: HOPI cricket and marathon 2011

Dear friends,

We are writing to you to inform you about two fundraising events organised by Hands off the people of Iran taking place over the coming months and to ask for your help in supporting these events. At this current time of enormous political and economic crisis, a continued UN sanctions and war threats, Iranian workers are in a very difficult situation.

This is why it is absolutely vital that the workers' movement in this country organises material and ideological solidarity with workers', women's and students' struggles in Iran - they are our natural allies and a true beacon of hope for genuine democracy and freedom.

On September 25, many of our activists from the UK, France, the USA, Italy, Sweden and Germany will be pounding the streets of Berlin, running the Berlin marathon for the charity Workers' Fund Iran (http://www.workersfund.org/), which raises money for Iranian workers. The charity is an independent organisation. Funds sent to Iran will be distributed amongst the most needy working class families who are facing destitution, regardless of political affiliation.

You can sponsor us online using Charity Choice's website:

https://www.charitychoice.co.uk/donation.asp?ref=154051

September 11 2011 (midday) will once again see Hands Off the People of Iran play the Labour Representation Committee at the cricket ground in Wray Crescent, London N4, in their annual solidarity cricket match to raise £1,500 for Workers' Fund Iran.

This is the third solidarity cricket event following the successful match last year and we are confident that this year will be an even bigger and better event as we continue to build on the success of pervious years' events. As those of you who have attended in the past will know, it's a fun day out whether you're a cricket fanatic or your idea of a good time is more at long the lines of sipping away at a cold one in the sun talking politics. Food and drink will be provided at the match and, for those who want to make an evening of it, there will be a social evening following on from the match.

We are calling on your help to make this day as successful as possible.

Can you support us by:

*Playing? Could your union, campaign or trades council send a player? Both male and female welcome players welcome!

*Getting your union branch/campaign/organisation to sponsor the event and cover some of the numerous costs involved in organising the events? Get in touch and we will send you a model motion.

*Helping out on the day? There is a load of work to do on the day itself. The more people we have to help, the better.

*Promoting the event in mailouts, on blogs, or help with leafleting for the event?

Please get in touch with us to offer your help, show solidarity or find out more about what should be an excellent event for an excellent cause!

John McDonnell MP

Yassamine Mather Chair, Hands off the people of Iran

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Unison: Public sector pension talks jeopardised by naïve playground tactics :United action now

Here's an idea let's show them that we know how to negotiate and show our strength by announcing our ballot timetable! Coordinated with the other unions of course.

Whilst the move to sector specific negotiations is clearly being used as a divide and rule by this Government, we as trade unions can still refuse to let them divide us and move into action to defend our pensions together.

The move to sector specific doesn't stop this being an attack on pensions in the whole of the public sector - work longer, pay more and get less for every public sector worker in a pension scheme.

We could still see strike action in (late) Autumn if unison now takes the lead and "steps up a gear" as our General Secretary Dave Prentis promised he would at conference.

Individual trade disputes in each pension scheme with the relevant Secretaries of State on any one of the contribution increases, retirement ages, uprating and private sector membership could see united action.

The longer we leave it the more demoralised our members become.

Conference sent a clear message from delegates as well as the Gen Sec and top table that we need and are up for united action to defend pensions.

Now is the time to act.

From : http://ow.ly/5Pg02

28/07/2011
Public sector pension talks jeopardised by naïve playground tactics
UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, today rounded on Government ministers for putting public sector pension talks in "jeopardy" by their "naïve tactics" and apparent lack of negotiating skills. And called on them to abandon the playground games and get serious.

He said:

"We entered into the scheme specific talks on public sector pensions in good faith and we genuinely believe we are making progress, albeit slowly. But these talks are being put in jeopardy by the crude and naïve tactics of Government ministers who don't seem to understand the word negotiate.

"The government must take its responsibilities seriously, and stop treating these talks like some kind of playground game.

