I’m pleased
to see the UNISON website reporting the good news from Lambeth, where we have
come to an agreement with the Council that shared
parental leave will be paid at a rate equivalent to occupational maternity pay.
Whatever
happens in the General Election, trade unions will continue to try to negotiate
to defend and improve the conditions of service of our members (and workers
generally). If we wish to reverse the decline
in collective bargaining we clearly need to be assertive and ambitious at
every level.
In local
government we will find it harder and harder to negotiate improved conditions
or sustain union organisation if we cannot reverse the tide or privatisation
and outsourcing – this is what makes this week’s strike action in Barnet
so important. UNISON members are fighting to remain local government employees.
The action
being taken against Barnet’s Tory Council underlines the need to vote to ensure
a change of Government, whilst simultaneously illustrating the spirit and
determination which we will need to show if we are to derive any benefit from
such a change.
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