Defend Pensions - Escalate Action!

On Saturday January 7th January, PCS Left Unity are holding an 'organising conference' at the Friends Meeting House in London.

The PCS Left Unity conference has been called to "debate how we can build the campaign to defend our pensions and fight the cuts and prevent any unacceptable “deal” that makes us work longer, pay more and get less" and build on the activism of November 30th.

Education workers lobby their MP's in London.

Yesterday, 26th October 2011, thousands of education workers went to London to lobby their MP's against the education cuts. RAC's Ralph Dyson went down and provided a few pictures. 

Ralph Dyson - on the left!

The following articles are taken from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and University and College Union (UCU).

National Union of Teachers (NUT)

"Thousands of teachers, lecturers and support staff visited Parliament today (Wednesday, 26 October) to lobby their MPs about pension cuts in the education sector.

Over 150,000 petition signatures were handed to the government.

Staff from the maintained, academy and independent sectors in England and Wales as well as from colleges and post-92 universities, lobbied their MPs and handed in petitions from their workplaces.

This lobby and the large number of petitions returned should serve as a wake-up call to the Government. If Ministers don’t recognise that pensions are both affordable and sustainable, many teachers and lecturers will be left with no option but to take further action, including supporting the planned TUC day of action on 30 November."

University and College Union (UCU).

"Thousands of members of the UCU and other education trade unions will descend on parliament today to lobby their MPs about potential changes to their pensions.

The joint action by seven education unions is part of attempts by unions to resolve the pensions dispute without the need for further industrial action. To avoid disruption to classes, the lobby has been organised in the half-term holiday.

As well as speaking to their MPs, union members will hand a petition in to the schools minister, Nick Gibb MP, at 10.30am at the department for education.

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We are meeting with MPs today to dispel government myths about the need for pension reform. Our members are unlikely militants but they will not stand by while their pensions are raided to pay for a crisis they did not create.'"

NSSN lobby of TUC Congress: 11 September

NSSN Lobby of TUC Conference

Three quarters of a million went on strike on June 30th in a massive show of strength against a concerted attempt by the Tory and Liberal Democrat partners of this millionaire government to make workers pay for the bankers’ greed. Powerful demonstrations up and down the country brought thousands, including many young workers onto the streets in big cities and small towns, many for the first time, determined to defend pensions, and to stop the immediate huge pay cuts that pension changes would mean.

We believe that 30th June was the opening salvo. To win we need to turn this three-quarters of a million into 4-5 million in the next round of industrial action in the autumn, involving all public sector unions, and thereby scuppering the machinations of the government to drive a wedge into the trade union movement between the NUT, UCU, ATL and PCS and the other three big unions Unison, Unite and GMB. Defence of pensions has proved a unifying factor so far, and one of our best opportunities to all come together and collectively force Cameron and Clegg into a massive U-turn.

We, the undersigned call on the TUC Conference on September 11th and the General Council to agree to call a one-day strike of all public sector unions as the next step in this struggle. We pledge to do all in our power to help make such an action a real success.

This petition will be presented to the TUC at Congress House on 11 September on the eve of their conference. Join us on the march and lobby: Assemble at 1:30pm, Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London NW1

Failure in bid to save cashier service

RAC were present at the lobby of the Council Cabinet. This article from The Rotherham Advertiser describes the protest and demonstration, and the implications of the council's failure to listen to the demands of the people.

PLANS to shake up council payment services have been given the green light despite protests from thousands of people.

Almost 4,000 people signed a petition in objection to sweeping changes which union bosses claim will see the loss of two thirds of all cashiers’ jobs at Rotherham Borough Council’s neighbourhoods offices.

UNISON have warned that removing the option to pay council bills at the district offices would also make life harder for service users.

 But councillors approved the scrapping of the cashier service at Wath, Greasbrough, Rawmarsh and Kimberworth Park despite the petition and lobbying ahead of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting at the Town Hall.

A council spokesman denied union claims that the move would lead to up to 17 job losses, adding: “We will, as much as possible, try to implement the improved services to customers without the need to look at losing staff on a compulsory basis.”

The spokesman said that a number of staff had already enquired about voluntary redundancy and others could be redeployed.

Val Broomhead, convenor at UNISON Rotherham, said the union was disappointed by the move.

“This service is a lifeline for many people as a source of advice and support and two thirds of staff are now threatened with losing their jobs,” she said.

Mrs Broomhead said that the proposed changes to the cashier service had been approved despite limited consultation with staff, service users and trade unions, adding: “We will be looking at the legal implications of that.”

Householders will be asked to make payments at PayPoints, online, or by travelling to other council offices.

The council is working with its IT partner RBT and council housing firm 2010 Rotherham Ltd to introduce payment facilities at more than 140 new outlets across Rotherham—and more beyond—using customer service centres, post offices and PayPoint locations.

Union Lobby of Council Cabinet Report

RAC activists support UNISON Lobby of Council Cabinet

RAC activists gathered outside Rotherham Town Hall with a small number of UNISON members, protesting against "Rotherham Council Plans to close the Cashier Service at four neighbourhood offices at Wath, Kimberworth Park and Munsborough."

UNISON members were happy to sign petitions, but were reluctant to provide email addresses for the RAC mailing list.

The following statement was issued on the UNISON Rotherham website:

"SAVE OUR CASHIER SERVICES

ROTHERHAM COUNCIL PLANS TO CLOSE THE CASHIER SERVICE AT FOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD OFFICES AT WATH, RAWMARSH, KIMBERWORTH PARK AND MUNSBROUGH.

PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO TRAVEL TO PAY RENT AND BILLS, WILL BE AT GREATER RISK OF GETTING INTO ARREARS AND WILL HAVE TO COUNT HUNDREDS OF POUNDS AT OPEN PAYPOINTS IN SHOPS. TWO THIRDS OF STAFF WILL GO AS WILL THE ADVICE AND SUPPORT THAT THEY PROVIDE. ONCE THESE COMMUNITY SERVICES HAVE GONE THEY WILL BE GONE FOR GOOD.

WE HAVE GOT OVER 1,000 SIGNATURES FOR OUR PETITION AGAINST THE CLOSURES IN JUST TWO WEEKS.

PLEASE SHOW YOUR OPPOSITION TO THESE CLOSURES BY MEETING OUTSIDE ROTHERHAM TOWN HALL ON WEDNESDAY 8 JUNE 9.30-10.30AM AS WE LOBBY COUNCILLORS.

IF YOU COULD SPARE JUST AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ATTEND THE STRONGER OUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD.

FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT UNISON ROTHERHAM ON 01709376933"