National Delegate Conference 15-18 June 2010

We are ready to fight for pensions and services

Mike Kirby presents Dave Prentis with bagpipes after his few ill-chosen words about Scottish football

Dave Prentis, UNISON General Secretary told the new Government in no uncertain terms that UNISON would fiercely defend our members and the services they deliver, and their pensions.

Dave warned "If Clegg comes for our pensions, we will ballot for national industrial action." Dave demanded a public apology for Clegg's and the Telegraph's claim that our pensions cost the taxpayers £4000 a year, and not the £400 it should have been - another piece of scaremongering attempting to drive a wedge between public sector and private sector employees.

He slated the new Government and their lust for power, and their attempts to demoralise us with grim warnings about the debt and the deficit and said that the biggest danger is that people accept the propaganda that this is inevitable and there is no alternative.

He said that there are alternatives, "I say to the employers: You do have a choice - stop cutting our pay and conditions, start cutting out the contractors and management consultants. I say to the councils: You have a choice. Stop council tax giveaways that benefit a few. Start protecting the services needed by the many. And I say to George Osborne: Even you do have a choice. Stop taking money from schools, hospitals, care homes. Have the guts to go back to the banks, the speculators, the profiteers. And tell them on our behalf: You created this mess - you pay for it. It's not about looking for scapegoats. It's about that fairer society we were all promised."

Forget the pay freeze to our members said Dave, "And if money is tight, and savings need to be made. How about a pay freeze for our bankers? We've seen enough of what they've done. We've had enough of their greed, their arrogance. And now the arrogance of a government asking the public and trade unions where the axe should fall. Our public services - the jewel in the nation's crown - the subject of an obscene lottery. Not everything that is valuable is popular."

Dave vowed that UNISON would rise to the responsibility of leadership in this fight for public services, our members and their pensions, "We will organise public meetings and street demonstrations, in towns and cities up and down the country. We will build lasting community alliances, to defend our public services. We will use our national campaign funds to raise public awareness about the consequences of cuts.

“We will give practical support to those who are fighting to defend their schools, hospitals, care homes, libraries. We will build alliances with other public sector unions, including the PCS.

“We will promote an alternative economic, political and social agenda through our Million Voices Campaign. We will give our full support to any branch that is forced to resort to industrial action to defend jobs."

Dave condemned unequivocally the brutal Israeli attack on the flotilla in Gaza, "An act of piracy, an unprovoked attack on a peaceful mission. And we say to those in Gaza, and to all who struggle for an independent Palestine, this union is with you. We send a clear and loud message that we will fight with you for peace and justice for the Palestinian people. Congratulating the work of UNISON members, local communities campaigning successfully against the BNP and defeating Nick Griffin, Dave warned that we should not be complacent.

"The battle continues. The battle to consign the BNP and the English Defence League to history. No place for fascists on our streets, no place for fascists in our councils." Dave recognised the work carried out by everyone in UNISON, with some 40,000 activists juggling their union work with their family and work responsibilities, the work of the health and safety reps, workplace reps, learning reps.

"Countless lives transformed by the opportunities learning can bring. “Our self organised groups. Their passion bringing diversity to the union. Our retired members, showing loyalty to the union doesn't stop with the last payslip. And our young activists, renewing our union from the bottom up taking issues around the environment, low pay, leading us into the future."

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