“It won’t be a Tory tea break – it’ll be a day of action!” that was the message from UNISON’s LGBT conference today as delegates resoundingly dismissed the suggestion from Francis Maude that trade unionists could make their point on 30 November by just striking for 15 minutes.
Conference was united in support for the day of action at the end of the month – and united in determination that 30 November will be a massive declaration that “enough is enough!”
Addressing delegates, assistant general secretary Karen Jennings thanked them for all the work they’d done to help build the Yes vote in the strike ballot.
Reading out a list of other unions that will be joining UNISON in action on 30 November, she said: “We’re not only making history, we’re living history.”
And after stressing the role that UNISON has played in winning equality, Ms Jennings told the hall: “An equality of poverty is not what we were aiming for – and we will not allow it to happen”
“What do we do? We fight!”
In debate, delegate after delegate highlighted the injustice of the attack on pensions.
“A devious way to pay for the greed of others” was how one speaker described it.
And there were rallying cries aplenty. “One for all and all for one!” said Phillip O’Shea.
Eileen Best urged delegates to act so that they could answer comfortably when their children asked: “Where we’re you on 30 November?”
And Jenny Harvey summed it up by declaring: “Never mind being out in UNISON – on 30 November, everyone in UNISON needs to be out!”