"Let's not forget that these talks are about real people, hard-working individuals who signed up to, and pay into, a pension scheme that is supposed to cushion them against poverty in old age. Extra contributions won't go back into the pension schemes, but straight to the Treasury to pay off the country's deficit – effectively a tax on public sector workers to pay for the bankers' mess. That is totally unjust.

"It is totally unhelpful to the progress of these talks to release their bargaining position as though it is set in stone. If it is set in stone, then there is no point in having a single further meeting."

The union insists that any changes should be based on evidence and not political ideology. Average pension in local government is £4,000, but for women its just £2,800 (£56 a week) and in health its just £7,500, and £3,000 for women. Members of those schemes pay in between 5.5% and 7.5% of their salaries to save for their retirement. If they did not save, they would end up on means-tested benefits at a cost to taxpayers.

Both the local government and the health schemes are cash rich and were renegotiated a few years ago to make them sustainable and affordable – longevity costs would be paid by the employee not the employer.

The union argues that making people pay more, work longer for a smaller pension is unnecessary, unjust and unworkable. People will leave the schemes, if they become too expensive, and they will collapse.

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Strike action spreads in Southampton - Social work staff to strike

Update from Mike Tucker UNISON NEC and Southampton Branch Secretary

1.  Industrial Action
On Wednesday 3 August, up to 450 social work staff in both Children's Services and Adult Services will strike for one day as part of the ongoing dispute over pay cuts.  While cutting the pay of social care staff by 5%, the City Council responded to the threat of mass resignations of Child Protection Social Workers by making a "market supplement" payment to them of £1400 a year.  For newly qualified Social Workers, this payment was equivalent to the 5% pay cut, for more experienced workers, it is less than they are having taken from their pay.  This £1400 payment has caused widespread anger among all social care staff.  It is not being paid to all Social Workers in Children's Social Services and is not being paid at all in Adult Services.  Two mass meetings of social care staff were held in July and both voted to strike.
 
In addition to the one day strike, groups of social work staff are to start a period of extended strike action from 4 August.  Details of the work groups who will strike will be issued tomorrow.
 
There will be widespread picket lines across Southampton on 3 August, and a rally at 11.00 a.m. in Guildhall Square.  The social work staff will meet at 12 noon on 3 August to decide what further strikes to call.  Messages of support for 3 August would be appreciated.
 
Strike action across the City is continuing.  This week there are strikes in Street Cleansing, Parking Operations, Vehicle Workshops and the Itchen Bridge.  Further strikes will be announced on Monday 1 August.  Despite the imposition of the pay cuts on 11 July, the industrial action continues.
 
2.  Legal Action Against the Council
The collective Employment Tribunal against the Council, taken out by UNISON and Unite for failure to consult on the dismissals, is not expected to be heard until 2012.  This is because the Council have claimed that the hearing will take between 5 and 6 weeks.  The union has started drawing up individual unfair dismissal claims.  Adverts have been placed in the local paper and all members have been mailed with a case form to start the tribunal process.  Briefing sessions were held yesterday with Thompsons Solicitors in attendance to explain the legal process.  Over 100 UNISON / Unite members attended these briefings.
 
3.  Talks with the Council continue but!
Talks between the Council and UNISON / Unite are continuing.  Phil Wood, the Regional Secretary has been present at the latest meetings.  The Council has still not revised their proposals and the prospect of resolving the dispute remains remote.
 
4.  We need financial help
With the industrial action already taking place, and the action planned, the Branch will have spent £150,000.  We have received promises of financial assistance from both the Region and from National level and have this week received an emergency cash transfer from UNISON to help the Branch to continue to function.
 
We have also received donations fro many branches across the Region and the country.  I understand that the National union is to send out an appeal letter to all Branches shortly.  Our Branch remains in the frontline of the fight against pay cuts and reductions.  Today we have received a message of support and donation from the Shetland Islands UNISON Branch.  Please send us further donations if you are able.  Our members wish to continue to fight wage cuts, with your help we can ensure that we have the financial resources to continue.
 
