Walkouts on the horizon as public sector pensions dispute resurfaces

CONTINUED resistance to pension changes could lead to fresh strikes by public sector workers.

UP to 2 million staged a walkout last November to protest increased contributions and lower pensions.

The Government made a final offer at the end of last year and expressed optimism that the bitter dispute could be resolved, but unions remain opposed to the reforms.

Some union leaders have discussed dates for new strikes, with March 1 emerging as a possible day for another walkout by public sector workers, sources told the Press Association.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT), NASUWT, University and Colleges Union and Public and Commercial services union are among those most likely to take further industrial action.

Union executives will meet within the next two weeks to receive further feedback from their members and a new strike date could emerge then, with some activists expecting action in early March.

Strike ballots held last year are still active, so no further votes would be needed although unions will have to give seven days’ notice of any more stoppages.

Some unions are currently consulting their members on whether to accept the Government’s deal as the best that can be achieved through negotiation, but a number of large unions are said to be “standing firm”.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers union, said: “The heads of agreement document signed up to by four unions before Christmas is set to wreak massive injustice on the overwhelming majority of teachers.

“The NASUWT will be seeking to mitigate the worst aspects of the agreement by demanding that teachers do not bear an unfair burden of unjustified increased contributions, whilst employers see the level of their contributions reduced.