| (17/10/11) Activists and staff in UNISON’s eastern region have conducted 200 pensions briefings informing members of the threat to their futures, to date UNISON is balloting 1.1 million members across the UK for industrial action over proposed changes to pensions, which will make public sector employees work longer, pay more and get less when they retire. Eastern region has 90 branches across six counties, whose members will be affected by the changes. Regional organiser Phil Green started to conduct initial, county-wide briefings on the day that general secretary Dave Prentis announced the ballot, at TUC congress in September. Involving key activists from local government and health branches in each county, his purpose, the briefings were designed "to gee people up, to give them the message that they had to go away and prepare for the ballot – and to tell them that from now on we were on a war footing." The region’s 100 pensions champions were also briefed early, and were already at work in their branches when the ballot opened on 11 October. "We've held a whole range of meetings, leafleting and drop-ins, whatever works best from branch to branch," says Mr Green. "We’ve had about 200 briefings so far, with branch activists, champions and full-time staff working as a team." While some champions have presented briefings themselves, most have been addressed by area and regional organisers, alongside branch officers. The larger the branch – and some briefings have been attended by as many as 100 members – the more people were involved. "The briefings are proving to be a very worthwhile exercise," says Mr Green. "A number of people have said: 'When I listened to the politicians on TV, I didn’t actually realise that this is what I would be losing'. I think they do now." Protect our pensions |