Strike motion to be debated at conference today

PCS and other public sector trade unions are working together to defend jobs, pensions and pay.

If government negotiators won’t back down the unions are preparing to respond with co-ordinated strike action.
PCS’s national executive has agreed to put the following emergency motion to the union’s ruling delegate conference in May:
"Conference condemns the policies of the coalition government which are designed to cut hundreds of thousands of public sector jobs, cut services, attack public sector workers’ pensions, and which have imposed a two-year pay freeze.
Conference further condemns the proposed redundancies that have been recently announced in a number of areas and believes they could have been avoided.
Conference notes that the government has already made it clear that it will implement the Hutton proposals meaning members will pay higher contributions and work longer for a lower pension.
Conference believes that it was not the jobs, pensions or pay of public sector workers which caused the economic crisis and rejects the coalition government’s attempts to scapegoat public services.
Conference welcomes the recommendation of the April NEC for a national ballot for discontinuous strike action and for discontinuous action short of a strike. Conference further welcomes the ongoing talks with the education unions for joint action involving hundreds of thousands of public sector workers.
Conference therefore instructs the incoming NEC to:
• Proceed with a national ballot in defence of jobs, pensions and pay
• Continue to work with other trade unions to co-ordinate the action for maximum impact.
Conference therefore urges all members and activists to prioritise mobilising for a ‘yes, yes’ vote.”
PCS branches will be debating the resolution at meetings before the conference.
All PCS members are urged to attend and join the discussion – your idea could be the one that wins the dispute.
Teachers’ union backs strike vote
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