The importance of public sector workers uniting to defend not only their jobs, terms and conditions, but also to defend public services is essential. Public sector workers are not the cause of the economic crisis, and should not be paying the price for Banker’s recklessness. On International Women’s Day it is worth reminding ourselves that the people who will suffer the most from public sector job cuts, pay freezes and attacks on pensions are women who still are the majority of the lowest paid public sector workers. In places such as the North East where 34% of jobs are in the public sector swathing job cuts means attacks on women workers, and the lowest paid. http://www.cpag.org.uk/info/Povertyarticles/Poverty122/inwork.htm
The challenges which will be facing public sector workers over the next few years will be immense, whoever wins the General Election. UNISON must be at the centre of responding to that challenge across all public sector trade unions, and defending our members jobs and conditions, whilst at the same time fighting to keep public services where they belong in the public sector, not in the hands of profit making private companies. That is why the Million Voices campaign is so important, and why showing solidarity with PCS members on strike is essential.