Paul Myners Speaks Out - Defend Your Pension - Fight Back on Bankers Bonuses‏

Once more this is a call to arms! UNISON members and their pension fund trustees and LGPS reps can and must act. A recent report produced by our union’s Capital Stewardship programme revealed that £5bn of LGPS money was invested in four banks alone in 2008.

Breaking news: UNISON NEC nominates Dave Prentis for GS‏

UNISON's NEC meeting today in London overwhelmingly endorsed Dave Prentis when deciding on its nomination for the upcoming GS election.

Votes were as follows:
Dave Prentis 38
Paul Holmes 5
Roger Bannister 4
A meeting report will follow.

Notts County Branch step up anti cuts campaign‏

UNISON Active has reported before about the Notts County branch's excellent campaign against the proposed £33m of budget cuts. There will be a full council meeting on 25 February where the budget will finally be decided, and the branch are determined to campaign all the way up to this date.

UNISON GS election campaign - news from Yorkshire‏

Dave Prentis supporters in Yorkshire have established Positively Prentis a campaigning blog in which regional activists can promote the Prentis campaign and expose the flaws and inadequacies of those challenging the current GS: http://positivelyprentis.blogspot.com/

Wales Regional Council nominates Dave Prentis - nem con!‏

Meeting today in Swansea the Wales Regional Council of UNISON voted to nominate Dave Prentis for UNSON General Secretary election. There was no opposition to the proposal moved by former regional convenor Bill King – confirming the groundswell of unity behind Dave across the union.

Why regional pay bargaining is bad for trade union organisation, bad for women and bad for employers.‏

A report by think-tank CentreForum warned that national pay systems ‘ignore local differences; handicap struggling regional economies; and make it impossible for public sector managers and institutions to cope sensibly with economic difficulties'.

Greek unions to strike against austerity measures including pay freeze and pension cuts‏

Civil service workers union ADEDY will stage a 24 hour strike tomorrow against the PASOK led Government’s proposals to freeze public sector wages in a bid to slash Greece's deficit from 12.7 percent last year to below the EU's 3 percent ceiling by 2012. On Thursday the 450,000 strong PAME union centre will stage a march on the Greek parliament in protest at pension cutbacks:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1178b4f8-11b8-11df-bceb-00144feab49a.html

UNISON GS election – news from the margins‏

Saturday's welcome news of nominations from Northern Ireland, North West and Scotland confirms Dave Prentis as a candidate in the May/June ballot.

Putting Irish unity first - a response‏

UNISON Active readers may not be aware of the recent death of Tomas Mac Giolla, former President of the Workers’ Party, who made a major contribution towards peace and working class politics in Ireland.

Where was the body found?
Who found the dead body?
Was the dead body dead when found?
How was the dead body found?
Who was the dead body?
Who was the father or daughter or brother
Or uncle or sister or mother or son
Of the dead and abandoned body?