Latest news about public services

Blackburn’s trade unions: biggest mobilisation for 40 years

Published: December 1, 2011

Blackburn’s strike witnessed the complete closure of leisure centres, the central library, Blackburn College and several other key local workplaces.

CWU members working for Capita at the Darwen TV licensing centre also joined the day of strike action.

The strike was a resounding success and the Trades Union Council co-ordinated march witnessed more than 2,000 trade unionists marching through the centre of Blackburn before an hour-long rally.

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Strike for pensions justice is a resounding success

Published: November 30, 2011

TODAY’S strike by 300,000 public service workers in the North West was a resounding success according to TUC chiefs.

 Highlights included the 30,000 people who marched through the centre of Manchester and the 12,000 who marched through Liverpool.

 There were unprecedented scenes in both cities – and at other places in the North West – when shoppers stood three and four deep along parts of the routes and applauded the marchers.

 North West TUC Regional Secretary Alan Manning said: “It was heart warming to see the public show their strong support for pensions justice in the two big cities of the North West.

 “But we are also getting reports of the same response from the public at the other marches and demonstrations in our region. Motorists have been honking their car horns and many of the public were offering hot drinks to early morning pickets.

“It really encouraged many union members who were taking industrial action for the first time in their working lives.

 “The atmosphere at all 14 of the demonstrations in our region was extremely orderly, peaceful, enthusiastic – but very noisy.

 “People made their views known in no uncertain terms.

 “The strike has been a resounding success today, with solid support all over the North West and many of our unions reporting big increases in membership applications.

 “The government must now listen to the very real anger that public service workers feel about being picked on for cuts and pension increases.”

 Through the efforts of the 18 North West TUC-affiliated trade unions taking strike action in the North West, lunchtime demonstrations and rallies took place in Bury; Bolton; Blackburn; Blackpool; Chester; Crewe; Lancaster; Liverpool; Manchester; Oldham; Preston; Warrington; Wigan and Wirral.

 TUC chiefs estimated that 120,000 public service workers had joined the strike in Greater Manchester alone.

 Across the North West there were hundreds of early morning picket lines outside council offices and Town Halls, hospitals and major health centres, courts and job centres, tax and passport offices, schools and colleges.

 More than 90 per cent of the region’s schools were also closed, along with the Mersey tunnels. Emergency cover was maintained at every hospital in the North West.

 Mr Manning added: “Support for the strike understandably strengthened yesterday when George Osborne announced a measly 1 per cent pay increase for public sector workers over the next two years, on top of their existing two-year pay freeze. That came after he also announced the destruction of three quarter of a million jobs in public services.

 “Public service workers believe they are the victims of an ideologically-based attack, and that they are being singled out to pay the price for a recession which was caused by the bankers. On the evidence of today, the public agree.

 “The strike shows the real anger of public servants who are being told by the Government that their pensions must be cut and they must work longer and pay more for less.”

 In the North West, the strike culminated in “One Noise at One” when protesters made as much noise as possible at precisely 1pm, to draw attention to the Government’s unfair pension changes.

 The protests involve a wide range of public service workers, including council workers, teachers and lecturers, health workers, police and fire staff, school dinner ladies, social workers, driving test examiners, passport office staff, court staff and other civil servants.

 Unions involved in the North West include:  AEP; Aspect; ATL; CSP; FDA; GMB; Prospect; Napo; NUT; NASUWT; PCS; POA; SCP; SoR; UCATT; UCU; UNISON and Unite.

11am update: 300,000 join today’s strike in North West

Published: November 30, 2011

MORE than 300,000 public servants today joined the TUC day of action for Pensions Justice in the North West.

Information from the 18 North West TUC-affiliated trade unions taking strike action showed solid support for the stoppage, with lunchtime demonstrations and rallies taking place in 14 separate places: Bury; Bolton; Blackburn; Blackpool; Chester; Crewe; Lancaster; Liverpool; Manchester; Oldham; Preston; Warrington; Wigan and Wirral.

 TUC chiefs estimated that 120,000 public service workers joined the strike in Greater Manchester alone.

Across the North West there were hundreds of picket lines outside council offices and Town Halls, hospitals and major health centres, courts and job centres, tax and passport offices, schools and colleges.