Cheques should be made payable to UNISON Southampton District Branch and sent to UNISON Southampton District Branch, UNISON Office, Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7NB.
 
For updates on the dispute, see our Branch web site at www.soton-unison-office.org.uk or the Branch Facebook site at www.facebook.com – Southampton District UNISON.
 
Best wishes
 
Mike Tucker
UNISON National Executive Council Member /
Branch Secretary
UNISON Southampton District Branch

e-mail: branchsecretary[at]soton-unison-office.org.uk or mike.tucker[at]southampton.gov.uk
Blackberry e-mail:  m.tucker[at]unison.co.uk
 
For an update on the industrial action go to the Branch web site www.soton-unison-office.org.uk
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CALL UNITED ACTION - NO DIVIDE AND RULE!

Reminder please sign the letter below (no need to confirm again if you've already emailed me)

CALL UNITED ACTION - NO DIVIDE AND RULE!

We the undersigned UNISON members, call upon UNISON's leaders not to allow the Tory-led Government to undermine the unity of the public service trade unions in the fight to defend our pensions.

We recognise that the differences between the various pension schemes may lead to different proposals in different sectors. For example, there is no support from the Local Government employers for increased contributions in the LGPS for fear of massive opt-outs wrecking the scheme's long-term viability, and we now know that the Secretary of State for Health has expressed opposition to the proposals from the Treasury.

There are, however, common issues across all schemes, including the switch to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) to uprate pensions, which will cut the value of all our pensions by 15%, and Hutton's threat to exclude private sector workers from public sector schemes, which would make privatisation much more profitable and threaten the pensions of hundreds of thousands of trade unionists whose jobs would be privatised. The Government's apparent refusal to abandon its plan to scrap the Fair Deal for Pensions is no doubt closely linked to its White Paper strategy of extending the scope and accelerating the pace of privatisation.

As the Local Government Service Group Executive (SGE) noted in a motion adopted at its 26 May meeting, the original proposals left "no room for doubt that [they] are based not on any need to make change to promote the long-term viability of the schemes but on an ideological drive to undermine public sector pensions". The SGE motion further pointed to "the need to resist the pensions proposals across the board rather than relying on scheme by scheme negotiations".

Aside from the fact the Government is now weaker, we do not believe that the situation has fundamentally changed since 26 May. Even if a moratorium on increased contributions for LGPS members is on offer, a number of very detrimental changes are still very much on the table. To recap these include:
Phased rise in the retirement age in step with the increase in the state retirement age (work longer and pay more)
Move to a career average scheme with the virtual certainty of a worse accrual rate than at present (get less)
No shift on the switch from RPI to CPI, with the resulting erosion of 15% (+) in lifetime value of pension (get less), and
Scrapping of the Fair Deal as a spur to further privatisation and outsourcing.

In the absence of cast-iron guarantees from the Government to abandon any of its key attacks across all of the schemes the move to "scheme-specific" negotiations is a mistake. To move now to scheme-specific negotiations without having used our unity between unions and across schemes to secure far more substantial concessions has wasted an opportunity.

Instead of further delay around the question of a ballot because of the move to scheme-specific talks, we call upon UNISON to back early united public sector strike action to secure gains for all public servants, in all unions and all schemes. We further call for UNISON to take the lead in setting a proposed date for the commencement of united strike action across the public services to defend all our pension schemes.

Signed all in a person capacity
George Binette Camden Branch Secretary
Jon Rogers UNISON NEC and Lambeth UNISON
Marshajane Thompson Havering UNISON
John Mcloughlin LG SGE Tower Hamlets UNISON
Andrew Berry Islington UNISON
Terry Conway Community SGE and Housing Associations
Kate Ahrens Leicestershire Health
Brian Gardner Hackney UNISON Branch Chair
Sean Fox NJC committee and Haringey UNISON
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Newham unison suspension lifted finally!

In much better news Dave Buxton the branch secretary of Newham has had his suspension lifted following an independent investigation.

