The Alternative - The campaign newsletter from PCS

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The Alternative - The campaign newsletter from PCS

November 2011

The alternative November 2011 front cover

Welcome to The alternative – a regular campaign newsletter from PCS. This issue of The alternative focuses on the upcoming day of action on 30 November where three million workers plan to strike to defend decent pensions from government robbery.

A selection of articles are published on this page, and a PDF of the publication in full can also be downloaded from this page too.

The alternative November 2011

This month:

The roll call of support

Twenty unions, representing three million workers, were supporting the 30 November day of action over pensions as The alternative went to press.

Unison threw its one million members behind the dispute after 78% of those taking part in a ballot backed industrial action.
Two other big unions – Unite and the GMB have been balloting their workers in public services.

The four organisations that walked out together in June are still involved – PCS, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, the National Union of Teachers, and the University and College Union.

Also supporting the action are: Chartered Society of Physiotherapists; Educational Institute of Scotland; FDA – union for senior civil servants; Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association; Irish National Teachers Organisation; NAPO – probation union; NASUWT – teachers’ union; National Association of Head Teachers; Northern Ireland Public Services Alliance; Prospect – a civil service union; RMT transport union members in the public sector; Irish general union SIPTU; Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; Ulster Teachers’ Union; and UCAC – Welsh language teachers union.

Hands off our index

The outcome of a judicial review brought by PCS and other unions against government cuts to inflation-proofing for public sector pensions was expected soon, as we went to press.

Six unions mounted the legal challenge at the High Court in October on behalf of millions of public sector workers over what inflation index is used to increase their pensions.

Protesters were outside the court objecting to the government’s imposed change from the Retail Price Index to the lower Consumer Price Index – which will cost pensioners thousands of pounds.