UNISON PLEDGES £20 MILLION TO FIGHT SAVAGE CUTS
UNISON PLEDGES £20 MILLION TO FIGHT SAVAGE CUTS
The UK¹s largest public sector union, UNISON, has today (8 December) set up a £20 million fighting fund to combat savage Government cuts to public services. The National Executive Council, the union¹s ruling body, agreed to set aside the £10m for national campaigning and to help regions and branches organise against job losses and service cuts.
The money is on top of a further £10m available in the union¹s industrial action fund.
Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said:
³Twently million pounds is serious money for serious times. We are facing the biggest onslaught against our members, and the services they provide, in our history. We are determined to use this money to help our members on the ground to fight for jobs and services.
³Today, we are sending out a clear message to the coalition government that we will not stand by and see our public services devastated, without putting up a fight. The money will be used to step up campaigning and to help our branches and regions combat savage cuts to jobs and services in their local communities.
³UNISON members are angry and frustrated that this Government has refused to look at any of many viable alternatives, to cutting public services. They are ideologically wedded to the private sector and are using the idea of the Œbig society¹ as a smokescreen for privatisation and service cuts. The poor, the elderly and the vulnerable are paying the price for the bankers¹ recession.
³The money will also be used for joint campaigning with community groups and other unions fighting service cuts in their areas.²
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