Unison

University workers in Unison are to vote on whether to strike in their fight for decent pay. The union must offer a bold campaign and give members confidence to take action.

There are stirrings inside Unison, Britain’s largest public sector union, as grassroots members demand a fighting stance.

UNISON has won a major victory in the Supreme Court, reversing regulations from 2013 that introduced fees at Employment Appeals Tribunals. The decision marks a massive step forward in the fight to claw back workers’ rights that have faced decades of attacks. But there is still some way to go. Bold and militant trade union leadership is needed.

UNISON local government and national delegate conferences takes place in Brighton this week. Conference will be dominated by a general election result which clearly adds further instability into the equation. UNISON and other big unions must now take the lead in the fight to kick out the Tories, bring Corbyn’s Labour to power, and end austerity.

This year UNISON’s Local Government Conference, meeting in Brighton, is followed immediately by National Delegate Conference. This should represent a perfect platform to reach out to hundreds of thousands of members and show a lead in the struggle against low pay and austerity.

At this year’s conference one subject dominated the whole proceedings: the question of pay. At the core was the divisive and insulting pay offer by Jeremy Hunt, Health Minister, who has ignored the NHS Pay Review Body recommendations and is only prepared to give a 1% pay increase to staff who are already at the top of their grade and nothing to the rest. 70% of staff in the NHS will therefore not get a pay rise.

UNISON’s Local Government Conference, held in Liverpool on June 16-17th, brought together delegates from hundreds of branches in England, Cymru Wales and the North of Ireland for two days of discussion and debate. Conference discussed some of the most pressing issues facing members: Eric Pickles’ attacks on facility time; the threat of privatisation; recent attacks on Teaching Assistants from the so called “Reform” think tank; and the pressures on domiciliary care. UNISON Socialist Appeal supporters report on this year’s conference.