Across England, on 1st February, teachers in our sister union NEU went on strike to win a cost of living pay rise. As the union representing the staff working alongside these teachers, UNISON members wanted to show direct support to our colleagues.
Many did what they could within tight constraints, including attending rallies in Newport and Portsmouth. But covered by a different set of pay negations, it was illegal for teaching assistants, receptionists, care takers and all the other staff who make schools work to join NEU picket lines. This is because unions in the UK work in a tight legal framework. The government now wants to make this framework even tighter – restrictions that UNISON oppose. This is why our union supports the Trade Union Congress’ (TUC) Protect the Right to Strike campaign.
UNISON General Secretary Christina McAnea notes:
Strikes are always a symptom of a problem. But the government’s answer is to fast-track new legislation that will add further restrictions on the right to strike… It’s another sticking plaster that won’t fix the deep-rooted causes of industrial disputes. Another distraction from their inability to manage the country’s public services and our economy.
It is this further tightening of anti-union laws that lead to the TUC calling for 1st February as a day of protest. Unions with on-going disputes coordinated their action to highlight that our movement stands firm against further unnecessary legal constraints. These are designed to help reduce our ability to act against punitive governments and employers.
Speaking at the rally at St Thomas Square (Newport), UNISON Isle of Wight Local Government branch secretary Mark Chiverton (pictured above left) made it clear that:
The NEU action needs to be considered alongside campaigns being waged by public service workers in all sectors to restore massively eroded living standards and rebuild services which have been decimated by the policies of the Tory government since 2010. The latest Tory legislative attacks on the ability of workers to take effective action to need to be exposed and resisted all the way.
IOW Branch Secretary Mark Chiverton addresses the Newport rally
Whilst UNISON members in the South East didn’t take part in strike action on 1st February, our presence at these rallies meant the message was clear. No to attacks on our cost of living, no attacks on our services, no to attacks on the right to strike – as Jon Woods, branch chair for Portsmouth City branch outlined at the rally in Guildhall Square:
Solidarity is the foundation of trade unionism. We need to show our support for everyone who is striking on 1 Feb and send a message to the government that we will not tolerate even more restrictions on our right to strike.
Find out more about the TUC Protect the Right to Strike campaign. If you work as school support staff, join our 250,000 of your colleagues in UNISON. You can join us online today.
