The Unison union health service executive voted last week to recommend a pensions deal which for 90 percent of health workers would involve an increase in contributions from 6 percent to 6.5 percent.
Members of Britain’s biggest public sector union have challenged their leadership’s stance on pensions negotiations, and came within a narrow margin of reigniting strike action to press their claim.
‘The pressure is on the leaders of Unison. They can be under no illusion that they only got away with not reinstating strike action by the skin of their teeth.
The Unison union local government conference, also had a significant discussion of pay for local government workers, which took place in the wake of chancellor Gordon Brown’s declaration of his intention to clamp down on pay in the public sector.
The Unison union is asking its branches to consult members on the next steps in the fight to defend the local government pensions scheme (LGPS). But the consultation is very narrow.
Health Service lobby
Over 1,000 nurses from the Royal College of Nursing and Unison took part in a mass lobby of parliament on Thursday of last week to protest against job cuts in the NHS.
