- Conference
- 2015 Special Local Government Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2015
- Decision
- Carried
This Special Conference believes the decision of the NJC Committee on 9th October to suspend the action planned for 14th October was a mistake which completely undermined the national campaign to secure a decent pay rise for Local Government members and an end to five years of real terms cuts in our member’s living standards.
This led to complete confusion and dismay amongst both activists and members which was compounded by disbelief that a two year agreement had been entered into for a pittance above the 1% a year offer that was already on the table.
This Special Conference believes that the consultative question posed to members undermined the confidence of members to continue to fight for a better pay award.
This Special Conference notes that:-
1. Where Branches or Regions campaigned against the revised proposal and recommended members reject the employer’s proposals, they usually received the support of their members in the consultative ballot.
2. Where Branches or Regions failed to give a lead to fight further they usually received acceptance votes within the consultative ballot.
This Special Conference therefore believes that the role of our union’s leadership in giving confidence for our members to challenge the austerity real pay cuts they have endured over the last five years is crucial. The evidence shows that where it is argued to fight the members generally respond positively in ballots to do so.
This Special Conference also believes that it was not necessary for our members to undertake “all out strike action to achieve an improved pay offer”, and that the leadership should have planned and communicated a clear strategy in the escalation of the action, alongside our UNISON colleagues in the Health Sector and other trade unions, as a means of smashing the pay freeze and winning a victory.
This Special Conference also believes we should put our members’ interests above all other interests.
Therefore this Special Conference calls upon the union to:
a) Avoid such a situation ever being repeated by ensuring any decision to suspend any future planned strike involves a fuller and transparent consultation process with Branches and Regions.
b) Always put our members’ interests before any others.
c) Recommit to campaigning over pay, in line with UNISON’s policies, regardless of the political make up of the next Government.
24 Birmingham UNISON Branch
17 Sandwell General