Ultra left sows disunity as pensions negotiations enter critical phase

It is a sad reflection on the lack of integrity of certain unions present at Thursday's TUC Public Services Liaison Group (PSLG) meeting on public sector pensions, that lies and misrepresentations emanating from their ranks have been allowed to go unchallenged. Two basic facts about the PSLG meeting need to be stated:

1 No union proposed that a date for further strike action be agreed

2 No trade union leader present argued for acceptance of current proposals. How could they when scheme specific negotiations are ongoing and in some cases close to conclusion? For that reason it was agreed to reconvene the PSLG meeting on Monday.

Yet lies have been spread by ultra left front organisations raising long rehearsed cries of 'betrayal' and ‘sell out’ - targeting individuals including our own General Secretary. Union democracy is being brought into disrepute as a faction of a civil service union seeks to interfere in the negotiations of health and local government unions including UNISON: http://pcseuston.org.uk/pcs-left-unity-pensions-organising-conference-london-7th-jan-2012/

It seems that some activists in civil service unions have short memories. Ready to pick up their own agreement in 2005/6 and leave local government workers isolated, they now seem hell bent on stopping a possible breakthrough in LGPS negotiations which GMB, UNISON and Unite negotiators are commending as an important step forward. In due course, workers in each public sector scheme will approve or reject negotiated outcomes on a union by union basis. That’s the way union democracy works whether the Socialist Workers Party or Socialist Party (and their front organisations such as NSSN) like it or not.

The pension rights of millions of public sector workers are at stake and no responsible trade unionist or trade union leader should allow the lies and misrepresentations of the ultra left to go unchallenged.