Dave Prentis, general secretary

Our industrial action ballot over unnecessary and damaging plans to make public sector workers work longer, pay more and get less in their retirement, closes on Thursday 3 November. See what the changes mean to you here.Everyone entitled to vote should have received their ballot paper by now - find yours at home and post it back - don't delay. Vote Yes today. It's important that you use your vote. We know that those who are against us will argue that any abstention is a No vote and means you're in favour of the attacks on your pension. Don't give them that excuse!So act now and vote Yes to defend your pension. And forward this e-mail to your work colleagues and friends. If you haven't received your ballot paper, or if you need a replacement, remember you've got until midday on 31 October to call the ballot hotline on 0845 355 0845.

Separating the pensions facts from the right wing 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 bosses of Britain's largest companies have an average pension 34 times bigger than the average public sector pension

High Court challenge to public sector pensions

Six unions have mounted a legal challenge on behalf of millions of public sector workers over what inflation index is used to increase their pensions.A judicial review hearing starts in the High Court on Tuesday (25) to challenge the switch to using the consumer price index (CPI) instead of the traditionally-higher retail price index (RPI) for the annual increase in public sector pensions.The move - effective from April this year - was announced by chancellor George Osborne in the June 2010 budget, without any consultation or negotiation, who claimed CPI was the more appropriate measure. The unions have always contended it was a deficit reduction measure.As part of the ongoing talks over wider cuts to public sector pensions, ministers have since ruled out any negotiations on the issue.The government must review pensions and benefits each year against increases in prices and uprate them by at least the same percentage. September's inflation figures put CPI at 5.2% and RPI at 5.6%.Because CPI is around 1.2% lower on average than RPI, the loss to existing public sector pensioners will be around 15%. It is already affecting staff currently paying into career average schemes whose pension pots are revalued annually and will be smaller when they retire.The switch has also been applied to many private sector pensions, wiping an estimated £75 billion off their value. Some estimates put the figure even higher.The unions' case is that the imposed move was not permitted under social security legislation, and that it reneges on assurances given by successive governments that RPI would apply.The six unions are UNISON, the Fire Brigades' Union, teachers' union NASUWT, Prison Officers Association, Public and Commercial Services union, and Unite.All the unions have either already balloted for industrial action, are balloting, or will be supporting the day of action over pensions on 30 November.There will be a demonstration in support of the judicial review outside the Royal Courts of Justice, Strand, London WC2A 2LL, from 8.30am to 10am on Tuesday 25 October.UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said: "UNISON is backing this judicial review because we cannot allow the coalition to run roughshod over pensioners."The way that a country treats its citizens when they retire is a mark of a decent and fair society. The government has stepped over that mark - the switch is nothing but a cynical, multi-million pound raid on pensioners to pay down a deficit they did nothing to cause. This flawed measure of inflation does not even include housing costs - a major expenditure for many retired people."Instead of clobbering pensioners, and people on benefits, the government should impose a tiny tax on financial transactions that would raise billions."FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said "The government actions are unfair and, we believe, unlawful. This is a vicious attack on existing and future pensioners that could cost them tens of thousands of pounds."Pensioners are being forced to bear an unfair burden for the financial crisis caused by the banks. Firefighters will be robbed of thousands of pounds while the bankers who caused the problems continue to count up huge bonuses."We're being told to work a lot longer, pay a lot more and now get a lot less. Hard hit pensioners don't feel 'we're all in it together' when the chancellor's chums in the City still have their snouts in the trough at our expense."NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates: "The question the court is being asked to answer is whether it is just and fair to arbitrarily change the basis on which pensions are calculated, reducing their value by thousands of pounds."The government's actions are a breach of the contract with ordinary working people. We are looking to the court to make sure that millions of ordinary workers will not be left facing a bleak and uncertain future at a time when cost of living is soaring."POA deputy general secretary Mark Freeman said: "Once again the government has shown its willingness to attack the vulnerable in society to protect their friends in the financial institutions. The trade unions will demonstrate their support for pensioners on 30 November and the POA urges all right thinking workers to demonstrate on that day.*PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The switch from RPI to CPI is just another example of how this government wants public servants, pensioners and people entitled to benefits to pay the heaviest price for the recession. For new entrants to the civil service it means an immediate cut in their pensions, ripping up an agreement we reached just a few years ago."As well as challenging this in court, the unions are mounting the widest, most co-ordinated industrial action we have seen in our lifetimes, to force the government to think again and show how out of touch millionaire ministers are with the lives and concerns of the rest of us."Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey said: "Our legal challenge against the coalition government is hugely significant for workers in both the public and private sectors."Public sector workers face an opportunistic attack on their pensions by this government, but many workers in the private sector have also been affected."Vested interests are trying to create a wedge between public and private sector workers, when in reality they have common cause on this. We know that some private sector employers are already attempting to move to the lower inflation index citing the government's example. In reality this government wants us all to work for longer and for less."

