Branch launches consultative ballot

The Branch Committee has now agreed a timetable for the consultative ballot on industrial action against job losses as agreed at our Branch Meeting on 5 July 2010. That meeting, attended by 225 members, agreed without opposition that we need to be prepared to take industrial action across the Council as a whole in order to resist cuts and job losses, and to oppose compulsory redundancies.

We know that the four hundred job losses which have been threatened since May, some of which are now being implemented, will increase after the Chancellor of the Exchequer announces the details of the Comprehensive Spending Review on Wednesday 20 October. Your branch believes that we must be prepared to use all means to resist cuts that threaten our jobs and will devastate vital local services.

Because of the rigid time limits and legal restrictions around official ballots for industrial action we cannot afford to wait further before commencing the consultative ballot. Should we need to hold an official ballot for industrial action we would need, in order to comply with the law, to give a week’s notice to the Council before the ballot, to allow at least three weeks for the ballot and to give at least a week’s notice to the Council before taking any action.

UNISON’s Regional Office will only approve a ballot if there is evidence that the members to be balloted will support action in the ballot. Therefore we need to know the views of members now if we are to be in a position to commence a ballot should we need to do so, which seems likely. In order to keep our options open to be able to ballot for strike or other industrial action we need to demonstrate a good turnout and a convincing majority of “YES” votes in the consultative ballot.

In line with the agreed policy of our branch, I would urge you to vote “YES” in favour of industrial action in the consultative ballot. We do not seek strike or other industrial action. We are negotiating with the Council on a daily basis to avoid and limit redundancies and have organised effective campaigning against job cuts which has already avoided and limited job losses.

However we do need to be able to call action if necessary if we are to be in the strongest possible position to negotiate with the employer. Those of us who have experience of previous rounds of budget cuts know that strike action, and other industrial action, have saved jobs and services in the past and can save jobs and services in the future.

If we fight to defend ourselves we may win and we may lose – but if we fail to fight we shall certainly lose.

Ballot papers for the consultative ballot will be despatched by post to home addresses from Monday 4 October. The deadline for return of the consultative ballot papers will be 5pm on Friday 22 October. If you have not received a ballot paper by Monday 11 October please email me at j.rogers@unison.co.uk for a replacement ballot paper. Further information about the ballot will be despatched with the ballot papers.