More than 90 per cent of the region’s schools were also closed, along with the Mersey tunnels. Emergency cover was maintained at every hospital in the North West.

North West TUC Regional Secretary Alan Manning said there had been strong public support shown to workers on picket lines from early morning.

He said: “All the reports we are getting indicate strong support from the public, who have been honking their car horns, waving and offering the pickets hot drinks. One woman member, who was wearing her UNISON tabard, was given a round of applause by staff in a sandwich shop!

“The strike has been very good natured and spirits are high on the picket lines. The public understand that public service workers have been left with no other option because the government has refused to negotiate constructively.

“Support understandably strengthened even more yesterday when George Osborne announced a measly 1 per cent pay increase for public sector workers over the next two years, on top of their existing two-year pay freeze. That came after he also announced the destruction of three quarter of a million jobs in public services.

“Public service workers believe they are the victims of an ideologically-based attack, and that they are being singled out to pay the price for a recession which was caused by the bankers.

“The strike shows the real anger of public servants who are being told by the Government that their pensions must be cut and they must work longer and pay more for less.”

In the North West, the strike will culminate in “One Noise at One” when protesters are being encouraged to make as much noise as possible at precisely 1pm, to draw attention to the Government’s unfair pension changes.

The protests involve a wide range of public service workers, including council workers, teachers and lecturers, health workers, police and fire staff, school dinner ladies, social workers, driving test examiners, passport office staff, court staff and other civil servants.

Unions involved in the North West include:  AEP; Aspect; ATL; CSP; FDA; GMB; Prospect; Napo; NUT; NASUWT; PCS; POA; SCP; SoR; UCATT; UCU; UNISON and Unite.

“Why should our pension money be used to pay off some rich banker?”

Published: November 29, 2011
VAL Domnez is an ‘orthopaedic practitioner’ at Liverpool’s world-famous Alder Hey Hospital – she puts plaster casts on children’s broken limbs.

She is 46 years old, is a single mum of two children and takes home £1600 a month, after stoppages.
On Wednesday November 30, she will go on strike for the first time in her life.
She will be joining the thousands of public service workers who will march through the city of Liverpool to protest against Government changes to their pensions.
For public service workers like Val, tomorrow’s strike is about making ends meet.
Under the Coalition’s proposals, Val, who has worked loyally for the NHS for 24 years, would have to pay an extra £90 a month in pension contributions.
She would get less pension when she eventually retires.
And she would have to work longer to get less.
To add insult to injury, the money raised from Val’s increased contributions will not go into her own personal pension pot, but into the hands of Chancellor George Osborne.
But Val simply can’t afford a £90 pay cut in her monthly salary.
It would be, effectively, an extra tax on her earnings.
And it would come after a two-year pay freeze for Val and for millions of other public service workers like her.
Val says: “When you are on your own like me, with two growing children, you have a really tight budget.
“I just can’t afford to part with any more of my hard-earned cash.
“I would seriously have to look at freezing my pension if they put up the contributions – and there are a lot of other people in the same boat.”
Val already pays out £150 a month for her pension – her contributions would soar if the Coalition plans went ahead.
She says: “I understand that we all have to make sacrifices because of the economic climate, but people like me feel we are already making sacrifices. We have had a pay freeze for more than two years and the cost of living keeps going up – electricity and gas, food and transport are all going up.
“It’s already hard enough for us. People like me have worked all our lives for the NHS and given 110 per cent over the years and this is how we are repaid now with our pensions being cut back. They want us to work longer and pay more, for less.
“I’ve never been on strike before, but I will definitely be out on Wednesday. This strike is not about us against our employers. I would much sooner be in work caring for the kids, but we have been forced to take action. It is about us fighting for a decent pension. “
Another UNISON colleague Leanne Doyle, aged 30, works in theatre at Alder Hey and has spent 12 years in the NHS.
Leanne, who got married just two years ago, already risks losing as much as £1,000 a month if controversial re-grading proposals and cuts in on-call payments go through as part of the hospitals £26 million spending cuts.
She says: “My income is crucial to our household and we are just about managing at the moment. But any cut in what I take home through increasing my pension contribution would be too much for us to bear.
“If push came to shove, we would have to go and live with my mum and rent our house out to get some money in to cover the mortgage.
“This will be the first strike I have ever been involved in at the hospital. The staff don’t want any child’s care to be affected and we will all make sure that there is emergency cover at the hospital, but we all feel we have a point to make.
“We have got to stand up to the government and tell them they can’t just keep taking our money and what we have earned through our own hard work.
“I don’t see how it’s fair that the bankers were allowed to have their debts paid off by us – and no one asked us what we thought – and they are still making lots of money. Yet we are being asked to pay for them through our pensions. How is that fair?
“Why should our pension money be used to pay off some rich banker?
“All the women here are taking their children along to the march and rally in Liverpool on Wednesday – the kids have been joining in and making their own posters.
“We all just hope that the outcome is positive – and that the government change their minds.”

