Town Hall staff back strike call over pensions
8:50am Friday 24th June 2011 in News
THOUSANDS of council staff in Bolton could strike after their union overwhelmingly backed industrial action to protect pensions.
Delegates at Unison’s annual conference heard appeals for a series of walkouts in the first week of October — to coincide with the Conservative Party Conference — if talks to reform public sector pensions collapse.
A number of local members made up the delegation from Bolton, including branch secretary Bernie Gallagher, who sits on the union’s national executive, and branch chairman Florence Hill.
Public sector workers are angry at plans by the Government to introduce increased pension contributions and raise the pension age to 66 by 2020.
Mrs Gallagher said: “Public service workers are being asked to pay more, work longer and then get less when they retire.
“In a relatively wealthy country like ours we need to fight to improve pension provision for everyone.”
Ms Hill said: “The mood was definitely angry that the Con-Dem Government is not only taking our jobs through the cuts, but also stealing from our pensions.
Everyone agreed that industrial action through strikes is the only way we will stop this.”
Messages of support were sent to the NUT, ATL and PCS who are taking strike action on Thursday, in defence of their pensions.
The planned walkout, which includes teachers, benefit and tax office staff and workers from driving test centres, is expected to be the biggest in years with 750,000 expected to take part.
The University and College Union yesterday confirmed its members at the University of Bolton would also be joining the June 30 action.
Secretary of the Bolton branch of the NUT, Barry Conway, said: “It is incredibly hard to walk out on strike but the Government is forcing people into this.”
Martin Challender, chairman of the Bolton TUC, said: “There is certainly a growing feeling that people are ready to talk about industrial action as an option.
“For some of the unions involved on June 30, it will be the first time they have ever balloted for strike action, which shows the strength of feeling.”
