Getting ready for the strike...
Apologies for cross posting this to Union Futures as well as my own blog – but it seems sufficiently important.
The most important thing for Unison activists in local government in
For all the different reasons that people give for not wanting to strike - the most important question is always whether trade unionists believe that the union can win a better deal through the sacrifice of strike action.
Therefore I am boring members of my branch by going on about the lesson from 1989 and 2002 - which is that national local government strike action can work.
There are however some important practical steps which can be taken.
I am pleased that my local branch has worked with our employer to secure their confirmation to staff that they do not ask staff to cross our picket lines - and to managers that they are not expected to encourage strike breaking.
This helps to isolate any rogue reactionary managers and to give confidence to new staff in particular to do the right thing.
I am also pleased that colleagues in the other local unions have agreed a joint appeal to all trade unionists not to cross picket lines. This helps those fellow trade unionists who want to support us.
There remains the question of hardship - and I am glad that Unison has issued some guidance (albeit it could be better worded) - I am also impressed to hear that some branches have already agreed with their employers to defer making deductions until the dispute is settled, a good idea which should be taken up more widely.
Circulating detailed information about deductions which will be made - also about the impact on pensions - and about the benefit of various possible settlements of the dispute is certainly worthwhile.
Good luck everybody.
3 comments:
thanks for this post Jon.. i've added this comment here as well as on your blog
I was just discussing with other comrades from workers liberty and wider things that people need to do now.
i should have posted here earlier that when i found out last week from an activist in gateshead union that their labour council was not taking the 2 days pay out until after the dispute is settled, i emailed our newcastle branch sec and asked he ask for the same off our lib dem leader (since our libdem leader has opportunistically said he thinks we deserve a better pay rise) but i was seriously suprised when 2 days later, an email came round to say he had agreed. I have since found out that another north east council south tyneside has done the same.
It is clearly the eleventh hour, but any authority that says they have sympathy with us, could decide to do the same. So phone calls monday morning might be in order.
On a second note another WL comrade informed us that in their branch they were linking the strike fund / welfare fund was giving activists who attended picket lines support / pay for one day of the strike.
Although not all union branches have such funds, for those who are in real financial hardship linking it to supporting a picket line is a pretty good idea, that i hadnt thought of (thanks Jean for that)
Also we have started discussing selective action in our branch (which was discussed in the pension dispute) has this been discussed at a national level or in ohter branches/regions and what worker groups do comrades think could have the most impact?
Lastly Jon could you promote the locgovactivsts@unionlists.org.uk list that has been set up similar to successful healthactivist
We need to have all activists discussing and sharing experience, and an egroup may be better than a blog for such an exercise
comradely
Ed (workers liberty, newcastle)
just to add
to join the email list
The easiest way to subscribe is to go here:
http://www.unionlists.org.uk/lists/subscribe/locgovactivists
Or send an email to locgovactivists-request@unionlists.org.uk with the subject 'subscribe'.
Would be great to get reports to the email list of strikes up and down the country and of what is being discussed at rallies and meetings in terms of future action.
Ed
Thanks for that Ed, thats good to know and although it is the eleventh hour councils wouldnt be taking it out until the August pay round so we have a few weeks after the striek to carry on arguing for this!
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