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14/09/2011
Unions Propose Coordinated Strike Action
The leader of the Trade Union Congress has said during a major union conference on Wednesday, that if ongoing negotiations do not yield a settlement then coordinated strike action could follow.
TUC leader Brendan Barber told the conference that the pension security of six million public service workers was at stake over the Government's attempt to increase pension contributions from workers by 3%.
Unison, Unite, the GMB and the Fire Brigades' Union are all to consult their members about co-ordinated industrial action starting in November.
Mr Barber said he was "fully committed to exhausting every possible negotiating opportunity", but offered a stark warning to the Government over their planned pension reforms.
"Meaningful negotiations require two willing partners. And where was the negotiation before the Chancellor stood up in the House of Commons on October 20 and completely out of the blue announced the savings target and the three per cent plus contribution increases. Answer, there was none.
"And where was the negotiation before he announced in last year's Budget the change in indexation from RPI to CPI, at a stroke wiping away 15 per cent of the value of the pension of every nurse, every teacher, every local authority home help and care worker, every civil servant, every firefighter. Answer, there was none."
Mr Barber added that he knew how difficult it is for low paid workers already hit with an "unjust pay freeze" and "fearful for their jobs" to face the loss of income when on strike, but if talks cannot make a breakthrough unions were "right and fully justified" to plan for action.
The government said widespread action would leave the public "angry".
(DW/GK)
TUC leader Brendan Barber told the conference that the pension security of six million public service workers was at stake over the Government's attempt to increase pension contributions from workers by 3%.
Unison, Unite, the GMB and the Fire Brigades' Union are all to consult their members about co-ordinated industrial action starting in November.
Mr Barber said he was "fully committed to exhausting every possible negotiating opportunity", but offered a stark warning to the Government over their planned pension reforms.
"Meaningful negotiations require two willing partners. And where was the negotiation before the Chancellor stood up in the House of Commons on October 20 and completely out of the blue announced the savings target and the three per cent plus contribution increases. Answer, there was none.
"And where was the negotiation before he announced in last year's Budget the change in indexation from RPI to CPI, at a stroke wiping away 15 per cent of the value of the pension of every nurse, every teacher, every local authority home help and care worker, every civil servant, every firefighter. Answer, there was none."
Mr Barber added that he knew how difficult it is for low paid workers already hit with an "unjust pay freeze" and "fearful for their jobs" to face the loss of income when on strike, but if talks cannot make a breakthrough unions were "right and fully justified" to plan for action.
The government said widespread action would leave the public "angry".
(DW/GK)
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