Dave was assaulted by the unison employed branch manager and then suspended by the employer after a letter signed by a unison senior regonial officer claimed it was a malicious allegation!

The independant enquiry found on the balance of probabilities the manager did assault Dave.

The police were taking this seriously from the start and it is deplorable that unison would back the attacker and not the victim and try to cover it up.

This isn't the first time its happened either in 2009 it was alleged that the same person attacked another lay activist but unison never took action.

Now that the branch are out of regional supervision and the branch secretary isn't suspended by the employer - let's hope unison regionally start supporting the lay leadership in that branch to defend off what are some of the worst attacks in London.

The employer are one of a few branches making attacks on part 2 conditions which unison nationally have said they will fight in the strongest way.

Good luck Dave and all in Newham.


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Bromley unison members resign from unison - Stay and fight!

It is a tragic development that the elected lay leadership of UNISON's Bromley local government branch have left UNISON to join UNITE, as reported by "the Socialist" (http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/12419/19-07-2011/bromley-unison-reps-resign-in-protest-at-unions-disgraceful-actions).

This follows the decision of a number of individual activists in our Greenwich local government branch to do likewise.

I can understand the frustration which has led good trade union activists to take this drastic action, but I do think its an error in judgement.

In the case of Bromley, the disgraceful treatment of former Branch Secretary, Glenn Kelly, by our Union has understandably provoked outrage amongst rank and file union members (just as the similar disgraceful treatment of former Greenwich Branch Secretary, Onay Kasab, has provoked similar feelings).

Each case started with the (now widely discredited and further with the witch hunt believed to have stopped) disciplinary action arising from the production, at UNISON's 2007 Conference, of a leaflet critical of the Union's Standing Orders Committee.

No one can now be found who will admit in public to believing that formal disciplinary action was the correct response to the production of that leaflet. Nevertheless it led to four activists being suspended from holding office for periods varying upwards from two years.

An employment tribunal has since found this disciplinary action to have been unlawful. The action UNISON took was clearly unwise and damaging to UNISON and our members.

Of course UNISON in London made it worse by taking these two well-functioning branches into "regional supervision" - a state of limbo in which full time officials take over the roles which should be performed by elected lay officers.

In each case the results of these foolish moves have been catastrophic for UNISON members. In Bromley, our Union has failed effectively to resist job losses and in Greenwich we have failed adequately to contest an attack on incremental progression which, now having been achieved by one London Borough, will now threaten our members in local government across the city.

So, I can understand the frustration that has driven our activists in Bromley.

However they are badly wrong.

UNISON is and will remain the largest local government trade union by many a mile. As important as local organisation is - and it is vitally important - none of the fundamental problems which we face in local government can be resolved other than nationally.

Socialists who want to change things for the better are, if working in local government, better placed to achieve this as UNISON members than in any other trade union.

Outside of UNISON you choose to have no say over the negotiating position of the majority of national negotiators.

As hard as it may sometimes be for UNISON activists to feel that we can positively influence our leadership, it would be a hundred times harder outside UNISON.

Library workers in Bromley, and housing workers in Greenwich (of which I used to be one) will not be best served by their activists trying to lead them away from the Union which organises the great majority of their co-workers up and down the country.

I am proud to count Onay Kasab and Glenn Kelly as friends, I am as angry as anyone at the disgraceful way in which they have been treated and I have organised many of the events to support them including in Parliament over the last few years. However, I do not believe that any good socialist comrade should believe for a moment that personal feelings about their personal treatment should come before the interests of our class.

I believe that the interests of workers in Bromley and Greenwich are best served not by a futile attempt to replace UNISON but by a forthright attempt to reform our Union.

To this end, I believe we need members of our National Executive who will make clear that they wish to lead and organise a union which would welcome once more in its ranks great activists such as Onay Kasab and Glenn Kelly.

Kathy Smith was one such newly elected member and I am terribly sad she has taken this decision that many from all organisations (inc I understand SP) in UNISON counselled against.