Government 's £35 million raid on public sector pensions

From today, millions of retired public sector workers will see the real value of their pension drop, because payments will be linked to increases in the September CPI*, rather than increases in the September RPI**, says UNISON, the UK’s largest union. Based on the average pension rates in the health and local government schemes, UNISON calculates that the move has taken more than £35 million out of the pockets of retired public sector workers in just one year alone. September’s RPI figure has historically been used to calculate the yearly uplift in state and public sector pensions, as well as a range of other benefits, to reflect the cost of living. With CPI consistently lower than RPI, this represents a cut in pensions and other benefits, at the same time as the government is trying to claim it wants to protect pensioners. Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “This is nothing but a multi million pound raid on pensioners to pay down the deficit. It’s a disgrace – retired people getting a state or public sector pension did not cause the economic crisis – but they are paying for it. At the same time the government is trying to claim it is protecting pensioners – these claims are hollow. “We already know that pensioners are struggling to cope with the rising cost of fuel, food and housing. From April next year, life will be a little harder for some of the most vulnerable in our society. It could push more people into poverty in their old age. “Public sector pensioners will be hit twice – once in their basic state pension, and again in the public sector pension they have saved all their working life for. “Taking money out of pensioners’ pockets will also hit our chances of economic recovery. Our stagnant economic growth desperately needs people to be out spending in shops and businesses – not struggling to cope with the basic cost of living. There are fairer alternatives to pay down the deficit. Instead of clobbering pensioners, and people on a host of other benefits, the government could impose a tiny tax on financial transactions to raise billions.”The switch in pensions and benefits indexation is part of wider moves to attack pensions. UNISON is currently running the biggest ballot in history over detrimental plans for public sector pensions, and is calling on members to Vote Yes for industrial action. Government ministers are trying to raise £4 billion by making public sector workers pay more, work longer, all for less in their retirement – we believe this is a tax on public sector workers to pay down the deficit. Reforms already made to public sector pensions have made them affordable and sustainable for the long term. The local government scheme, that council, some education workers and police and probation staff save into, could pay all its liabilities for 20 years without a single penny more in contributions. The health scheme raises £2bn for the Treasury every year, because more money is coming in than going out. Over the next five years it will raise £10 billion that will be used to top up government spending.

False economy of damaging changes to local government pension scheme

UNISON has exposed the false economy of Government Ministers’ plans to make damaging changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Figures produced for the union, show that by paying into their pensions council workers save the government a total of £2.5billion every year* in benefit claims. The proposed changes would lead to pensioner poverty for millions of workers, pushing them onto benefits such as pension credit, council tax benefit and housing benefit. The average pension received by all members of the LGPS is just £3,048* a year - but saving for their pensions means members are less dependent on benefits in the future. The UK’s largest union is currently balloting 1.1 million members for strike action over the changes to public sector schemes.Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said:“These figures expose the false economy of making these unnecessary and damaging changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme.“If Government Ministers push ahead with their plans to make council workers pay more and work longer, for less, then many may be forced to opt out the scheme, pushing people onto costly benefits when they retire.“Two thirds of LGPS members are women, working as teaching assistants, carers, social workers, cleaners and dinner ladies. The average pension of these women is just £2,800 a year, yet they may be forced to opt out if Government Ministers push ahead with plans to make them pay more and work longer, for less.“The Local Government scheme is cash rich, with the income far exceeding the outgoings. All public sector schemes were assessed and renegotiated to be sustainable and affordable just three years ago and are very secure. “Our members know these changes are a false economy and will fight to protect their pensions by ticking the ‘Yes’ box in the ballot papers this week.”

