Wokingham UNISON

This is the full text of the Local Government Pension Scheme motion agreed by the Local Government Service Group Executive on 10 January 2012.

“This SGE applauds the action taken by UNISON members and other public service trade unions on 30 November 2011 to force the government into serious negotiations over public sector pensions. We also note that the results of UNISON’s ballot resulted in the improved Reference scheme/offer from the government.

This SGE notes that the action has given rise to the potential for detailed LGPS negotiations directly between the unions and the Local Government Association (LGA) which recognise the unique features of the LGPS and its membership.

We also note that those negotiations would take place on the basis of no change until 2014 and suspension of the formal DCLG consultation over employee contribution increases and accrual rates, the outcome of which will otherwise be implemented on 1 April 2012.

This SGE recognises that UNISON is still in dispute with the government and employers and that our ballot results are still ‘live’.

This SGE agrees:

1.To enter into detailed negotiations with the LGA to further pursue our campaign objectives

2. To reserve our position on the detail of the LGPS principles and timetable until firm proposals emerge from the negotiations

3. To ensure lay member involvement directly in those negotiations

4. To establish a cross-Service Group lay member liaison group to support the negotiations comprised of Chairs and Vice Chairs or their nominees

 5. To ensure that regular consultation and communication take place throughout the negotiations with this SGE, other SGEs covered by the LGPS, Regions, branches and members

 6.  To continue and intensify our campaigning activity to strengthen our hand in the negotiations, including informed and widespread lobbying of MPs and councillors and activities to highlight the impact of any changes to the LGPS on the standard of living of our members

7. To hold an all-member ballot of our members on any final package of proposals on the ‘Big Ticket’ items that would make up the design of the new scheme

 8. That industrial action remains an option if negotiations fail”

 Visit the Local Government page on the UNISON’s Regional Website – http://www.unison.org.uk/southeast/localgov.asp

Dear UNISON members,

The message below, dated 20th December 2011,
follows the update released by UNISON on Monday 19th December which is
also attached for your information.  Local government trade unions
suspend agreement pending further talks
The local government trade unions, UNISON, UNITE and GMB, have today
been alarmed by the response from Eric Pickles, to the joint proposal
from the unions and the Local Government Association (LGA), for
reforming the local government pension scheme.

We understand the Secretary of State’s response has subsequently been
withdrawn. In light of this confusion, we therefore suspend our
agreement, and are now seeking an urgent meeting with the government to
establish an agreed way forward.

Heather Wakefield, UNISON head of local government, said:

“The announcement today from Eric Pickles undermines trust and
confidence in the relationship with the government over negotiations
surrounding the Local Government pensions scheme.

“In order to re-establish confidence, and a way forward, we hope that
ministers will meet us as a matter of great urgency in order to get
negotiations back on track.

“We are disappointed that a positive way forward appears to have been
undermined in this way, and hope that government, the LGA, and the
trade unions, can reach agreement on a way forward.”

Regards,

Stephanie Maxwell
UNISON Branch Secretary

This week, the pensions talks go on. And UNISON will be working hard to make sure we protect your pensions and reach a fair deal in those talks.

The next couple of weeks before Christmas are a critical time for the talks. The deadlines are tight – so we want the government to negotiate seriously too.

Despite what some of the media may say, there is still no offer on the table we can put to a single public sector worker.

But our strike galvanised members, boosted recruitment, showing government ministers that we mean business.

I know that everyone is busy in the run-up to Christmas, but we still need your help getting our message out there on pensions.

Keep on talking to friends and neighbours, write to your local MP and newspapers putting across your point of view.

Dear UNISON members,

I would like to thank all of our members who added their weight to the Pensions Campaign by taking industrial action.  It is acknowledged that striking is a difficult thing to do and is not something that any of us do lightly.  I was particularly proud of the number of people who turned up to picket at our civic offices to show their support and commitment, it was very much appreciated.  The march in Reading was a fantastic experience and again I would like to say thank you to people who took part.  It certainly was not a ‘damp squib’ and it showed there is a huge amount of support for the cause, not everyone is as ill informed as Jeremy Clarkson……

Kind regards,

Stephanie Maxwell

UNISON Branch Secretary

Today you made history. Every single UNISON member supporting the day of action has played their part in this fantastic day.

UNISON members – mostly women, many low-paid and many taking strike action for the first time ever – stood up and said, with quiet resolve: enough is enough.

Our members work every day of every year to provide the services our communities rely on. Many work behind the scenes in schools, hospitals, town halls, libraries and a thousand other workplaces unseen by the media and politicians.

But today they made their presence felt and their voices heard throughout the UK.

They told politicians that they would not stand by and see their pensions attacked and undermined and they would not be made to pay for the crisis caused by speculators and bankers.

A historic day indeed. A day which must make the government think again and negotiate a fair deal on pensions for our members.

A great day for UNISON and my proudest day as your general secretary.

The focal point of the day of action on the 30^th November will be the March and Rally organised by the Reading Trades Council.

Members of UNISON along with many other unions will be demonstrating together against these unjust attacks on our pensions.

UNISON is asking all members to give full support to this.

