Next in The Pensions Campaign

Next steps in the campaign to defend pensions

9 March 2012

 

The PCS national executive committee (NEC) met on 6 March and discussed the plans for the next steps in our national dispute.

We are holding a national consultative ballot recommending that members vote 'Yes' to reject the government’s pension offer and support a programme of action, co-ordinated with other unions, to achieve a fair pension settlement. It is planned to start the programme of joint action with a 1 day strike on 28 March.
There were two highly successful national strikes in 2011. In order to again mobilise the maximum number of members and generate media coverage there is a need to give 28 March a distinct campaigning focus.

Parliament is in recess on 28 March and it is a constituency week for MPs. Therefore, the NEC has discussed using the 28 March to take our campaign to MPs in their constituencies. The purpose of this is to increase pressure on the decision makers and give the strike day a new angle for the media. This involves organising mass local lobbying of MPs in their constituencies and a number of high profile demonstrations in the constituencies of key ministers.

The NEC will take a final decision on 19 March to call the strike on 28 March, taking into account our ballot result and the decisions of other unions. However, this will only give just over a week to organise the high profile constituency activities. This is insufficient time to organise major events.
Therefore, we are making the practical and logistical preparations in advance of the 19 March, to ensure that in calling the action, the NEC can also ensure that these constituency activities can be delivered on 28 March.

We have discussed with UNITE, NUT and UCU, EIS in Scotland and NIPSA in Northern Ireland, organising major demonstrations and rallies in the constituencies of a number of key ministers. The aim is to attract the participation of members and media interest. Key ministers identified are as follows:

Name	Constituency	Main urban centre
David Cameron	Witney	Witney, Chipping Camden (Oxon)
George Osborne	Tatton	Wilmslow, Knutsford
Nick Clegg	Sheffield Halam	Sheffield
Francis Maude	Horsham	Horsham (West Sussex)
Vince Cable	Twickenham	Twickenham
Ian Duncan Smith	Chingford and Woodford Green	Chingford
Michael Gove	Surrey Heath	Camberley

Other possibilities which are being explored by nations and regions are: Danny Alexander; Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, Caroline Spellman; Meriden (Solihull), Andrew Lansley, South Cambridge shire (Cambridge).

PCS is taking the lead in Tatton, Sheffield, and Horsham. The NUT and UCU are taking the lead in other constituencies: for example we are discussing with the NUT events in London, which may be focused on Twickenham and other constituencies of leading coalition MPs.
The preparations are as follows:

• PCS regions are working with all unions who may be involved in the action on 28 March.
• PCS regional offices in Northwest, Yorks and Humberside, and Southeast to organise demonstrations in Tatton (Cheshire), Horsham (West Sussex) and Sheffield. These demonstrations will be the primary focus for these regions.
• These regions will now be contacting branches in the areas where they aim to draw members into the key constituency rallies to identify members who are prepared to take part in the demonstrations.
• In other regions to work with other participating unions town committees and anti-cuts groups to organise demonstrations – which include a focus on constituency lobbying.

Branches are asked to take the following action

• Contact opposite numbers in NUT and UNITE and UCU.
• Start encouraging members to participate in demonstrations in key constituencies where have been arranged by regions (see above).
• Start organising constituency based events – we will have a tool kit for lobbying MPs and a suggested type of local activity
• Start preparations on local demonstrations – in areas other than those where key constituency events have been arranged by regions

This is the most important stage in the campaign. In the event of a Yes vote we need to ensure the action is more effective and more members take part in the strike day activities than in previous strikes. Thank you for the work that you have already put into this campaign and in advance for your efforts in making the next stage of the campaign successful.

Details of events will be publicised through PCS regions and on the vote yes page.

Mark Serwotka Janice Godrich
General Secretary President