Pensions dispute linked to recruitment surge

At the heart of the campaign: the West Midlands pensions hub in action (14/10/11) The concern of public sector workers for the future of their pensions – and their recognition of the role UNISON is playing in protecting them – has led to a surge of new members in the West Midlands. The region has recruited more than 640 new members in the past 10 days, as a direct result of the pensions dispute. Across the UK, UNISON is balloting 1.1 million members for industrial action over the proposed changes to pensions, which would make public sector employees work longer, pay more and get less when they retire.Seven days before the ballot opened, West Midlands region focused its annual health week on the pensions issue. That week alone, it recruited 315 student nurses. "There are hundreds of briefings going on across the region, with activists and staff getting to meet members in all areas and all service groups," says regional convenor Sue Laws. "And recruitment is excellent. "This is a great opportunity to get out there and show what UNISON can do."West Midlands regional secretary Ravi Subramanian adds: "This is, without doubt, the biggest industrial action ballot UNISON has ever undertaken. We need a big turnout and a strong Yes vote to send a strong message that UNISON members will fight to protect their pensions."To that end, says Mr Subramanian, UNISON needs every one of its activists to go into workplaces to spread the message about why it is important to vote in the ballot. The region has prepared the ground for its own activists with the creation of a "pensions hub". Set up in the regional centre in Birmingham and staffed by four organising staff, the hub acts as a walk-in centre for pensions champions and other branch activists, advising them on the key pensions facts and how to discuss them with members. The team also operates a phone line and email Q&A service, distributes pensions materials, and produces a News from the Hub newsletter for pensions champions. "It's working really well," says area organiser Lynn Horsnett, who is one of the quartet running the hub. "It's giving a sense of co-ordination for the ballot campaign across the region and helps to keep everyone focused on getting the vote out." Ms Horsnett said that the pensions champions – at least one for each of the region's 80 branches – were trained at the regional centre. They are now being supported by organising staff in delivering briefings in workplaces. At the same time, retired members and others are volunteering at the hub phones, extending the coverage of members even further.

12/10/2011
UNISON chief in warning over pensions value

Speaking at the union’s retired members’ conference, UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, will today warn the government that anger is building from pensioners hit hard by their decision to use CPI, not RPI*, to calculate pension payments. He will also thank the union’s retired members for their strong support in the union’s campaign for decent pensions, as it gears up for the biggest industrial action in a generation over detrimental changes to public sector pensions. Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “I am warning the government that pensioners are angry that their savings have been raided. Not only do they face the biggest industrial action in a generation from public sector workers, they face losing the long term support of pensioners come election time.“Retired members know how important it is to stand up for pensions rights. They know that even after a lifetime of saving, public sector pensions are not gold plated. They also know what a struggle it is for other pensioners to cope with the rising cost of living. Energy bills and the price of basics such as food and housing are on the up. These daily essentials take up the lion’s share of pensioners’ weekly budgets. “The government has made things harder for pensioners by switching from retail prices to consumer prices to calculate pension rises. From April this year, this will spark a long-term decline in the value of public and state pensions. This will push more pensioners into poverty in their retirement.”Separating the pensions facts from the right wing 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 bosses of Britain's largest companies have an average pension 34 times bigger than the average public sector pension*CPI – consumer prices index, RPI – retail prices index UNISON has 1.4 million members, and another 140,000 retired members.

Unemployment figures - UNISON response

As unemployment reaches its highest level in 17 years, UNISON, the UK’s largest union, is calling on the government to ditch plan A and act quickly to get our recovery on track. The union has been campaigning for an alternative economic plan that includes taxing bank bonuses and transactions, using cash raised to protect jobs, and stimulate growth and recovery. Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “Here is yet more proof that this government’s policies are wrong for the economy. Our recovery is not even off the starting blocks, and the toll of job losses keeps on mounting.“Today’s figures show that young people are paying a heavy price for the bankers’ recession – the government must act to give them hope for the future. Long-term unemployed figures are also climbing – to be out of work for more than 12 months has a huge impact on people and their families. “The government must put a stop to public sector job losses – they are hitting the private sector, and our chances of recovery, hard. There are fair alternatives – such as getting the banks to pay their fair share, introducing a small (0.05%) tax on financial transactions, and raise billions that can be used to stimulate growth and recovery – and give hardworking people back some hope.”

DCLG pensions' proposals - UNISON response

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, said today that the Department for Communities and Local Government's (DCLG) proposals for local government pensions would hit the predominantly low paid, women workforce in local government, hard. Heather Wakefield, UNISON head of local government, said: “These proposals would hit low paid women in local government hard – they make up the vast majority of local government workers. Their pensions are already low – average rates are £4,000 for men, dropping to just £2,600 or £50 a week for women. Changes to the accrual rates would bring down the value of their pensions even further. “We have said from the start that these drastic changes to the local government pension scheme are not necessary – it is cash rich and financially sound. The reforms already made in the last set of negotiations have made it affordable and sustainable for the long term.” Key facts about the local government scheme The local government scheme could fund all its liabilities for twenty years without a single penny more in contributions. It has funds worth £140 billion – equivalent to 12% of UK GDP, making it one of the biggest institutional investors in the world.

