorary UNISON member.

Jo Spears from the Southampton branch spoke at a fringe meeting looking at organising and inspired many with her story of how her branch's organising approach saw a huge increase in membership and an improvement to their terms and conditions. Jo had previously calculated that she would have to work for 244 years to earn the amount her chief executive earns in a year. Our delegation considered trying an area-based support system rather than service-based. An idea was suggested: reps could carry business cards with the rep's name and details as well as the addresses of the Facebook page and the UNISON local and national websites.


There was much discussion of proposed changes to Branch finance rules, with the suggestion that funds surplus to the day-to-day needs of branches invested in the national branch investment scheme as approved by the National Executive Council. Assurances over ethical investing were raised and the national auditors were demanding we put in safety mechanisms. Tax considerations were also discussed at length.

Amendments were proposed to Rule I: Disciplinary Action. This rule seeks to expel those in the BNP and "whose objectives are contrary to the objectives of UNISON". However, with the wording proposed, this potentially would not just apply to membership of racist parties, but other membership of other organisations such as Greenpeace and the Socialist Workers Party. There was a passionate speech against the motion due to the ambiguous nature of the wording. The NEC member who had proposed the amendments used his right to reply and gave a guarantee that the changed rule wouldn't be used against left wing parties. He claimed that by not adopting the language used, the union would leave itself open to legal challenge. However, the amendment was soundly rejected when put to the vote.

Conference Wednesday

Wednesday is an international day of action in support of the Robin Hood Tax, a suggested way to address the financial crisis within our country. Before we went into a debate about pensions, there was an update on the situation as a lot has happened this week. Misinformation and propaganda by right wing press has impacted on public opinion. Figures quoted by Treasury Spokesman Danny Alexander were based on the top civil servants' pay, not that of typical workers. This led nicely onto Composite B, which is about pensions.

Danny Alexander earns £134,000 a year, yet he wants to steal the pensions from cleaners, dinner ladies and nurses. Our response is outright rejection of government policy which expects us to "pay more, work longer and get less". No less a figure than Mervyn King, head of the Bank of England, said the price of this financial crisis is being borne by those whom did not cause it and he's surprised that public anger is not greater. In Norfolk, we have higher numbers of elderly people as a percentage of the population and so the pensions issue is one that will impact greatly upon us. Already we are seeing the impact as older people can no longer afford to leave work and make way for younger workers, which is increasing the numbers of young people out of work.


There was much mention of Dave Prentis' references to strike action, but Dave also said he'd negotiate 'any time, any place and for as long as it takes' to get a positive outcome. It is felt that these aren't the words of someone who is rushing towards a ballot.

Motion 24 continued the debate on pensions, but from the perspective of black members. Black members face great hardships because they are three times more likely to suffer poverty than white people. In Norfolk, our black community is not represented proportionately within NCC. We know that there are not many black people working in the public sector and so they will be primarily suffering the effects of the cuts in private sector roles.

Motion 39 demanded that public sector services should stay public and explored the challenges presented by mutual and social social enterprise organizations. NCC leader, Derrick Murphy, suggested that the youths who used Providence Street services should set up a scheme and run it themselves. However, without adequate and secured funding and business advice and support from properly trained staff, it would be very difficult for these young people, however enthusiastic and motivated they were, to run the scheme to a professional standard.

There were a couple of motions that spoke about the need for joint action between trade unions and communities needing to come together to oppose cuts. Our delegation spoke about working with our trades councils and external groups such and the Norfolk Coalition Against the Cuts (NCAC).

After lunch, we had an international speaker from Ireland - Shay Cody, General Secretary of IMPACT. Shay told the story of neoliberalism in Ireland and how the light-touch approach led to the failure of the Celtic Tiger economy and the well-documented devastating impact on Irish society.

Shay spoke passionately and movingly of what has happened in Ireland and how some are calling for the nation to default on their loans. This would see the deficit cut immediately but would also see public spending decimated and jobs lost while those private firms who contributed to the situation would be left practically unscathed.

Motion 87 took the campaign against public service cuts to an international audience. We are working with those in other countries who are suffering cuts like us. We should work with our sister unions in Europe and build real international solidarity in Europe. Collective action is not just possible, but can bring about change.

