inate against which is affordable.
These words are also those used by the employers to justify "reform" and "modernisation" of the pension scheme. Ending discrimation is necessary, but this should not be done bv forcing members of the pension scheme to work longer.
The employers are now also arguing that protection could be unlawful because it breaches EU Age Discrimination legislation.
UNISON's reaction to this has been to embark on a Judicial Review which may have the effect of nullifying the regulations ending the "85 year rule". Relying on a legal judgement without a backdrop of industrial action is action is a risky strategy.
The three months of inactivity since the strike action on March 28 has led to the demobilisation union activists, and allowed many delegates at UNISON's local government conference back narrowly a motion supported by the leadership. The MODON adopted would require the re-balloting of the membership for industrial action should the negotiations break down.
On a card vote, this motion Was adopted by 350,381 voting for, while 330,422 voted against!
Speakers supporting the motion adopted had to go along with the mood of the conference by arguing that they supported industrial action to defend the pension scheme, and that this may be necessary again.
The left argued that carrying on with a programme of industrial action while talks were carrying on Was lol unusual, and was indeed necessary in order to "strengthen the hand of the negotiators".
The risk now is that any new ballot for strike action will take place in the autumn after the Judicial Review.
The long gap since the last day of strike will make it more difficult to convince members
vole yes for action. Members understand that UNISON's leadership does not have its heart in implementing an effective strategy of industrial action to beat off the attack on pension.
The stakes are high for UNISON and other local government unions.
If this dispute is lost, then the government will have a free hand to continue imposing 3-year below inflation pay deals and continue with its offensive of privatisation of the remaining public services. Tricycle Theatre, 269 High Road, Kilburn, London NW6 7JR Jayaben Desai, leading Grunwick striker, Amrit Wilson, writer on Workers Union during the strike. our website: http://tinyurl.com/o9uv2., email: [email protected] or telephone 020 7624 0032. Commemorate Grunwicks 1976-78 11am - 5pm, Sunday September 17 Tickets must be bought in advance: £7.00. which includes lunch. Speakers include: Jack Dromey, Deputy General Secretary, T.G.W.U. and Secretary of Brent Trades Council at the time, Arthur Scargill, Honorary President, N.U.M., and then President of the Yorkshire Area N.U.M, Ed Blissett, London Region Secretary, Jeremy Corbyn M.P, Asian women in Britain, Derek Walsh, London organiser of the Postal • Contact: Brent TUC, 375 High Rd, Willesden, HA9 6AQ, visit
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The British left has been receiving a diet of rumours and reports on developments in the Scottish Socialist Party, and there are distinct differences on what should be done. Here we reprint a statement agreed by the Political Committee of the Socialist Group on THE SCOTTISH Socialist Party - long a beacon of hope for those seeking to build broad alternatives to the rightward march of social democracy - is in the grip of a cute ema costs.
On the one side of a very sharp divide is its most prominent member, and artr
org www.alencontre.c the media.
Its practical proposal was that the minutes be handed to the court, in a sealed envelope, in order to release Alan McCombes from prison - the release of the minutes to the News of the World could still be challenged in court.
Releasing the minutes was now unavoidable, but Sheridan's proposal was embedded in a huge, politically unsupportable, diatribe against the EC majority.
It described the EC majority variously as "an unsavoury cabal", "akin to the dark days of Stalinism", "McCarthyite" and "effectively acting for the state"; It was designed to show that it was not his decision to go to the courts which caused the crisis but the acuons of his opponenls SILICC.
It attacks the SSPs policy of 50-50 women's representation by saying "we are a class based socialist party. Not a gender obsessed discussion group".
To raise the temperature even more the Sunday Herald carried a story that morning that the proceedings of the November 2004 EC meeting had been revealed to the court