I am sorry to see the departure of anyone of our activists in Bromley and, whilst I respect their decision, I think they are wrong. I pledge to work for a Union that can welcome them back, and that they shall be enthusiastic to re-join.

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Yunus Bakhsh case raised in parliament

Fantastic news that Yunus's case is being raised in Parliament, it is a disgrace that his employer has refused to obey the judges reinstatement award and that the anti union laws allow them to do so.

Its frankly disgusting that unison are still not supporting Yunus.

Thanks to John McDonnell MP for giving this the publicity that it needs.

Please lobby your MP to sign the EDM text below:


EDM 2028 (link http://www.edms.org.uk/2010-11/2082.htm )

That this House congratulates Mr Yunus Bakhsh on securing reinstatement after his unfair dismissal by the Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust; notes that Mr Bakhsh was a long-serving nurse and trade union representative whose unfair dismissal was found to bea result of trade union victimisation and disability discrimination; deplores the refusal of the Trust to agree to Mr Bakhsh's reinstatement in line with the order of the Employment Tribunal; further notes that Mr Bakhsh incurred considerable expense arranging legal representation and calls on the Trust to pay his legal costs; and further calls on the Secretary of State for Health to investigate the conduct of the case by the Trust and the expenditure of hundreds and thousands of pounds of public money in a failed attempt to justify the victimisation of a trade union official.


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Lobby of unison NEC

Approx 50 people turned up @ 8.30am this morning before work to lobby unison's NEC and ask them to start the ballot/name the day for united action on pensions.

The lobby heard from Karen Reissmann unison nec on the positive discussion at yesterdays NEC and the concern over the timetable and the emphasis on the differences in the pensions scheme because that misses the point that the government is the attacking the working class as a whole.

Roger Bannister NEC spoke about the need democracy in the leadership of the campaign and accountability to the rank and file.

Austin Harney also brought solidarity greetings from PCS left unity.

An extended meeting of unisons's service group liaison committee is meeting next Tuesday and is being referred to in unison circles as a pensions summit - let's hope they heed the message from conference and this mornings lobby that we need early action on pensions.

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Tolpuddle Deportations recommence!

I am going to tolpuddle this Friday and sending solidarity to Maureen Lum.

"In a bizarre homage to governments gone by, the UK Borders Agency has deported an Australian trades unionist back to the colonies. Her crime? Singing.
If you're heading to Tolpuddle next weekend for the annual union festival – a great mix of political debate, foot-tapping music and beer – spare a thought for Maureen Lum from Tasmania.

The Australian trade unionist was due to take part in the annual rally to commemorate the Tolpuddle Martyrs, who were deported for forming a trade union – but has herself been deported.

Maureen arrived in the UK last Sunday for a long planned holiday and was due to sing with the Grassroots community choir at the festival in Dorset.

However, immigration officials at Stanstead Airport deported her for not having a performers' visa, despite the fact that she was not being paid to come or for her performance. The deportation has led some commentators to question whether grandmother trade unionists are more unwelcome than terrorists.

The Tasmanian Grassroots Union Choir is a group of music lovers dedicated to ensuring that workers' songs, old and new, are being sung and heard in Tasmania. They were due to perform a special series of songs about one of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, George Loveless, who was exiled to Van Diemen's Land, as Tasmania was then called.

Nigel Costley, South West TUC Regional Secretary, said: "You would have thought that after 170 years things might have moved on.

"The Tolpuddle Festival is more than a rally for trade union members; it is a celebration of working people's culture. We were delighted when the Grassroots Union Choir agreed to come and perform.

"The petty and vindictive attitude of immigration officials might mean there is one less voice in the choir but the thousands of people attending the festival will sing out strongly in her place."

Just to remind you what the Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival is all about, in 1834 six Dorset farm workers were arrested and sentenced to seven years' transportation for organising a trade union.

Massive protests swept across the country and thousands of people marched through London; many more organised petitions and protest meetings to demand their freedom. Eventually they returned home in triumph.

