Tuesday, 18 January 2011

Meetings support ballot alongside UCU

Both last night's Lewisham NUT General Meeting and a lunchtime meeting today at Islington 6th Form Centre agreed that the right choice for the NUT Executive to make this week would be to agree to a pensions ballot timetable that allows us to take a first day of action alongside the UCU in March.

There was a wide-ranging and considered discussion at both meetings about the mood of teachers and the threats that we face. Some of the Islington teachers were particularly persuaded by the fact that the NUT can show that there is no 'black-hole' in the Teachers Pension Scheme that requires our pension contributions to rise by £100 a month!

As the latest National NUT leaflet points out:
  • The National Audit Office has confirmed that the changes already made in 2007 are "on course to deliver substantial savings" as planned
  • The Government's Actuary Department calculates that those changes will cut the cost of public sector pensions by 14%
If costs are already set to fall, these latest attacks aren't needed to fund our pensions. No, it's plain robbery to help balance the Government's books at our expense - while the top bankers who were to blame for the crisis keep raking in their bonuses.

Who can afford to lose £100 a month, when today's news showed that inflation is surging upwards? I hope the NUT Executive also agrees that it's now time to launch the ballot.

1 comment:

Doug from UCU said...

I hope that the NUT exec do support action alongside UCU.

UCU in TPS terms is one of the minority unions and as such will only be seen in the context of a rogue entity, not in line with the consensus of scheme members. Support from the NUT on the matter will ensure that this is not the case.

I think that if there is action that, in light of recent events, that students will be more prepared and willing to show support for action of this kind, which can only be a good thing.