A fight that we will win

By Dave Prentis, General Secretary of Unison

This week, thousands of UNISON members from across the country are gathering in Manchester to make their voices heard at our national conference.

In the face of attacks on all fronts, our campaign marches on. We march on because more of our members are struggling to pay their bills, as they wait for bank statements they’re afraid to open, or for the notice of impending redundancy to drop through their letterbox. From health to council workers, in schools and colleges, in Connexions – every day more of our members are being pushed to breaking point.

And we know that people who depend on public services are struggling too. Every mother who has lost her local children’s centre, every person waiting longer in pain for an operation, and every elderly resident of a care home facing the uncertainly of being moved if their home is closed. The list of cuts hurting people’s lives runs on and on.

And now the coalition has turned its firepower onto our pensions. We want to avoid action – but there is no hope without real talks. We are warning David Cameron that we will strike to defend our pensions – we are hoping for the best, but will be ready for the worst.

Strikes are our last resort. Our members – loyal public sector workers – do their jobs so they can serve their communities. They don’t want to see libraries, sure start centres and council offices closing their doors. And we know that if we take action, one day will not be long enough.

But public sector workers cannot be asked to pay more, but get less, and work longer. The government said it wants to talk, but it has already pledged to raise contributions and the retirement age – these are not conditions our members can accept.

Their planned rise is a 50% hike for many – as the cost of living rises, and pay freezes pile on even more pressure. And these will not go towards their pensions – but straight to the Treasury to plug the deficit.

The government may say it wants to protect the lowest paid – this is false. All those on the lowest wages are under threat of privatisation – and the protection they get on their pensions – the Fair Deal – will be torn up by this government.

For many, working longer is not an option. After years’ of lifting patients and rushing round wards, many nurses struggle with back problems. It’s a similar story for many home carers, paramedics and bin men.

The attack on our pensions is based on a tissue of lies and misrepresentation. They are not gold plated -average rates are just £3,800 in local government and £6,500 in health. And the ink on our previous agreement is barely dry – an agreement that made the schemes affordable and sustainable for the long term.

Today is my call to arms. We are not just fighting for decent pensions; it isn’t only about jobs and pay, it’s about the kind of society we want to leave to our children. The rights our grandparents fought for – the welfare state, universal public services. It’s about breaking a political consensus that says markets know best.

But make no mistake. If we need to, we will take the fight to them. This is no time for despair, no time to look back. I ask you to find within yourselves the strength, the resolve, the courage, to march on. Determined, united, more than one million strong. And it is a fight that we will win.