MIDWIVES remain angry over the government’s attack on public sector pensions, warned the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) yesterday.
Jon Skewes, director of employment relations at the RCM, said: ‘There is no doubt that our members across the UK are disenchanted and incensed by the attacks by the government on their pensions, and the lack of meaningful negotiation and progress that we are seeing from the government.
‘Midwives and other NHS staff have already made major concessions on their pensions, introducing arrangements to limit the cost to the taxpayer.
‘They give more back to the Treasury than their pensions take out and they face a future working for longer, for less money and paying more for their pensions.
‘They have also produced major increases in productivity doing much more with less, so the government’s actions are seen as a slight on their efforts and their commitment.
‘We will be encouraging our members to demonstrate their level of dissatisfaction over the lack of progress in NHS pension negotiations by supporting and taking part in the Day of Action on the 30th November with other unions.’
The RCM is not planning to ballot its members on industrial action at present. However, it has commissioned an independent survey on their views on pensions, and the RCM will be releasing the results at its conference in mid-November.
Jon Skewes, added: ‘The decision of the RCM not to ballot its members on the 30th November should not be seen as a sign that our members are not angry; nor should it be assumed that midwives will not take collective action in the future.
‘Our members will be supporting rallies, demonstrations and campaigning events on the day. We urge the government to engage in constructive talks with the RCM and other health unions.’
The RCN, the main nurses trade union, confirmed yesterday that it will be balloting its members for action on November 30, if the pensions talks continue to fail.
• The homeless charity Centrepoint was urged at the weekend to enter into last-minute talks with Unite, after the majority of its members voted overwhelmingly to strike in a dispute over staff losing thousands of pounds a year in pay.
Unite has asked the conciliation service Acas to intervene as managers seem intent on imposing pay cuts which could see some of the more than 100 staff losing thousands of pounds, while top executives will have their pay ring-fenced from cuts.
Unite’s members voted by 70 per cent to 30 per cent for strike action at the charity, which looks after homeless young people, and its members will meet today, 3rd October, to decide strike dates.
Unite regional officer Matt Smith said: ‘We hope the board will intervene and bring this iconic charity back from the brink of disaster.
‘We need to prevent this charity from carrying out the cruellest of ironies, cutting our members’ pay by so much it could potentially force them to join the very homeless that they do so much to help.’