We had a further guest speaker, Phumzile Nxumalo, Deputy President of NAPSAWU in Swaziland. Swaziland are the only remaining country that has an absolute monarch. The king banned all political parties and trade union activities and this state of affairs has existed since 1973. He recently told his parliament what they could and could not discuss. There is no right of redress if the king does not agree with your opinion and unemployment in the country is over 45%. The International Monetary Fund have opposed structural adjustments and cut budgets but these have had little effect as they have no impact upon the king himself. Phumzile thanked our union for it's continued support.

Motion 89 concerned Palestine and the reality of the occupation was felt by our President, Angela Lynes. It was as a result of a visit she made to Palestine that this motion was proposed. We asked that our union review it's relationship with Histadrut and it was decided that we will continue to engage with it because that is what those people our representatives met in Palestine wanted.

Our policy will be one of critical engagement. We will challenge them to go beyond a paper policy. Histadrut is the leading trade union organization in Israel and has a key influence over labour law. There was opposition to this motion, which said that nothing would change and if there was another attack on a peace flotilla, they still wouldn't condemn it. There was a feeling that if nothing has changed, then we should insist on severing our ties with Histadrut.

There were many speakers against the motion. The Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) had said that it wanted other unions to sever all ties with Histadrut at an international labour conference held on 4th May 2011. However, other speakers said that the PGFTU had been clear when asked that they wanted our union to retain a relationship with Histadrut. Many speakers set out valid arguments both for and against the motion. This was a difficult motion to vote on, however, after discussion it was suggested that as we wouldn't share a platform with the BNP because it legitimises their politics of hate, so a continued relationship with Histadrut legitimises a union which has failed to condemn attacks, occupation and discrimination. We therefore voted against the Motion and it was lost.

The final motion of the day was Motion 79 - Rights at Work. This government wants to make it even harder to claim unfair dismissal and are set on changing our laws so they are even more stacked against the worker. Countries with the fairest societies have the best collective bargaining. Workers rights are fundamental human rights and we are keen to see the Labour Party ready to support our call for the relaxation of anti-union laws.

Conference Tuesday

Angela Lynes, UNISON president, welcomed everyone to conference and introduced international guest speakers. She gave a moving address, providing the background to her trade unions activities and a narrative about how she came to take on the presidency of Unison. Angela spoke of a White Line picket, where people line up, without stopping traffic, on the white markings in the middle of the road.


Mike Hayes explained about the challenges that the union was facing due to increased activity and campaigns that we have run. Our biggest challenge is maintaining momentum against the negative actions of the ConDem government. Our new headquarters was opened in April 2011 and we retain ownership of the former HQ at Mabledon Place. We will work with a developer and receive a lump sum of millions of pounds while maintaining the lease of the building for the future.

The real business got underway with Motion 33 - The Big Society, Nothing About Us, Without Us, Is For Us. The Big Society is a cynical programme designed to remove state accountability and sell off our services. Southern Cross was used as a typical example of how this government sees the future of our service delivery responsibilities. It was suggested that David Cameron should also offer us control of banks and big businesses if he wants us to have control as he claims. Margaret Thatcher said there was no such thing as society, only individuals, but now Cameron claims he wants a Big Society when a society made up on UNISON members was delivering on the premise all along. The cradle-to-grave welfare state is the great creation of the Labour Party and we are proud to state that we want a society run for human need, not corporate greed.

Motion 28 referred to the abolition of the Two Tier Code. This refers to the government attempts to remove TUPE tranfer protection from law. The attempted removal of this protection will increase the pace of the race to the bottom. There will be almost no protection for staff transferred and the private sector takes all the profit while the public sector shoulders the risk. It's really hard for us as activists to support staff in workplaces who are on different terms and conditions. The new concept of an 'Easy Council' was discussed - this being a council where all services were put out to tender and seen as easy pickings for private firms eager to cherry-pick profit-making roles.



Motion 70 dealt with campaigning Against the Tory-led Government. There is no strategy for growth in this Con/Dem plan to cut the deficit, merely the dismantling of our welfare state. We need to highlight the lies in government arguments about a 'bloated' public sector and show the real reason for the deficit. There is a movement of national industrial action growing and we want our union to be at the forefront of it. This neoliberal government believes in a small state where philanthropy and business deliver services. Cameron has no plans to reinstate services when the fortunes of our country change, proving that this is an ideological plan rather than an economic plan. The Labour rehetoric emerging from Milliband and Balls that the cuts run "too deep and too fast" is simply not good enough.