The festival takes places each July when thousands of people come to small Dorset village to celebrate trade unionism and to remember the sacrifice made by the six farm workers.

It's a popular mix of political discussion and speeches, great music and the traditional procession of banners, wreath laying and Methodist service.

This year's Festival takes place from July 15-17 and the camping places have already sold out.

For more information see: http://www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk/

--
"Only the battles which aren't even begun are lost at the start."
(Madjiguène Cissé, spokesperson for the Sans Papiers in France)
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Southampton Council strike spreads:

Press release:
4 July 2011

Southampton Council strike spreads: £300m south coast port set to grind to a halt

UNISON and Unite have today (Monday) notified Southampton City Council that the six week-long strike will spread to embrace more of the essential public employees who keep the city functioning.

The unions are giving notice today that from Monday, July 11th, building maintenance workers, who carry out repairs on council housing stock, and the Port Health Officers, who provide health protection within Southampton port and oil refinery, through inspection and certification of cruise liners, containers and oil tankers, will join the strike.

Strike action by the Port Health Officers will have the potential to bring Southampton's port - one of the busiest in the UK with container ships and cruise liners docking daily, bringing around £300m on cruise liners alone to the city coffers annually - to a halt. The 13 Port Health Officers will take five days of action from 00.1 hours on Monday July 11th.  During this time there will be major disruption to ships entering and leaving the port and to the distribution of cargo containers, with the city losing an estimated £1 million pounds for every day the port sits idle.

The unions are dubbing July 11th the council leadership's Armageddon Day - the day that it will sack workers who refuse to accept inferior jobs and pay cuts.

The unions say the deepening strike is a sign of the mounting frustration among the council workforce that their employer has mishandled recent talks convened through the official conciliators, ACAS.  After 20 hours of negotiations, the council was still unwilling to lift its deadline of July 11th when employees who have refused to sign inferior contracts will be sacked. 

The unions have repeatedly stated that if the council lifts this deadline they will immediately suspend all strike action allowing talks to continue without a looming deadline.

Ian Woodland, Unite regional officer, said: "Royston Smith and Jeremy Moulton must wake up now to how serious this city's council employees are about getting justice.  There is absolutely no need for this city to force people onto lower wages - to do so is a malicious attempt to bully worried working people into accepting any terms in order to hang onto their jobs.

Our great port will now suffer badly thanks to the stubbornness of the council leadership.  They know full well there is a better way forward and it ought to have dawned on them that the people of this city do not believe their dire propaganda about Southampton's finances.

This council is marching this city towards an Armageddon deadline of July 11th but when cabinet ministers like Eric Pickles tell you to start talking then you are irresponsible if you do not listen.  Lift the deadline, we will immediately suspend action and talks can re-open without precondition."

Andy Straker of UNISON added: "Southampton workers from the kerbside to the dockside are now striking against Royston Smith's cuts.  This is a phenomenal statement about this employers' extremely poor handling of this dispute.

Royston Smith and Jeremy Moulton know full well that since autumn last year the unions have been urging them to work with us on an alternative to the drastic Tory cuts.  This city has the financial resources to weather this economic storm if the political will was there to use them intelligently

.The council leadership's failure to do so tells the people of this city that they are not interested in a shared settlement - they want to hammer the workforce and their unions.  Well, the workers of this city will not stand by and let them attack jobs and services so our message is wise up and talk because negotiation is the only way forward."

City-wide action starting on Monday July 11th will involve:120 Workers in waste and recycling 60 Workers in street cleansing 150 Library workers 20 Itchen toll bridge collectors 40 Parking enforcement officers20 Contact supervisors (social care) 15 Vehicle mechanics who will all take seven days action from that date.

230 Building maintenance workers will take one day's strike action on 13th July; and 13 Port Health Officers who will take five days of action from Monday July 11th.

On Wednesday 13th July hundreds of Council workers will march in Southampton City Centre to a demonstration outside the Civic Centre to coincide with a meeting of Southampton City Council. The demonstration starts at 1300 in East / Andrews Park and will end outside the Civic Centre.

