A message from Dave Prentis,
UNISON general secretary
250,000 vote Yes to protect their pensions
UNISON members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking industrial action to protect their pensions in the biggest ballot we have ever held.
Almost 250,000 public service workers including nurses, teaching assistants, social workers, care assistants, paramedics, police staff, school dinner ladies, probation workers and cleaners posted back ballot papers that said Yes to protecting their pensions.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for the work you've done in getting that Yes vote.
A total of 245,747 voted Yes, comprising 171,428, or 76% in the local government pension scheme 73,930, or 82% in the NHS pension scheme and 389 or 87% in the principal civil service pension scheme.
Each service group executive - local government, health, police and justice, community, higher education and water, environment and transport - has unanimously agreed to go ahead with strike action on 30 November co-ordinated with other TUC unions.
That has been authorised by the union's industrial action committee.
Despite statements in Parliament, we have not yet received an offer on pensions, but we are willing to negotiate any time, any place.
Thanks again for the work you have done to protect public service pensions. Now let's keep up the pressure and work to make 30 November a resounding success.
Keep up to date with the campaign by visiting our website at unison.org.uk/pensions/protectour.asp.
Dave Prentis
UNISON general secretary
Posted by Peter Smyth communications officer.
