(Islington Council Unison A) LOCAL government white collar workers in UNISON have rejected 6-day strike action against the government's 1.5 per cent pay limit by 180,000 votes to 60,000.
This was the second of two ballots. The result of the first was a small majority in favour of action. The ballots were agreed by NALGO conference in June against the recommendation of the NALGO leadership, reflecting the anger of delegates at the passivity of the leadership in accepting the government's pay norm.
The rejection of the offer in the TUC NHS Emergency Day, LONDON, Saturday NOV 20 first ballot can thus be seen as a condemnation of the lack of campaigning and fightback by UNISON's leadership on the issues facing members: jobs, conditions but also pay.
However the very discrete campaign for a 'yes' vote on the second ballot by the leadership of UNISON, and the greater concern of the members and branches on jobs and conditions ensured a defeat in the second ballot for strike action.
UNISON has denounced the 1994 pay freeze, and called for a 'high profile' campaign, including industrial action, to oppose the freeze.
Whether UNISON carries this out remains to be seen. But a campaign against the pay freeze must go beyond UNISON.
It is the largest public sector union in Britain: it could submit a flat rate pay claim for all its members in local government, health and other services on a common date, thus uniting a large sector of public sector workers for action to break the pay freeze.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 50, October 9 1993, Page 10