For more information contact:
Mike Tucker, UNISON Branch Secretary, on 023 8083 2740 or 07768 293689
Andy Straker, UNISON Regional Organiser on 023 8024 9126
Mark Wood, UNITE Convenor on 07918 673741
Ian Woodland, UNITE Regional Industrial Organiser on 07770 704480

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Lobby UNISONs NEC - Pensions Name the Day

Name the date: we can win on Pensions
Put this motion to your next Branch Committee and Lobby UNISONs NEC to start the ballot and name the day!
Lobby 8.30 am 13th July Facebook event here http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186388651414998


Motion
The call from this year's National Delegate Conference was clear:
prepare for sustained, co-ordinated national industrial action over pensions.
In his Conference speech, our General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said 'If this Government fails to heed our warnings, to negotiate in good faith, I say to David Cameron, "You ain't seen nothing yet." We will strike to defend our pensions: a campaign of strike action without precedent. Our preparations are well advanced, but there is more to do. Strike action will need to be sustained. The fight of our lives may be an overused cliche, but that is what this is.'
But UNISON's experience in building for 26 March shows that key to building confidence and delivering activity in the workplace is having a concrete date to aim for. That is why we are calling on Dave Prentis and our National Executive Council to name a date for a national ballot and to name a date for the first day of strike action – if other unions such as the PCS, NUT, UCU etc go out on 4 October, we should pledge to join them.
We therefore resolve to:
1. Complete cleansing our membership records and prepare for an Industrial Action Ballot on pensions.
2. Call on the NEC and the General Secretary to name announce a ballot and name a date for action. Any Industrial Action should be co-ordinated with other unions.
3. Call for an Emergency Regional Council, as soon as possible, to debate the motion set out above (Excluding bullet points 1, 3 and 4)
4. Support a lobby of the National Executive Council meeting on Wednesday 13th July (8.30am @ 130 Euston Road London)

Note:
When your branch passes the motion send a copy to the Regional Secretary, Regional Convenor, Regional Head of Service group, General Secretary D.Prentis@unison.co.uk and President E.smith@unison.co.uk
also send a copy to unisonpensionsaction@gmail.com

The TUC on what next after J30 - Defend Pensions

I note with caution the TUC's press release below forgive me if I'm wrong but I would have thought the TUC would have been coordinating the further action on pensions between the public sector unions - but there is no mention of further action involving more unions.

Let's hope the TUC take note of TUC LGBT Conference who along with almost everyone else in the TU movement have called for further action to defend our pensions!

Press release:

TUC unions meet to discuss public sector pensions

A meeting of the TUC's public sector unions took place today (Friday) to review the successful industrial action taken yesterday, and to consider the position reached in the negotiating process with the government.
Commenting after the meeting TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
'Yesterday's action - and the media debate around it - exposed the fundamental weakness in the government's case for change in public service pensions, and their increasingly threadbare claim to be motivated by concerns over long term affordability.
'The TUC negotiating team will be resuming talks with ministers next week to press their concerns on all the big issues in the dispute - including the change in pensions indexation from RPI to CPI, the proposed change in pensions age, the proposed change to the career average model for schemes, and the government's push for higher pensions contributions.
'We will be making clear that - in seeking a fair settlement - these must be genuine negotiations on all the issues and we do not accept in any way the government's suggestion that these talks are just about implementation of decisions already taken.'
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
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Labour party members who were disgusted at Ed's leadership on June 30th please sign this letter http://owenjones.org/2011/06/30/sign-up-labour-members-backing-our-public-sector-workers/

I have reprinted below an article published yesterday on laboulist I think Owen says it all.

By Owen Jones / @owenjones84

Yesterday's strike by teachers and front-line public sector staff was a triumph for the trade union movement. I joined the demonstration through central London, and it was as inspirational as the game-changing initial student protest in November. These were young workers (I would estimate the majority were under 35); and the mood was both cheerful and determined. This strike was no desperate throw of the die. The workers involved know this is just the start, but they think they can win.

