Sell out by UNISON leadership complete

[Frank Drebben]

Workers could retire at 60 under the Rule of 85 which has now been scrapped. While only a minority of workers took this option as saving it was the centrepiece of the strike and the negotiations and that hasn't happened clearly it's a pretty big defeat.

Edit to add: Doh! Sorry just realised it was a typo on my part, sorry I meant to put 60, not 65, sorry for the confusion!!



Because I'm involved in said loony trot group.......as it goes the bloke who wrote the article (who is in PR as well) is a long time UNISON convenor and also on the steering group of the RMTs initiative to set up a national stewards network, so he knows what he's talking about.

I think you will find that some could retire younger than 60. Unisons's mailing and link to website still says that the 85 rule is protected.

Re who ever it is in PR or what ever they are called ; the fact that he is a convenor says very little as most are rarely elected.The fact that he is is on a steering group for an ill fated project has even less. Unison hasn't even got a national shop stewards network never mind one that is composed of other trade unions. Are you in a union or still at college btw?

 

[cockneyrebel]

I think you will find that some could retire younger than 60. Unisons's mailing and link to website still says that the 85 rule is protected.

Yeah you could retire younger than 60 but the rules got more complicated there. But the 85 rule is gone for all but a tiny amount of people (mainly if you're over 50). As that was the centre piece of the dispute the result can't be seen as anything other than a big defeat. And it didn't have to be that way, the UNISON leadership did all it could to demobilise the membership to save Labour's skin. Indeed they're backing Gordon Brown now in his leadership bid despite the fact that his policies are hammering UNISON members in the NHS and local government.

Re who ever it is in PR or what ever they are called ; the fact that he is a convenor says very little as most are rarely elected.The fact that he is is on a steering group for an ill fated project has even less. Unison hasn't even got a national shop stewards network never mind one that is composed of other trade unions. Are you in a union or still at college btw?

The bloke who wrote the article is an extremely well respected union convenor in Camden and has decades of experience. But anyway, if you choose to not believe that there's nothing I can say really.

Since you ask I'm a UNISON rep at work, and haven't been at college for 10 years or so.