04.11.11
Public sector strikes to go ahead over pensions
A 78% majority of the members of the largest public sector union, Unison, have voted to strike on November 30 over the local government pension scheme.
The strike is being organised by the TUC and could involve members of 20 trade unions in the public sector, representing up to 2.5 million workers. If all these trade unions vote in favour of the strike, it could be the biggest coordinated strike since 1979.
Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls said on BBC One’s Question Time: “The unions will have to give some ground, but the Government will have to give some more ground because at the moment what is being proposed isn’t fair and this strike is entirely avoidable.”
However, Home Secretary Theresa May disagreed with the strike, saying that workers had already been given a “better offer”.
The Government offered to change its plans on Wednesday, aimed at cutting the cost of funding public service pensions when life expectancy is increasing. Among the concessions made is a proposal for more generous accrual rates, protection of the pensions of those retiring over the next ten years, and higher limits on contributions paid by the government.
Balls said it was “good the Government is finally taking the negotiations seriously”, but claimed the lowest paid workers would still be pinched by the proposals.
The Government stated that the proposed strike action was “disappointing, unnecessary and potentially damaging”, but nonetheless seemed unwilling to strengthen anti-strike laws. The strike proposal has been backed by just 22% of those balloted by Unison.
The Cabinet Office said: “We have not ruled out tougher laws on strikes, although this would be a last resort. However, if trade unions trigger strike action based on ballots with very low turnouts, the case for reform would be hard to resist.”
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