Unions lay out 'line in the sand' on pensions

Up to 450 activists and campaigners gathered at Friends Meeting House on Euston Road to take part in the event, organised by public-service union PCS.

Speaking to the Star before his opening address the union's general secretary Mark Serwotka said this was a pivotal moment for the union movement.

"November 30 demonstrated our potential to unite millions of people, not just on pensions but on pay, conditions and everything else.

"It is important to remind ourselves why we went on strike. All those reasons still remain. Our members will still have to work longer, pay more and receive less."

He added that it was PCS's view that unions needed to move towards a national co-ordinated strike in the "immediate future."

Lecturers' union UCU national executive member Mark Campbell told the Star: "It is very clear - we have to say there is a line in the sand.

"We have to get together and agree further action."

There was an urgent need for at least another 24-hour strike before the universities' half-term which begins in mid-February, he said.

And unions would need to look at further escalation after that.

"We need to maximise the number of unions taking part but we can't wait until the measures have come into force on April 1," he stressed.

Mr Campbell said he believed a national strike was feasible and that if unions such as UCU, PCS, Unite, the NASUWT and NUT took the lead others would follow.

paddym@peoples-press.com