Motion 85 called for improvements to the current State Pension. The level recognized as being needed to move out of poverty is £178.00 per week and the state pension is currently £102.15, a £75+ difference. Pensioners are willing to take action over this, they want dignity, equality and no means testing. Pension credit is not claimed by many of those who are eligible and as trade unionists, we need to fight for an old age pension that promotes the things that pensioners want.

Motion 44 called for the support of Sure Start centres. There are about 55 Sure Start Children's Centres in Norfolk and these have now been structured into "lots". Those not currently under the control of a school (10 of them) are going to be put out to tender to external, probably private, providers and this is viewed as an undesirable outcome.


General Secretary Dave Prentis addressed conference after a video of the mass public protest in London on March 26 2011. Eric Pickles and Ed Balls were among the political figures discussed in Dave's address and he urged Cameron and Nick Clegg to go back to the bankers and tell them to clear up their own mess. He also stated that in future we will only support those MPs who support our values, our aims and our goals.

Dave also mentioned the tissue of lies spread by Treasury Spokesman Danny Alexander which failed to engage our membership. He rebutted the government claim that our pensions are unaffordable, stating that we have the fight of our lives ahead to protect our rights but that it is nonetheless one that we can win.

Comp E, named 'Cuts are not the Cure', looked at the government's attempts to remove the structural deficit within four years and doing so by cutting services rather than intelligently applying tax increases. This is a strategy that will hit our communities hard. It is the poor rather than the rich that will face the worst blows and those who played no part in creating the problem are being expected to pay for it. In Norfolk we saw this most clearly with the cuts to all Youth Services, including the Connexions. These young people had nothing to do with the banking crisis yet their future is being thrown on to the scrapheap without a second thought. We need a fair system that offers young people from disadvantaged backgrounds the same opportunities as those with privileged upbringing.

Motion 34 considered how women are hit more by the cuts than men. They are likely to receive lower income, are more likely to be reliant on benefits and are more dependent on the services being cut. Significantly, they are also more likely to be employed in the public sector and be UNISON members. At Norfolk County Council, women members with childcare needs have said that they were told that it's not fair that they should be able to have flexible working, a statement which fails to appreciate their legal right to request it.

Conference Monday

The day began with a guest speaker, Domingo Perez, General Secretary of South American public sector union UNE. Perez spoke of a world where economic imperialism is the only thing which seems to matter. This policy seems to be driven by the economic interests of the USA. Slashing public sector budgets in the name of efficiency savings will lead to health and welfare being neglected. Workers and trade unions must aim to build a world society formed on the basic principle of social justice.

Motion 28 defended the rights of 12,000 UNISON workers in the meat hygeine industry. New proposals would see food factories employ their own inspectors, which could be a disaster for food hygiene. UNISON feel that we need high quality state inspection of all meat plants where the inspectors are trained, qualified and independent professionals.


There was a group debate on Composite C, which is about attacks on terms and conditions. Across the country, terms are being cut and disciplinary and sickness policies are being used to dismiss staff. Workers need to use Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs) to save our terms and conditions. This is not about the deficit, it's about creating a conveniently-flexible workforce with only very basic terms and conditions. These cuts will hit women worse than men and despite government claims to the contrary, there is no evidence that agreeing cuts to terms and conditions saves jobs.

Motion 27 dealt with the notion of the living wage. The London living wage is £8.30 per hour, but outsourced workers are being warned that they might not be able to have a living wage despite companies making huge profits. A living wage is designed for a minimum acceptable standard of living and is the minimum required level to raise people out of poverty. It is shameful that in 2011 we are having to force employers to pay a decent living wage and this should be a key part of trade union agendas.

Composite D regarded Car Allowances and rising fuel costs. Our members who use their vehicle for business should not have to subsidise the employers. We need a travel scheme which fairly remunerates workers for their travel costs, especially as fuel costs take up a large part of the wage of the low paid. It was felt that Britain needed a fair fuel regulator. A speaker against the motion said leading by example doesn't help and we need more progressive action and better green policies. It was pointed out that the employers often try and use the climate change agenda as a reason for cutting travel costs.

