Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Employee relationsIndustrial action / strikesTrade unions

Unions threaten mass strike action over Hutton report

by Beth Holmes 10 Mar 2011
by Beth Holmes 10 Mar 2011

Lord Hutton’s report on public sector pensions, which recommends increased payments, working longer and a reduction in the value of existing pensions, threatens to “light the blue touch paper for industrial action” and may result in mass coordinated strike action across the public sector.

The Independent Public Service Pensions Commission final report has angered unions across the board. Brian Strutton, national secretary for public services at the GMB, said: “Many of [Hutton’s] conclusions are questionable and will infuriate public sector workers. It’s not cogent enough to be a blueprint for reform but it might well light the blue touch paper for industrial action.”

Dave Prentis, Unison general secretary, said that the Government is “coming for” public sector pensions. “Asking workers to work longer for less is simply not an option. We want to talk to the Government about their response as a matter of urgency. But I am sending out a clear message to our 1.4 million members warning them that industrial action is now one big step closer,” he said.

Public and Commercial Services Union general secretary Mark Serwotka told Personnel Today: “It’s very likely there will be a mass walk-out. It’s inevitable that that we’ll be balloting if the Government doesn’t negotiate with us. The changes are grossly unfair because they chip away at our members’ pensions at the start of their careers.”

Serwotka added that coordinated strikes were a possibility: “The unions are always talking to one another. While strike action by one has a certain amount of impact, obviously the more unions striking, the greater the impact. We’ve already been in touch with the UCU [University and College Union].”

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “The last thing our universities need is widespread disruption and strike action always remains a last resort. However, the employers must recognise the strength of feeling over pensions. UCU members are prepared to take their first national strike action for five years because they see their pensions as deferred pay. Their pensions compensate for the lower salaries they receive carrying out research and teaching in universities than they would get if they chose to use their highly-specialised knowledge and skills elsewhere.”

Commenting on the Hutton report, Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said: “Let’s be clear – public sector pensions are not ‘gold plated’ and they are affordable. The Government has already set its own disgraceful course [and] cannot be trusted on these issues.

“The NUT will be discussing the issue of defending teachers’ pensions at our annual conference in April,” she added.

XpertHR has guidance on how to avoid a dispute escalating into industrial action.

XpertHR also has FAQs on industrial action.

Avatar
Beth Holmes

previous post
Job growth figures point to ‘two speed’ labour market
next post
Economic forecast points to increased unemployment

You may also like

How should HR handle the highest inflation in...

18 May 2022

Deliveroo signs deal with union GMB to cover...

12 May 2022

Post Office staff strike over below-inflation pay offer

3 May 2022

Union accuses easyJet of corporate bullying over staff...

29 Apr 2022

A dark day for workers’ rights – why...

29 Apr 2022

Network Rail: unions angered by ‘work harder at...

28 Apr 2022

Managing change for HR: five top tips for...

26 Apr 2022

Home Office civil servants angry at Rwanda asylum...

22 Apr 2022

Hybrid working: executives returning to office less than...

21 Apr 2022

Union announces ballot for ‘biggest rail strike’

20 Apr 2022
  • What it really means to be mentally fit PROMOTED | What is mental fitness...Read more
  • How music can help to ease anxiety at work PROMOTED | A lot has happened since March 2020, hasn’t it?...Read more
  • Why now is the time to plug the unhealthy gap PROMOTED | We’ve all heard the term ‘health is wealth’...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • Maternity & Paternity
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
    • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+