Women bear brunt of Government Ministers' pension attack

Women are the biggest group to be affected by government ministers plans to change public sector pension schemes, according to new figures gathered by UNISON, the UK’s largest union. More than 3.7 million women* (6 in 10) working in public services across the UK could be affected by the plans to make them pay more, work longer and receive less pension in retirement – 320,445 of these are in the South West. After 8 months’ of talks, UNISON has decided to ballot 1.1m of its members in local government, the NHS, police support staff, the environment agency, water companies and passenger transport executives for strike action. Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “We have found that women in the South West are being badly hit by the recession both as providers and as users of services. In the public sector, they face pay freezes at a time of rising inflation, job losses and now an attack on their pension entitlements. “These women are often low paid and struggling to make ends meet as prices rise and wages are cut; many are single parents. They already pay a sizeable proportion of their salaries into their pension schemes to save for their retirement. And those schemes are already sustainable and affordable. Government ministers want them to pay on average around 50% more, with no guarantee that the money will go into the pension schemes. All but the lowest paid will have to pay what is effectively a tax on public sector workers trying to save for their retirement. “I have said that we are willing to negotiate anywhere, anytime, but after 8 months of talks, we don’t seem to be making much progress. So we are asking members to vote yes to strike action in the forthcoming ballot.”Jane Carter, 37, is a receptionist for Bath and North East Somerset Council. She said: “I currently earn £16,000 a year and pay £87 per month into my pension. I am very concerned by the government’s changes as I may have to pay an extra £45 a month, work for longer and see no benefit for it. “I’ve had to make sacrifices due to a long-term medical condition and am already cutting expenditure. Prices are rising and any pensions increases forced on us by government will make life harder and wipe out my ability to save. I will therefore be voting yes in the strike ballot.”Nurses, care staff, teaching assistants, social workers and school meals workers are just some of the women who will be affected by the plans. The average pension for a woman working in local government is just £2,800 a year and in health it’s around £3,500 a year. The lowest paid already pay 5.5% in the LGPS and 5% in the NHSPS of their salaries to save for their retirement. This rises to 7.5% and 8.5% for those on higher pay. If they did not save, they would end up on means-tested benefits, at a cost to taxpayers. UNISON has more than one million members in membership.

Climate of fear created as police jobs axed

UNISON is predicting a climate of fear caused by huge cuts to police staff, on the day of the Home Affairs speeches at Tory party conference. An Ipsos MORI survey carried out for the union in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight shows that 71% of residents believe their communities will be less safe after the cuts.Three quarters of the public surveyed (75%) are concerned that cuts on this scale will hit services, including frontline policing. The findings also indicate that two-thirds (66%) of those surveyed in Hampshire and Isle of Wight feel that these cuts to police budgets put at risk the Conservative Party’s reputation for being tough on crime.Hampshire Constabulary is facing a 20% cut to its budget. Between 2010 and 2015 the national police service will lose 16,100 police staff, 1,800 PCSOs and 16,200 police officers. Ben Priestley, UNISON’s National Officer for Police Staff, said:“The public are not fooled by the Government’s false claims about protecting frontline policing. A climate of fear is being created by these cuts to police staff. “Forensics officers, PCSOs and 999 call takers are among the police staff carrying out vital roles for community safety. The public know that if these jobs are cut there will be more pressures on the frontline and crime will soar.“If officers are forced off the beat to take over back office work, we will lose vital police presence. This is also a false economy – the cost of doing the work doubles, as officers are paid around twice a much as police staff.“The Government claims that forces must just tighten their belts and become more efficient, but the results of the survey proves that the general public have seen through this. The public realise that less spending on police will mean more crime in their community. We have the public on our side when it comes to cutting crime - it is about time the Government started listening to us and them.”

Australia: Public Sector workers launch campaign against government cuts and campaign for union rights