Motion 29 concerned the Green Book and sickness arrangements that offer some form of protection to those with a disability. In addition, the annual leave entitlement provides respite from illness. However, the government wishes to move away from Green Book conditions and is seeking to erode nationally agreed terms and conditions, by taking such measures as forcing workers to visit their doctor in their own time.

Motion 19 was about the Localism bill and the community right to challenge, which is meant to allow the involvement of charities and social enterprises but also opens the door for free-market tendering of public services which will lead to privatisation.

Guest Speaker Clifford Singer talked about campaigns and social media. Spoof posters such as the famous "Vote Conservative or I'll kill this kitten" were popular prior to the last general election and were circulated widely on Facebook and Twitter. The 'False Economy' website saw the coming together of various campaigns and was valued by people looking for arguments to support the stance that there are alternatives and cuts are not the cure.


Humour and satire is a good way to respond to ridiculous pieces of information. Crowd sourcing is a new idea whereby the public are able to send in info to generate news pieces for websites, and organisations such as UK UnCut and 38 Degrees have taken protests off the internet and onto the streets through actions such as candlelit vigils and lobbying MPs. Social media has the ability to neutralise the dominant ideology put out by the right-wing press. YouTube footage also has the power to shift false messages put out by mainstream media.

Motion 42 campaigned against college cuts. Colleges have a key role in economic recovery, directly increasing the knowledge of our members and helping them progress their careers and increase their earning potential. Cuts will see our members miss out on adult and further education, as well as denying our members in colleges proper terms and conditions.

Motion 43 related to colleges and the green agenda. It was felt that the green agenda could be one of the first to be dropped in the race to make cuts. Home working was raised as an area of concern, one which our delegation agreed needed to be kept under observation because we know that many of our members subsidise the council with their work at home.

Composite F referred to School Support Staff. The government wants to have greater deregulation of pay and T&Cs. An increase in need requires an increase in funding, but instead staff are being slashed. Learning support staff are stretched and subject to the expectation that they will take on extra duties for no extra pay. Local Authorities act as a safety net for schools, but allowing Academy Status would remove this safety net. This government sees the role of support staff as being better suited to voluntary workers as per their Big Society ideals.

Motion 15 was named 'No more Free schools or Gove-style academies'. This refers to the marketisation and privatisation of education. Schools can go over to academy status very quickly and communities should be involved in consultation, but it very rarely happens in the way it should. Winners and losers are present when you introduce competition to education and our children shouldn't be the victim of an ideology that wants to see profit at the heart of everything. As these academies are essentially private schools funded by the state, it allows companies to come in and make profit from the state when that money would be better spent on improving standards.

Motion 45 related to social care integration with health services. A single point of access for elderly people sounds like a good idea but would not put an end to the postcode lottery nor negate the need for efficiency savings. The merging of social care and NHS could see the blurring of roles without any integrated organisation. It was recognised that the goals of integrating services were generally positive ones but the main driver was not care standards, but instead saving money.

The pressures in social work are growing and our members are being placed under greater force to list children as being in need rather than at risk. Cuts might see a reduction in admin support, a typical cut claiming that back office staff are not front line and therefore not a necessary part of the service. However, social workers now have to perform roles that should be undertaken by paid admin staff and can't concentrate their time and attention to the protection work.

Motion 22 identified that cuts in housing are across the board. Benefits, numbers working in the sector, resources for supporting homeless people, legislation and security of tenure have all reduced in the last two years. Guaranteed housing contributes towards social cohesion and feelings of security. There is some history of services being brought back in house where private companies have failed.

Conference Sunday 2011

In the first of a number of daily blog updates, Jo Rust updates us daily from National Conference 2011, currently being held in Manchester. These updates have been edited by Kris Holt.


UNISON's National Conference began in earnest on Sunday with the annual report. A tsunami of cuts are hitting all areas of public life, with the country's most vulnerable being victimised by these savage cuts. Cameron's oft repeated mantra that these cuts are inevitable because the last government maxed out the credit card is a lie - if there is money to pay for wars, there's money to pay for public services.

