"United we stand divided we fall" - support messages for March 28 flood in

Messages of support from across the NUT - and the wider trade union movement - are flooding in to NUT Associations. Here's just some of those that I've received:

I am writing to you as President of the new Buckinghamshire Trades Council to offer you our full support for the strike action that you will be taking in defence of your pensions on March 28th. Your determination to continue with action sends out a significant message to the wider public that the public sector pensions dispute is not over. It will certainly help convince many members of my union Unison that all is not lost and that with determination and solidarity we can overcome the difficulties we face. I look forward to the day when all those unions and trade unionists that oppose this governments theft of our pension rights, take action together, as we did on the 30th November. United we stand divided we fall.

Yours in Solidarity, Steve Bell (Unison) President

I would like to express my support and gratitude to NUT members taking strike action over the pensions issue on Wednesday. Our members at Soar Valley College and the City of Leicester NUT in general feel very strongly that the fight for fair pensions must continue and we are only sorry that we are not able to take action ourselves -  although we trust that we'll be given the opportunity to do so after Easter.  Thank you for making the financial sacrifice to carry on the fight on behalf of the rest of the NUT. I hope you have a good day on Wednesday.

 Andy Haynes - Soar Valley School, Leicester

INTO members of Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey and Larne send greetings and solidarity to our colleagues in the NUT London region for their strike on the 28th March. We salute your stand against the pensions robbery and would have liked to join you in your fight. You are taking a stand on behalf of us all and we would hope to join you in any future action.  We are under continued attack with the robbery of our pensions, the movement towards regional pay and a real terms reduction in school funding.  You have our voices and our respect. 

Yours in solidarity  Seamus Hanna Northern Committee Member INTO

On behalf of the Executive of Coventry NUT, we would like to extend our solidarity to all NUT members across London, but in particular those members of Lewisham NUT whom we have twinned with, for your strike action on March 28th which is so very important.  We have asked our members to practically support you with donations of money for your Hardship Funds  as well as messages of support. Whilst we were very disappointed that we were not taking national strike action on March 28th, we recognise that the campaign is continuing and that in Coventry, we have a responsibility to ensure that that this campaign is won because we cannot work till we are 68.  We are hoping to send some members down on Wednesday and march with you with our banner.  We know you have a huge responsibility to bear and we acknowledge the stand you are making as the first Region to be called out. Thank you.

Jane Nellist, Joint Secretary, on behalf of the 1800 members of Coventry NUT

Martin, on behalf of teachers in District 1 Irish National Teachers Organisation Northern Ireland, I send you greetings and solidarity for your strike on March 28th. We pay tribute to your courage in taking strike action on ALL our behalf. If there was any justice we would all be striking on March 28th against this daylight robbery of our pensions...a raid being carried out by Osbourne and his cronies in Westminster and by our Northern Ireland Assembly here to pay for the bailout of banks and the greed of bond holders. We wish you all the best for your Easter Conference and hopefully in April we will all join you again on the picket lines to continue our campaign.
In solidarity, Mary Cahillane  (Central Executive Committee Representative District 1) INTO

Good Luck on Wednesday. Here’s hoping for a good turnout and thank you all for your efforts on our behalf.

Tom Hayes, Willingdon Community School (East Sussex)

Good to see teachers and lecturers carrying on the fight to defend pensions. Chancellor Gideon Osborne's  'granny tax' is a timely reminder of why public sector workers need to fight for a decent retirement! Good luck for March 28,

Julia Armstrong, Branch chair, South Yorkshire National Union of Journalists

"The officers of Ipswich NUT support the continuation of the campaign to  defend our pensions. Whilst we are disappointed that the strike on the 28th March will not be a national strike we give our full support to our London colleagues taking action on that day. We support the idea of 'twinning' with an association in London to support them with financial contributions from our local members and with messages of support. We call on our national executive to encourage members throughout the country to give their support to the London strikers in a similar way.  November 30th was an enormous step forward for the trade union movement and we  believe that it is with action like this that we can win. We look forward to the future escalation of action and hope that other teaching and public sector unions will join us."

Margaret Bulaitis, President Ipswich NUT

I am writing to you to give the full support of PCS members in the Department for Work and Pensions in Wales for the NUT members who will be taking strike action next week. We fully recognise how important it is for the NUT to have a good strike in London - to show the willingness and necessity to fight to all teachers nationwide.  We also fully support your initiative in ensuring that the NUT continues to be actively involved in strike action against pensions.

This week we have seen clear evidence that this government feels strengthened by any sign of weakness from trade union leaders. We have witnessed the raft of anti-working class measures they have taken in the budget and its support for the super-rich, as well as the disgraceful assault on the NHS.   However in PCS we can also see clearly the potential for even more unity across the trade union movement as anger grows in the face of these attacks, which impact on us all. We have confidence in trade union members across the board in wanting to fight back and defeat this government.  We fully support your action and we will continue to work hard to mobilise the working class anger and potential to fight back into a mass movement against this weak coalition government.

All the best, Katrine Williams, PCS DWP Wales Chair

Congratulations on keeping up the momentum of opposition to this pensions robbery. Have a good day on the 28th March. Let's hope that every pensioner in this country is now realising that the RPI /CPI switch really does affect them also!
Pete Sopowski - Southampton NUT