More than 40,000 NSW State public employees turned out in the State capital, Sydney alone, to demonstrate the start of the State Public Unions campaign against the Conservative (Liberal) Government cuts to the State public sector, and the new State laws designed to take away public employees’ rights to bargain, and to make the Independent State Labour Court just an arm of Government Policy.
Thousands of State employees also stopped work, and came out to demonstrate in major regional centres and small towns outside Sydney.
All PSI affiliates in NSW were there in their tens of thousands. The Public Service Association of NSW, the NSW Nurses, The Australian Services Union, the Communications Electronic Plumbing Union joined their fellow Public Sector unions like the Teachers Federation, the Police Association, the Fire Brigades Union, the Rail Tram and Bus Union and the Health Services Union in a massive rally and protest march past of the NSW Parliament that took more than two hours to complete.
The unions in the public sector joined together with private sector unions like the Metal Workers, Manufacturing Workers, Security Officers Union, Childcare Workers Union, Finance Sector Union, and thousands of Federal government employees in our other PSI affiliates, like the CPSU, under the umbrella of the State Labour Council “Better Services -Better State” campaign. That is a local version or equivalent of the PSI “Quality Public Services” Campaign.
A day after the State Government added an extra 5000 job cuts, in its first Conservative State Budget, to its billions of dollars in spending cuts and a massive privatization of State Assets, state wide prison closures and privatizations, ports and transport privatisations, cuts to housing subsidies, the unions were outraged that in this public spending cut was added the plan to abolish public sector workers rights to collectively bargain.
The day before the demonstration, the NSW State Government threatened massive fines, singling- out state teachers who stopped work to protest the spending cuts and laws against workers rights. The State Government threatened to take the union to the very State Industrial Court, that it had just directed not to use its powers to fix fair wages for Public Servants, the same law against which the public service workers were protesting. This prompted many more thousands of teachers to walk out in defiance, and State Ferry workers to call a snap strike to let members join the demonstration. The city metropolitan train system was swamped by state workers flooding to get to the demonstration in the city centre of Sydney, outside the State Parliament.
Numbers across the State who demonstrated were probably close to 60,000, three times the unions’ original plans, and representing about a fifth of the whole State public workforce.
The unions were addressed at their rally by rank and file public employees who said - they had “just begun to fight”, and that the fight won’t end till their rights were restored, or, the Conservative (Liberal) Government was defeated. The rally was told, time and again, that Quality Public Services were what the public deserved and that was what the pubic unions were committed to fight for. They said - Demonstrations were just the start, but the fight will really take place in a “long game” on the ground, in Communities, and finally the Electorates.
Note: Another Conservative (Liberal) Government

Pickles gets it wrong on trade union facility time

UNISON, the UK’s largest union, said today that Eric Pickles had got it wrong on trade union facility time. Far from costing taxpayers money, trade union involvement has a very positive impact on the workplace. Research commissioned by the Department for Business in 2007 suggested that effective and engaged union representation saves the public purse between £170m and £400m a year by improving retention, training take-up, health and safety, and dispute resolution; and as much as £3.6bn a year through general productivity gains.Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary, said: “Attacking trade unions who work with employers to create an efficient, more motivated workplace is just plain daft. Workers have a right to be represented. “If trade union stewards are going to represent staff properly, they need time away from their usual jobs to do it. Public sector reps already contribute up to 100,000 unpaid hours every week. What’s more, collective bargaining saves cash. If councils or the NHS had to negotiate individually with all their staff, they would be forced to spend a fortune on consultants or mediators.“Public services are facing savage cut backs and workers have a right to have their voices heard and rightly expect their union reps to be there to help them when they need them most. “Trade union facility time makes good business sense, and any attempts to cut it will end up costing the taxpayer money.” - A report for the Department of Trade and Industry in 2007, said that the UK’s 350,000 workplace reps brought in benefits worth £476 million to £1,133 million annually.- A TUC report in December 2009 said that trade union involvement boosted productivity by making people feel listened to, and more in control of their working lives. - Reps in the public sector contribute up to 100,000 unpaid hours of their own time each week to carry out their union duties, the research showed. This is time that directly benefits public services and the people who work in them. - The DTI estimates this productivity boost is worth between £3.4 billion, and £10.2 billion to the economy.

Tories are creating a 'smaller, less tolerant Britain'

The Tory-Lib Dem government is creating "a smaller Britain, a less tolerant country," UNISON told Labour delegates in Liverpool today. Speaking at the equalities debate, on the final day of the party's conference, Labour Link delegate Pat May said that the fight against inequality, racism and prejudice was a fight for public services."Without our Black members and migrant worker members, public services would grind to a halt," she said. Ms May spoke of the union's fight against the BNP and of the Hope Not Hate campaign. But she added that "the politics of demonising and scapegoating" migrant workers and other minorities for the problems caused by employers and the financial crisis "is not restricted to the far right. It has entered the mainstream."Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper told delegates that equality had been debated on every day of the conference. She spoke in particular of the hardships felt by women under the current government, "being hit twice as hard as men by the government tax and benefit changes" as well as by the "double discrimination" of sexism and ageism. Ms Cooper told delegates that when deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman and others confronted David Cameron with the problems being faced by women, "his response was not 'sorry', but 'calm down'."He will learn that women across the country are not going to calm down, but will get angrier and angrier, louder and louder."Also referring to the prominence of the NHS on the conference agenda this week, she added: "We know that whatever our background, the NHS is the most important institutional embodiment of fairness and equality in our society."