Dave Prentis is leading negotiations on pensions and we are still in negotiation but if we don't get what we want, we have to be prepared to strike. It is important to win that ballot and win with a majority. We will do it together with our sister unions all over the country and with our private sector colleagues whose pensions have been hit too. The government claim is that the cuts are necessary because we're living longer and things as they stand are not sustainable. However, there is a strong feeling that these attacks are about making it cheaper so we can be taken over by private companies. The message to Cameron, we're the ones who are in this together.

A composite is a type of special conference motion created by merging multiple proposed motions with the same goal. As you might expect, there were a number of motions defending the pension scheme (LGPS) and Composite E defended this. It is time to tackle the notion that our pension scheme is gold-plated - women workers only get an average of £55 a week. The LGPS is healthy, with more money going in than being paid out. It was stated that we need a strong voice from the Labour leader, Ed Milliband.

30th June 2011 is beginning to look more and more like the first general strike as more and more areas are coming out in support. The RMT union are striking on the day over the reinstatement of a member and the prison officers are having a two hour walk out on the day. While our members were speaking in support of Composite E, our General Secretary Dave Prentis was live on Sky News refuting the claims of Treasury Spokesman Danny Alexander.

By making the LGPS more expensive and less profitable fewer people will join it and it'll become weaker for our future beneficiaries. The mantra "pay more, work longer and get less" was repeated by nearly every speaker. Employers have been allowed pension holidays while our members have never been able to take one. Once members are transferred over to the new scheme, they could lose their pension protection. It's down to us to make people understand and become aware because the right wing press are never going to put across our side of the story.


Motion 36 concerned black workers and the LGPS. Pension cuts hit us all but hits black people even worse as they're three times more likely to live in poverty in old age. Black workers are more likely to suffer redundancies. Black women are often the main breadwinners in their households and frequently have two jobs. Conference identified the link between low pay and low pensions and it was claimed that the wealth of the rich has doubled since the 1970s.

Motion 6 dealt with the effect of the cuts on rural communities. These communitites are reliant on private transport but having to cut it back because of rising fuel prices and lower wages. Ironically, those factors mean that public transport becomes increasingly vital. Services have to be delivered differently in rural areas because people can't just walk into the town and get a service in the way that those living in urban areas can. However, the nature of rural communities means that they are often not seen as a priority.

Motion 9 speaking up for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender (LGBT) equality in a time of cuts in Local Government. LGBT workers have been among then last to gain the protection of the law and they have been disproportionately hit by the cuts. In addition to this, they face being bullied at work but fear to complain while their jobs are under threat.

Motion 16 referred to youth services in crisis. Cuts to youth services are a false economy, reducing access to work and the chance to empower younger people to achieve in future. Youth work enlightens young people, raises self-esteem and aspirations. Attacking the young people of today was described as 'an attack on the future'.

Composite B investigated ways to use equality to fight the cuts agenda. The motion believes that Equality Impact Assessments (EqIA) are the best way for councils to demonstrate that they have placed due regard to their equality duties. The flawed notion of 'Big Society' cannot replace properly funded public services. Some branches play a very active part in the formation of their EqIA and then meet up to discuss lessons learned. A high court judge recently ruled that the changes to equality legislation made no difference to the need for councils to do EqIA fully and properly with consultation, and this made Birmingham City Council change their plans to cut children's services.


Finally, Composite A campaigned against Local Government cuts and for a fairer deal for all. Local authorities are shedding jobs, services and people at an unprecedented level. We cannot support councils who set illegal or irresponsible budgets, instead working with them to set parallel budgets and ensure that they are accountable. Nearly four million children in modern day Britain are living in poverty and some of those live in homes where there is a working adult.

We know that this government is influenced by public opinion and so we have to make sure the public fully understand why we are taking this stance. We need coordinated action between all service sectors and other unions. The Southampton strike is now entering a sixth week of action and we need to support it. Local support remains high despite media lies. Meanwhile, Crawley Council have lent Southampton Council £5 million to help them combat the impact of the strike action but a UNISON speaker from Southampton made it clear that they will never give up the fight. Within UNISON, an injury to one is an injury to all. We must stand together, unite and fight, make the public understand, then we can win this fight.

Action on Pensions

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.