The leadership (NJC) of the local government sector of the public services union Unison has voted for a strike ballot over pay. The right wing has convened a special meeting of the Service Group Executive (a larger committee), probably for Thursday 13 September. There are rumours (though nothing is clear) that they may try to stall the ballot by demanding a “consultation” of members on the offer take place first.
On 4 September the NJC voted to reject the employers’ slightly raised offer averaging 2.475%, still well behind inflation running at more like 5%. The ballot is pencilled in for early October, and the union leadership suggests a two-day strike between 14 and 20 November.
Meanwhile, the postal workers’ union CWU has “stopped the clock” on their talks with Royal Mail bosses, previously tied to a closing date of 4 September. They are still talking, now with a deadline of 9 September. Insiders say that Royal Mail is not budging in the talks, so the postal workers’ action may be on again soon.
The RMT rail union has suspended its strike over job and pension security at Metronet, reporting “progress” in talks with the bosses. Metronet, a privatised consortium now in administration, has the contract to maintain trains and track on all the London Underground lines except the Jubilee, Northern, and Piccadilly.
The strike which started on Monday 4th was very effective. London Underground bosses did not even try to keep the services running without maintenance workers for a while, but just shut down the lines immediately. A further strike remains set for Monday 11th unless the talks produce a satisfactory deal.
Unison’s ballot of its members in the Health Service over the latest pay offer there – marginally increased, but still well below inflation – finishes on 13 September. The Unison health sector leadership sent out the ballot papers on 20 August, with the comment that it was “the best that could be got through negotiation”. If the ballot rejects the offer, a further ballot will be required on industrial action.
The National Union of Teachers has been discussing the possibility of an industrial action ballot over pay for some time. General secretary Steve Sinnott is currently talking in terms of a ballot around November, but left-wingers in the union are pushing for an earlier date which would create the possibility of united action with the local government workers (which include many ancillaries in schools).
The supposedly “Marxist” leadership of the PCS civil service union decided when the postal dispute brewed up to go for another long-winded “consultation” of its membership, rather than use the PCS’s existing ballot mandate to take action on the PCS’s own demands on pay and jobs, alongside the postal workers. It is however balloting its members in the Department of Work and Pensions with a recommendation to reject the Department’s pay offer. That ballot closes on 10 September. The series of meetings for the general “consultation” closed on 3 September
The Unison leadership has sent out the following circular:
The UNISON NJC Committee met on 4 September and decided to seek authorisation for an industrial action ballot over the employers’ final offer of 2.475% plus £6 per hour (3.4%) on scale point 4. Branches are asked to make urgent preparations for a ballot and campaign.
Background
At the NJC on 20 March, the employers made an offer of 2% on all pay points. This was immediately rejected by the Trade Union Side and the employers were asked to reconsider their offer. A considerable period of delay in receiving a further offer then followed. This was the result of a number of factors:
- The Government’s 2% public sector pay limit and pressure on the local government employers to keep to it
- Local elections in May
- Delay in the appointment of a new Chair of the LGA, Sir Simon Milton, to replace Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart.
Final offer
The employers made their final offer at a meeting of the NJC Executive on 24 August. The details circulated in ULG/96/2007 are as follows:
- 2.475% on scale points 5 – 49, with no staging
- 3.4% on scale point 4 to give a minimum rate of £6 per hour
- Joint commitment to “a review of the way that local government pays and rewards its workforce, with nothing ruled in and nothing ruled out”
The offer was based on recognition of the “excellent performance” by the employers of the local government workforce. In making it, the employers made it absolutely clear that there was no scope for further improvement.
UNISON NJC Committee decides
The UNISON NJC Committee met on 4 September and decided to reject the revised offer and seek authorisation from the NEC’s Industrial Action Committee and the Local Government SGE for an industrial action ballot. Meetings of both are being organised. The Committee made it clear that, in rejecting the offer, members would need to be prepared to take part in substantial and escalating industrial action, starting with a two-day, all-out strike. The decision of the UNISON NJC Committee on 4 September follows two consultation processes amongst UNISON members covered by NJC pay and conditions. The first of these was an informal consultation in May/June and the second was a formal consultation on the 2% offer in July in which 81% of those responding voted to reject the 2% offer.
GMB and TGWU-Unite
At separate meetings of their Local Government Committees on 6 September, both the GMB and TGWU-Unite voted to consult members on the final offer on the basis that it is the best achievable through negotiation and will require substantial and escalating industrial action in order to achieve any improvement.
What branches must do now
It is clear that only a campaign involving substantial and sustained industrial action, starting with the two-day strike agreed by the UNISON NJC Committee, will achieve any improvement to the offer.
Branches will therefore need to work closely with Regions to organise for the ballot, achieve a ‘yes’ vote and mobilise for industrial action. The timetable for the ballot will mean that letters of intent to employers are likely to be sent out in the week commencing 24 September. The two days of action would then take place between 14 and 20 November.
It is therefore vital that you now:
- Ensure that membership records are up to date
- Call branch and workplace meetings to tell members what is happening
- Order and distribute campaign materials – which will be distributed once the SGE and Industrial Action Committee have approved the ballot
- Ask your Regional NJC reps or Head Office officials to address meetings
- Tell your local press and media what is happening
- Campaign for a ‘yes’ vote in the ballot
- Work with your Region on the campaign and update them on members’ response