Pre March Briefing

Reading Irish Club Chatham Street 11.30am

Refreshments Available

March

Assemble outside Reading Civic Centre RG1 7AE

 12.15pm

Rally

Forbury Gardens, Reading RG1 3EH

 1.30pm

Reading UNISON Branch Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reading-Borough-Unison/238224672892150

 Reading TUC Facebook event page

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140930052680330

Letters from UNISON arrived at 9,491 employers today (18 November), laying out plans for members to strike to protect public sector pensions.

The UK’s largest union received a decisive ‘Yes’ vote after balloting 1.1m members over Government ministers’ proposals to make workers pay more and work longer, for less pension.

The letter is a notice to employers of the union’s plan to call to action members from the organisation to take part in discontinuous industrial action from 30 November. Care workers, bin men, nurses, PCSO’s and teaching assistants will be among those striking on the TUC Day of Action on 30th November.

UNISON’s General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:

“Employers will have received our letters laying out plans for workers to take action on the 30th. After a resounding ‘yes’ vote in our ballot, the letters are the next step towards the largest strike in living memory. We will continue to negotiate anywhere, anytime, up to and beyond the Day of Action. But we still don’t have firm offers in the local government, or the health pension schemes, that we can put to our members.

“UNISON’s members are mainly low paid women in caring roles, who are already being hit by job and service cuts and the rising cost of living. These members are not taking action lightly, they do not want to lose a day’s pay, but they have been pushed to the brink and are bearing the brunt of the bankers’ recession.

“There is still time to reach a deal – it is down to Government ministers and the employers to put firm offers on the table.”

Ends

For more information please contact the UNISON Press Office on 0207 1215 255

Notes to editors:

Separating the pensions facts from the fiction:

If closed today the LGPS could still pay all its liabilities for 20 years.

The Treasury gets £2bn more in NHS pension contributions than it pays out in benefits.

The average Local Government pension is £4,000 pa – hardly gold plated.

The average NHS pension is £7,000 per annum – again hardly gold plated. Half of NHS women pensioners receive less than £3,500 per annum.

The average pension for bosses of Britain’s largest companies is 34 times bigger than the average public sector pension.

Coalition Cuts Newsletter 26                                        

 Pensions%20-%20SE%20Briefing%20Sussex%20Nov%2011v4

UNISON MEMBERS VOTE YES IN STRIKE BALLOT

Members of UNISON, the UK’s largest union, have today voted overwhelmingly
in favour of strike action to protect their pensions.
The union balloted members including nurses, teaching assistants, social
workers, care assistants, paramedics, police staff, school dinner ladies,
probation workers and cleaners.

Overall: Yes:   245,358

              No:       70,253

Results

Local Government             (Including Scotland)

Yes                      171,428

No                        54,500

76% in favour – Turnout 30%

NHS (including Scotland)                        

Yes                     73,930
                                                            
No                      15,753

82% in favour – Turnout 25%

Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON said:

“The decisive yes vote in the ballot, reflects the deep concern that our
members have over Government ministers’ proposals for their pensions.
“Yesterday’s statement in Parliament was a marked improvement on earlier
proposals.

“But, it is important to understand that the statement has to be translated
into offers in the scheme specific talks. We still have had no offer in
those negotiations, where such an offer can legitimately be made.

“We support the TUC day of action on 30 November, but will be negotiating
right up to then and beyond to get a fair deal for our members.”
Senior lay officials of the union are meeting throughout the afternoon to
discuss the latest Government statement on pensions and to decide what
action to take as a result of the strike ballot.

Separate figures for Scotland

Local Government Scotland             

Yes                           21,799
                                                            
No                            7881

NHS Scotland                                   

Yes                         13,236

No                          1,880  
                                                   

Ends

A message from Dave Prentis,
UNISON general secretary

One final push for the last week of the ballot

Our pensions ballot closes in just one week: at midday on Thursday 3 November.

I know that everyone in UNISON has been working hard to secure the best possible Yes vote: both in the run-up to the ballot and since it opened on 11 October.

I am writing to thank you all for the work and effort you’ve put in so far.

But with one week to go, we need to redouble our efforts for one final push.

We know that ministers and others have the question of ballot turn-outs in their sights. We know they will argue that every member who hasn’t voted should be regarded as a No vote. We know they will try and argue that this means our members accept the attack on their pensions.

We can’t afford to give them that excuse.

We need all our activists, all our reps and stewards and branch officers, to be out there in this final week, talking to members: reminding members of the scale of this attack on their pensions, checking whether they’ve voted and urging them to do so if they’ve not.

The resources of the union will be there backing you up, including all our staff.

But, as I’ve often said, our activists are the backbone of this union. It is you who have daily contact with our members. It’s you who can speak to them in their own language. And we know that nothing is as successful as face-to-face communication with someone they know.

We need the largest possible turnout in this vital ballot. And we need the largest possible Yes vote.

And it is you, our activists, who can deliver that.

You’ve done sterling work so far. But now is the time for that final push: please use this next week to get out and talk to members, face to face, and get those who haven’t voted yet to fill in and post their ballot papers.

Dave Prentis
UNISON general secretary

PS If members haven’t received a ballot paper, or if they need a replacement, remember they’ve only got until midday on 31 October to call the ballot hotline on 0845 355 0845