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All is not as reported by our media...<br> <BR><div><div id="SkyDrivePlaceholder"> </div><div class="ecxgmail_quote"><div lang="EN-GB">
<div><font face="Calibri">
<p align="left"><em><font face="Arial">Please circulate the attached documents
widely. As you can see UNITE has stayed firm! </font></em></p>
<p align="left"><em><font face="Arial"></font></em> </p>
<p align="left"><em><font face="Arial">Martin Mayer</font></em></p>
<p align="left"> </p>
<p align="left">UPDATE </p></font><font face="Calibri">$B!>(B </font><font face="Calibri">PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS</font><b><font size="5" face="Calibri-Bold"><font size="5" face="Calibri-Bold">
<p align="left">GOVERNMENT$B!G(BS $B!F(BFALSE TIMETABLES$B!G(B AND $B!F(BFINAL OFFERS$B!G(B</p>
<p align="left">LEAD TO GROWING FRUSTRATIONS AND ANGER</p></font></font><font face="Calibri-Bold">
<p align="left">Firstly</p></font></b><font face="Calibri">, congratulations on the
fantastic show of determination, confidence and increasing
<p align="left">anger by hundreds of thousands of public sector workers
</p></font><font face="Calibri">$B!>(B </font><font face="Calibri">supported by a growing
alliance
<p align="left">of our youth, pensioners and anti cuts groups </p></font><font face="Calibri">$B!>(B </font><font face="Calibri">in cities and towns across our nations
on 30
<p align="left">November. </p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">It was a day for our
trade union movement to stand united and proud and we
<p align="left">did!</p>
<p align="left">Secondly</p></font></b><font face="Calibri">, you will have read over
the past few days of $B!F(Bdeals$B!G(B being reached between
<p align="left">government and the joint unions over the future the schemes
affecting millions of public</p>
<p align="left">sector workers. </p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">This is simply
not true</font></b><font face="Calibri">. Despite the rhetoric from government
ministers, no
<p align="left">$B!F(Bdeals$B!G(B have been concluded in any of the schemes.</p>
<p align="left">The position of your union, </p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">Unite</font></b><font face="Calibri">, is very clear. We have
approached discussions in each of
<p align="left">the three schemes in which we have members; Civil Service, Health
and Local Authorities,</p>
<p align="left">in a professional and committed way in order to explore every
option in an attempt to</p>
<p align="left">convince government that its attack on public service workers is
unjust and unacceptable.</p>
<p align="left">In return, government has imposed changes, failed to negotiate in
good faith, refused to</p>
<p align="left">provide necessary information and forced deadlines and timetables
into very complex and</p>
<p align="left">difficult negotiations that are simply unacceptable.</p>
<p align="left">In each scheme various solutions have been sought to address our
concerns, this update</p>
<p align="left">gives a brief summary of Unites position in respect of each
scheme.</p>
<p align="left">1. </p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">Civil Service.
</font></b><font face="Calibri">Despite our best efforts and those of the joint
unions we </font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">have not </font></b><font face="Calibri">signed
<p align="left">up to the final $B!F(BHeads of Agreement$B!G(B document put forward by
government. This is a</p>
<p align="left">position shared by the PCS union and follows extensive discussions
with our leading lay</p>
<p align="left">members within the sector who believe that the $B!F(Boffer$B!G(B is simply
not good enough.</p>
<p align="left">2. </p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">Health. </font></b><font face="Calibri">While we remain concerned about the lack of progress in key areas
contained
<p align="left">in the final $B!F(BHeads of Agreement$B!G(B document and have not had the
opportunity to</p>
<p align="left">consult fully with our senior lay leadership in the sector we
</p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">have not </font></b><font face="Calibri">signed
up and
<p align="left">have been clear that we will not be bounced into accepting
anything by false deadlines</p>
<p align="left">imposed by government.</p>
<p align="left">We will be consulting fully with our national lay committee in the
new</p></font><font face="Calibri">$B!>(B</font><font face="Calibri">year on the
<p align="left">proposals in Health and our members will rightly decide our future
course.</p>
<p align="left">3. </p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">Local
Government</font></b><font face="Calibri">. Only in Local Government </font><font face="Calibri">$B!>(B </font><font face="Calibri">where we are negotiating with the
<p align="left">employers directly and not government </p></font><font face="Calibri">$B!>(B
</font><font face="Calibri">has any genuine progress on the real issues
<p align="left">between us been possible and a $B!F(BPrinciples Document$B!G(B was agreed
with the employers,</p>
<p align="left">following full consultation with our leading lay membership,
between Unite, Unison</p>
<p align="left">and the GMB and the Local Government employers group.</p>
<p align="left">This framework allows for further negotiations over the next year
on a range of issues</p>
<p align="left">that are of central importance to our membership. This agreement
however, </p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">has now
<p align="left">been suspended </p></font></b><font face="Calibri">following the issuing
yesterday of a letter from the Communities
<p align="left">Secretary; Eric Pickles, detailing an imposed $B!F(Bcost ceiling$B!G(B for
the employers and other</p>
<p align="left">issues of serious concern.</p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">
<p align="left">We are now seeking an urgent meeting with Ministers and will not
be lifting our</p>
<p align="left">suspension before a reconvened meeting of our lay national
committee has had an</p>
<p align="left">opportunity to discuss and evaluate this development in the new
year, we will be</p>
<p align="left">guided as always by our members.</p></font></b><font face="Calibri">
<p align="left">As you can see from the above, negotiations is all three schemes
has been extremely</p>
<p align="left">frustrating and with government refusing to lift its impositions
on RPI/CPI, contributions</p>
<p align="left">increases and an increased state retirement age, very difficult at
best.</p>
<p align="left">Whatever the outcome of actual detailed negotiations, if and when
these finally start in the</p>
<p align="left">new</p></font><font face="Calibri">$B!>(B</font><font face="Calibri">year, it
will be you, our members that will decide whether any deal is indeed
<p align="left">acceptable.</p></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">
<p align="left">We are a proud lay democracy and your leadership is extremely
proud of you.</p></font></b><font face="Calibri">
<p align="left">Whatever develops on the many fronts we face as a labour movement
as we enter 2012,</p>
<p align="left">we wish you the best of wishes for the season and look forward to
continuing our struggles</p>
<p align="left">in the new</p></font><font face="Calibri">$B!>(B</font><font face="Calibri">year.
<p align="left">In solidarity</p></font><font size="3" face="Arial"><font size="3" face="Arial">
<p align="left">Len McCluskey</p></font></font><b><font face="Calibri-Bold">
<p align="left">General Secretary</p></font></b></div></div>
<br></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Sheffield Anti Cuts Alliance is a grass roots working class anti cuts organisation <span style='line-height: 30px; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,"Nimbus Sans L",sans-serif;'>bringing together trade unionists, campaigners, students, the unemployed, pensioners and disabled people against the cuts.</span><div>
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