Staffordshire Shop Stewards Network

No retreat on pensions - Fight until we win!

NSSN Staffordshire met on 16^th January to discuss the pensions struggle and what our next move should be. Activists present from Unite Health, FBU, Unison and Unite Construction all agreed that the Unison leadership should reject the Con-Dems 'Heads of Agreement' deal. This so called deal would in reality be handing over Unison member's 'heads on a plate' and offers nothing significant.

The important lead given by the national PCS Left Unity conference of 7^th January was also welcomed and like recent NSSN Merseyside and NSSN Preston meetings the motion passed at that conference was fully endorsed.

The general mood of our meeting was; that N30 was a marvellous demonstration of the potential of the organised working class but this action must be built on. It's regretable that Unison's leadership seem hell bent on trying to snatch a defeat out of the jaws of what could be a significant victory against the attacks on pensions. But there is still time to force their leadership to rethink their position and rejoin the more than one million trade unionists in those unions that have already rejected the government's 'offer' to continue paying more and working longer for less pension.

NSSN Staffordshire activists will be putting a motion to the local Unison Health branch to call for a Special Conference of Unison members.

It was also agreed to invite Left organisations in the trade union movement, relevant union bodies and groups of workers in dispute to discuss co-ordination of and solidarity for industrial action to a further meeting on Monday 6^thFebruary.

An NSSN Staffordshire NUT activist visited the Unilever picket line at Burton-on-Trent the last time they were on strike and we will be giving support again when they strike on Wednesday 25^th January.

Proposal unanimously agreed by National Shop Stewards Network Staffordshire

That we adopt the principles of the statement agreed at the 7th January (PCS) Left Unity open organising conference, with the exception of the third and final bullet-point which relates to the national situation [the establishment of a temporary co-ordinating committee between left organisations in the unions], and resolve as following:

“This meeting agrees to contact Left organisations in the trade union movement, relevant union bodies and groups of workers in dispute, with a view to re-convening a further meeting to discuss co-ordination of and solidarity for industrial action, in early February.”