International Socialists (CWI Scotland)

Led by the 'rank and file' committee, many of whom are blacklisted, finally after six months of protests, unofficial walkouts and now a threatened strike, Balfour Beatty - one of the 'Dirty 7' building companies - has pulled out of the BESNA contract which will cut electricians' and other skilled construction workers' wages by up to 35%. (picture by Duncan Brown shows electricians marching to the Scottish parliament)

The fight to defend public sector pensions is not over. As the PCS union has said nothing has changed since November 30th in the government's stance on pensions. Despite the attempts of some trade union leaders to try to seek an unnaceptable deal with the ConDem government, millions of public sector workers will not be prepared to accept a sell-out. It is vital that massive pressure is brought to bear in unions like Unison to ensure a rejection of the shoddy "agreement." The setting of a date for national and coordinated strike action involving the maximum number of trade unions is vital. Below we carry quotes from public sector trade unionists following the TUC meeting on Monday 19th December.    

Posted 16th December 2011
 
On 15 December the TUC's Public Sector Liaison Group (PSLG) met for the first time since the magnificent 30 November public sector strike. Disgracefully, Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, argued that all of the trade unions should sign up to the government's latest 'heads of agreement' on pensions, which would then allow Francis Maude to announce before Christmas that the dispute has been settled. This was met with outrage by many of the public sector trade unions present.

“John Moore has recruited more members to Unite in the last 3 weeks than we’ve recruited in the past year” So said Gail Cartmail, Assistant General Secretary of Unite as she addressed 250 Unite Electricians at a Rank and File meeting in Glasgow on Sat 10th Dec.  Gail was talking about the same John Moore, who took home more than a million pounds last year, but wants to see sparks pay cut by up to 35% by withdrawing from the JIB and imposing the BESNA agreement.

Protest at Balfour Beatty Head Office Wednesday 7th November Lumina Building, 40 Ainslie Road, Glasgow 8am

No one can argue now, the sparks in Balfour Beatty (BBES) have spoken for all electricians in the construction industry - they're prepared to strike to defend the JIB and stop pay cuts of 35%. This from a company that has an order book of £15 billion and had made nearly £100 million in profits in the last 6 months! Facing all the obstacles and complications that have given the employers such an advantage in the construction industry for years - low union membership, lack of shop stewards, agency labour, the blacklist etc.

“Hardly a damp squib Mr Cameron, you pension snatcher.” Karen Grogan Unison steward Dundee. Scotland witnessed a massive outpouring of anger at the ConDem government as over 300,000 public sector workers took part in a magnificent strike against attacks on public sector pensions on N30.

30 November will see up to three million public sector workers, representing 28 trade unions, taking part in the biggest strike for 85 years. Public sector workers are striking to stop the government’s attacks on their pension rights, which mean they will have to pay more for their pensions, work longer and then retire on lower pensions. However, the strike is also crucial to the fight against all the ConDem cuts. Public sector workers told the Socialist Party Scotland why they are striking on N30. 

Three million of us will be striking together on November 30th in what will be the largest ever one-day strike by the working class in Britain. Public services workers in union after union have voted by huge majorities of around five to one to strike against the Con-Dem attacks on our pensions. Trade unions who have never been on strike before are taking action.

“Skilled jobs for skilled workers” was the chant as over 300 construction electricians and supporters marched from the Unite offices in Glasgow to George Square on Saturday 19th November. This impressive and determined mobilisation followed a similar sized march and rally to the Scottish parliament the previous week, demanding an end to the attacks on the electricians national agreements.

The ‘Dirty 7’ big construction contractors want to break up national agreements for construction electricians and impose new terms that will lead to de-skilling and cut wages by up to 35%. Even this isn’t enough for some of the bosses. The site manager at the Gratts Cannon St site in London two weeks ago said that if he had his way he’d force wages down to £1 per hour!

Rank and file electricians in the construction industry have been meeting in Scotland, Manchester and now London over the last two weeks as their magnificent campaign of defiance against ruthless employers enters its second month. They want to impose new contracts, which will see many electricians losing up to 35% in their wages and see other terms and conditions attacked. The response from thousands of these workers has been incredible.

Over ninety UNISON members in Stow College’s support services are in dispute over pay and jobs. Many are low paid with some earning just above the national minimum wage.The management have implemented a pay freeze but with inflation over 5%, electricity and gas prices rising by 18% and the ever increasing cost of food this is in effect a pay cut. The college management cannot use the excuse that the pay freeze is to save jobs as they also intend to privatise some support services.

"Public service workers have endured attacks on their jobs, wages, conditions and the services they provide for too long. The 30th November is an opportunity to join with other public sector workers across the UK to defend all aspects of our pensions in a public sector general strike. To say to all the politicians, including the SNP government in Scotland, enough is enough. The 30th November will be another important step in the united trade union fightback against the Con-Dem assault on workers across the UK." Brian Smith Glasgow City Unison branch secretary.

In an historic decision the TUC conference has agreed a national coordinated strike - effectively a public sector general strike - for 30th November involving up to 14 public sector unions so far. With ballots for a strike now announced in Unison, Unite, GMB, FBU, the EIS and a number of others, the scene is set for the biggest wave of industrial action since the 1926 general strike. 

The overwhelming mood among Unison members for strike action on pensions was driven home at the Scottish local government Unison conference on Friday 2nd September. A resolution from the Glasgow City Unison branch was overwhelmingly passed which called on the union at a UK level to “move towards industrial action, starting with a one day strike in the Autumn as part of an ongoing, co-ordinated campaign to deliver sustained and effective action."