BMA backs TUC day of action for Pensions Justice

Published: November 29, 2011

This is a message from the British Medical Association in support of the November 30 strike for Pensions Justice:

It’s only four years since the NHS Pension Scheme was overhauled.

We accepted higher contributions, we accepted the higher retirement age, and now the scheme is delivering billions to the Treasury.

Yet the government is telling us it’s still not enough.

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2 million to join TUC’s Day of Action on pensions

Published: November 28, 2011

WEDNESDAY (30 November) will see up to two million public sector workers including teachers, nurses, probation officers, civil servants, cleaners, paramedics and dinner ladies taking part in the TUC day of action in what could be the biggest strike in a generation.

Some 30 unions have balloted their members for action over government plans to change their pensions – some haven’t taken strike action in more than a decade, others have never balloted their members before.

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Up to 300,000 to join pensions protest in North West

Published: November 23, 2011

UP to 300,000 public service workers are expected to join the November 30th TUC Day of Action for Pensions Justice in the North West.

Information from the 18 North West TUC-affiliated trade unions who will be taking part in next Wednesday’s action shows that support for the national strike is strengthening.

In the North West, there will be marches, rallies or demonstrations in 14 places: Bury; Bolton; Blackburn; Blackpool; Chester; Crewe; Lancaster; Liverpool; Manchester; Oldham; Preston; Warrington; Wigan and Wirral.

Picket lines will be held outside most public buildings in the region, including council offices and Town Halls, hospitals and major health centres, courts and job centres, tax and passport offices, schools and colleges.

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Stars join Merseyside on the march for pensions justice

Published: November 16, 2011

HOME-grown stars are joining tens of thousands of public sector union members on Merseyside for the “biggest labour movement event in the city for one hundred years”.

Blues singer Connie Lush and Ian Prowse, frontman for the rock band, Amsterdam will be joining a demonstration in Liverpool as part of the TUC’s day of industrial action calling for Pensions Justice on Wednesday 30th November.

After leaving early morning picket lines, workers in local government, the Civil Service, Health and Education will assemble at the Pier Head and at Derby Square for a midday march to St. George’s Plateau.

Up to 15,000 trade unionists are expected to take part.

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Blackburn and Crewe join North West rallies for pensions justice

Published: November 12, 2011

TWO more rallies have been announced in the North west for the November 30 TUC Day of Action.

So far, marches and rallies have been announced in EIGHT places in the region, involving thousands of public servants.

Nov30 is expected to be the largest demonstration of trade union mobilisation for a generation.

Blackburn:

11.30 to 11.45  – Marchers will assemble in King William Street, outside old Town Hall before march around Blackburn town centre, ending with a rally outside old Town Hall.

Crewe:

12.30 – Rally will be held at Municipal Square, Earle Street, Crewe CW1 9TL (opposite Municipal Buildings) with speakers.

Marches announced in Bolton, Chester, Manchester, Oldham, Wigan and Wirral on Nov30

Published: November 9, 2011

PROTEST marches will take place in Bolton, Chester, Manchester, Oldham, Wigan and Wirral on November 30th as part of the TUC’s Day of Action.

North West TUC Regional Secretary Alan Manning said: “Details of all of the demonstrations are still being finalised, but we already know that November 30 will see the biggest co-ordinated trade union mobilisation for a generation.”

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