Don't mess with our pensions!

Dear Members,
This is a fast way we can get the news out to you. Anything to do with strikes can’t go across employer’s email systems – but you can use the official UNISON / TU notice boards in your workplaces to pin up what you print out from our website.

WE VOTED ‘YES’! - and it’s all out now for 28 March
We’re everywhere - across local government, schools, police, higher and further education, the Environment Agency, probation, fire and rescue services, Passenger Transport Executives, the Meat Hygiene Service, the voluntary and Community sector and the members of this Branch’s other employers such as PLUSS and the Dartmoor National Park Authority, and we’ve given a
big thumbs down to the Government’s proposed changes to the LGPS and
a massive thumbs up to industrial action.
80% of those voting said ‘yes’ to action, on a turnout of 28%.

OUR SISTER UNIONS ARE RIGHT ALONGSIDE US
The average yes vote across eight of the other unions was around 80% too. All this adds up to the biggest strike the UK has ever seen. We need you to be a part of it.
I met with Devon representatives of the Teaching Unions this morning and they will advise all their members not to take on work in schools which should be done by support staff, but won’t be on the 28th. That’s solidarity. Big thanks to the teaching unions.

AND AFTER THE ALL-OUT ACTION of 28TH WHAT ELSE?
UNISON’s Industrial Action Committee met today and endorsed a further rolling programme of action. This will include selective action by particular occupational groups. This will continue into May, when further ‘all out’ action is planned.

GET YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY INVOLVED--
UNISON is producing a new leaflet for members to give to the public to explain our case. It will be a joint union production to show the world that we are standing together as unions on this vital issue. Devon County Branch will be ordering thousands of these leaflets for you to help you explain to everyone what an injustice we’re facing on pensions.

CARRY ON CAMPAIGNING
While we are building for a massive show of anger on 28 March, we have to carry on campaigning. That means keeping up the pressure on MP’s, councillors, employers and pension funds. Already a large number of police authorities, some colleges and universities, several large LGPS pension funds and a large number of councils have told us that they don’t want the proposed changes to the LGPS. We need to step up the pressure on John Prescott and the Sir Sandy-Bruce Lockhart, so keep those postcards rolling in. Every Devon County Branch member will be sent a postcard next week. Please post them off straight away.

Hands Off Our Pensions
Moira Macdonald
Branch Secretary