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Coventry Unison backs call for special conference on pensions

Coventry District Unison back call for special conference on pensions

by a Coventry Unison steward and council worker

As we have reported previously (see link), the Unison leadership have signed up to a negotiating framework (‘Heads of Agreement’) that accepts the fact that we will be ‘working longer, paying more, getting less’ for our pensions.

Many Unison activists believe this is a serious error on the part of the Unison leadership. Over 2 million workers went on strike on 30^th November. In reality it was not purely in defence of pensions, but against the cuts in general and to stand up for public services.

Important links made with other public sector unions

It was an incredible show of strength. In Coventry over 2,500 people marched through the city, the biggest demonstration in Coventry for many, many years. Stewards and members worked incredibly hard for this. Important links were also made with unions across the public sector.

This day of strike action should have been the launch pad to wage a serious struggle against the Condems. Instead the Unison leadership have failed to continue the momentum from 30^th November, and are instead negotiating the ‘detail’ of an agreement that accepts the very 3 key attacks (work longer, pay more, get less) we went on strike against!

Unsurprisingly this has angered many Unison stewards and members. In one office in the city centre, 50 members signed a petition urging that the union rejects the Heads of Agreement and that the next day of strike action be named.

The views of the branches must be heard

Across the country, branches are attempting to convene a special conference of the Unison Local Government Service Group. This is so branches can discuss the current position and hold the leadership to account. For example one of our regional representatives on the leadership of the Service Group voted in favour of the Heads of Agreement, despite a majority of branches in the West Midlands wanting it to be rejected!

We need to get branches who represent in total 25 per cent of the Local Government membership  to pass the short motion set out below :

This Branch requisitions a Special Conference of the Local Government Service Group to consider the policy of the Service Group in relation to the Local Government Pension Scheme

Coventry branch supports call for special conference

Two days after our ‘leadership’ in Local Government voted to enter these so called negotiations, Coventry District Unison voted unanimously in support of the motion.

At the time of writing, the following branches have passed the motion – Coventry, Lambeth, Islington, Camden, Brighton and Hove, Dundee, East Sussex, Havering.

In Unison we will have to fight hard to get the views of our branches and members heard. But it is a fight and battle that must take place if we are to get Unison back on track, and build on the unity between unions that we saw on 30^th November.

If you would like to get in touch with Socialist Party members in Unison, please get in touch by emailing coventrysocialists@googlemail.com

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