It was a strike that enjoyed broad popular support and sympathy. Before the strike, a YouGov poll for theSun had 40% supporting the action, with 49% against - already suggesting it was all to play for. Another poll for ITV's London Tonight had 53% in support; and a staggering 77% expressed their support in a Channel 4 poll. Despite all the fuss about inconvenienced parents, hundreds of mothers posted their support on Mumsnet - not famed as a bastion of socialism, if we're going to be honest. Given there are no prominent voices in politics or the media making the case for the strike, these are remarkable findings.

And the strike also succeeded in forcing the media to scrutinise the pensions issue, helping to demolish the Government's argument that public sector pensions are unaffordable. Millions of people are now aware that public sector pensions are set to shrink as a percentage of GDP; and that this isn't really about pensions at all, but an effective pay cut, with the money saved being used to pay off the deficit. Attempts to play 'divide-and-rule' by playing off public sector and private sector workers have failed. By cynically highlighting the scandal of private sector workers lacking any pension provision at all, the Government has been exposed for making "race-to-the-bottom" arguments.


If the strike was a victory for the labour movement, it was a disaster for the Tories. Industrial action has forced a government on to the back-foot. This is the first time this has happened for a very long time indeed. Francis Maude was ripped to shreds by Evan Davis and PCS leader - and rising star - Mark Serwotka on the Today programme. To avoid further humiliation, he simply pulled out of Channel 4 News at the last minute. Other workers will now feel emboldened. The Tories face a nightmare scenario: growing strike action that enjoys broad public support over an argument they have lost.


But if it was a disaster for the Tories, it was a catastrophe for the Labour leadership. No-one was expecting Ed Miliband to yell 'Everybody out!' and man a picket line (as much as people like me would want a Labour leader who did exactly that). But he chose to strongly condemn the strikes. Senior Labour figures - such as Tessa Jowell - took to the airwaves and did the Tories' job by attacking striking workers in strong language. It's not just the left of the party who are angry: I have spoken to activists on the right and left who are equally furious.
Instead of shredding the Tories over pensions - and leaving it to Evan Davis to do it instead - the Labour leadership put itself on a collision course with the labour movement. It has pleased no-one and alienated many. Some of Ed Miliband's advisers - as right-wing as they are incompetent - will believe that squeals of anger from activists will help win over public support. 'You can't call him Red Ed now, eh!' they will say.
But they are stupid, stupid people if they think that. The right-wing media will never drop their hostility towards Ed Miliband: they will simply believe that attacking strikes is a crude attempt at positioning, and they will be right. The Blairite ultras don't want Ed Miliband, and that won't change. And now Ed Miliband has alienated the mainstream of the Labour Party. He lacks any meaningful support base. The anger and frustration many activists feel towards him will not go away for a long time to come. As LabourList's Mark Ferguson put it: "By attempting clumsy triangulation, but without conviction, Miliband has kept no-one happy."
Some will be tempted to call for him to resign. I'm not one of them. The problem isn't Ed Miliband, but the sorts of people who dominate the top of the Labour party. They are desperately out-of-touch, and almost religiously committed to New Labour dogma. If Ed goes, they will still be there, and will probably be strengthened.

If there are any lessons to be drawn from this debacle, it is that party activists and trade unionists must mobilise and force the Labour leadership to actually oppose the Tories. At the moment they are failing to do so, and a Government that is both deeply unpopular and lacking a democratic mandate is getting away with murder.
I've set up a petition for Labour party members to show that, despite the failures of our leadership, we are on the side of our public sector workers. But it will take a lot more than petitions to turn this around. Yesterday was not just the beginning of a whole new phase of popular resistance to the Government - it was the start of a struggle for the heart and soul of the Labour party. We cannot afford to lose either.

Original post is on http://www.labourlist.org/a-catastrophe-for-the-labour-leadership