The National Pensioners Convention Fully Supports The Pensions of Action

The following message has been sent to the General Secretaries of ATL,NUT,PCS, & UCU from the NPC General Secretary Dot Gibson (Picture - March 14th in Nottingham) and president Frank Cooper.

Dear Friends,

Pensions Day of Action : 30 June 2011

We are writing on behalf of the NPC to support the united action of your members in defence of "dignity and decent living standards in retirement"

We are very encouraged by the message in your petition to the Prime Minister and have circulated it to our members. Successive governments have told us that sufficient income in retirement is fundamental for people in their later lives, yet pensions are under attack, and - as your petition states - action is needed to secure a decent state pension as the foundation for all pension income. We wish you and your members all the very best for 30th June and in your future endeavours standing up for pensions and pensioners.

Retired Members are urged to support the day of action in their local area.

Nottingham: - 11.30 The March leaves the Forest, goes down Mansfield Road to Trinity Square. 12.30 There will be speakers, stalls and activities for younger people. 1.00 pm March to the Albert Hall, North Circus Street, for Rally and to debate the way forward. The speakers will include Paul Williams PCS.

Leicester: - Rally on Victoriaa Park at 12.00 Noon - Speakers - Picnic - Bands - finish at 3.00 pm - support and make this a family day to remember.

Birmingham: - Noon gather for rally and march which will start and finish at Victoria Square. Speakers will include Hugh Lanning, PCS Deputy General Secretary; Vici Whittal, PCS Birmingham prison; Jason Ferraby, PCS Cannock Department for Work and Pensions; and Kevin Courtney, National Union of Teachers (NUT) Deputy General Secretary.

Midlands Region TUC Pensioners Network: - 

Sends its greetings and best wishes for a successful day to all the participants in the 30th June Pensions Day of Action in defence of pensions and pensioners. We anticipate that many of our members and supporters will endeavour to support the local activity organised by the strikers in their area, and will also want to make their presence known to the strikers, as it is very important to develop solidarity and understanding between the pensioners of today and tommorrow.

Mike McLoughlin Chair, Sheena Gordon Secretary, Peter Last Vice Chair, and David Jones Treasurer..

Midlands TUC Pensioners Network June E-C Meeting Report.

The Excutive Committee met at the Unite Office in Derby on Monday June 20th and fully discussed the decisions that were taken at the March 18th Annual General Meeting, and the actions necessary to implement them. There was considerable discussion on the Network blog, the Chair reported that the site was now beginning to acheive a fair number of hits, inluding some from, France, Germany, Denmark, Holland, Italy, Ukrainne, Russia, India, Canada, and the USA. We are keen that all the trade unionists and retired members groups get into the habit of reading this blog, which will enable it to be used increasingly as an informational and organisational tool. It was agreed that the network Chair would be responsible for producing and editing the blog until the 2012 Annual General Meeting, It was also decided that Peter Last and Sheena would have the opportunity to be trained up on the blog by Alan Weaver TUC, when he is available. The decision was taken to ask for volunteers at the Next Network Regional Meeting on July 1st which will be held at the Spot Conference Centre Derby, to join our Regional panel of speakers, they will be offered training. It was also agreed that in the near future Sheena and Mike would seek a meeting with The TUC Regional Secretary (Cheryl Pidgeon) and Alan Weaver to discuss issues of mutual interest.

June 30th Strike Day to Defend Pensions

It was reported that in the West Midlands there will be many trade unionists out on strike on Friday June 30th, we have not as yet been informed of any planned supportive action by pensioner groups in support of the strikers. Peter Last Network Vice Chair stated that the Walsall Pensioners Action Group were not planning to take any action on July 30th, but were in the process of carrying out provisional planning for their Conference on care homes/care in the community/NHS, which will take place on September 14th at the Walsall Central Hall. This venue is a 10 minute walk from the Train Station, or travel on a 51 bus from the station.

Leicester - Activity on June 30th in support of the Strikers 

People will meet at 12 Noon on the Victoria Park, there will be speakers, bands, and a picnic, the events will close at 3.00 pm. Its important that as many retired people as possible turn out to support the events on Victoria park and be seen to support thse strikers who are campaigning to defend their pensions against the machinations of this Coalition Government, who are determined that the ordinary people in societry will pay for the adventures of the bankers, who still pay themselves millions of pounds in bonuses. .



Brief Report From the 2011 Blackpool Pensioners Parliament

The 2011 Blackpool Pensioners Parliament was held in the Winter Gardens from June 14th to 16th it was very well organised by the National pensioners Convention, and included some of the following speakers on the Tuesday Afternoon after the March from the Tower to the Winter Gardens. Dot Gibson NPC General Secretary, Richard Murphy Founder of the Tax Justice Network, Karen Jennings Assistant General Secretary UNISON, Billy Hayes General Secretary CWU, and Professsor Alan Walker, patron, NPC. The main sessons of the Parliament was held in the Theatre and was a great improvement on previous years when they were held in the ball room. There were many interesting and important discussions held over the three days, but we will concentrate here on only two of them.

Steve Webb, the Pensions Minister: -  attended the Parliament on Wednesday and was given a warm reception, he made some of the following points: a) I have been in the Job just over a year and dialogue is the best way forward b) Many thousands of women were losing out because of child bearing and looking after relatives, but will now qualify for a full pension after 30 years, this will make a real difference to them c) We needed more pension and less administration d) Fuel allowance will be £50 lower for the under 80's (at £200) and £100 less this year for the over 80's (at £300), this was what the last Labour Government planned to pay in 2011 e) Cold weather payments of £400 in 2010 will not be cut f) This winter many pensioners will receive £120 credit through the extension of the previous Governments scheme g) In 2010 many people had their pensions frozen because RPI was falling h) People who now want to carry on working after 65 cannot be sacked i) We are changing peoples attitude towards older people. Many good questions were put to the Minister, in particular on raising the pension age, the change from RPI to CBI, and on many other issues, he certainly showed a willingness to answer questions and to assure us that he supported the views of the NPC on some issues. However it has to be said that he failed to convince us that his medicine was good for us.

Care in the Community - One of the issues passionately raised in this debate was the crisis that has arisen at the Southern Cross care homes, its an issue that causes much concern about the future of elederly people who reside in private care homes. The present saga as it is playing out in the city is about much more than a company having financial difficulties. Southern Cross is the largest provider of care homes (750) for the elderly in the UK, employing in excess of 31,000 people. It is seeking assistance from landlords and financial backers to help it in its hour of need. In a desperate bid to save money it has now announced that it is making 3000 peole redundant. This action will almost certainly lead to the closure of hundreds of care homes, what will happen to the elderly? many of whom are very frail and vunerable. The situation is complicated due to the government spending cuts which has resulted in the sale or closure of many local authority care homes for the elderly, private landlords are also suffering from lower income and some of them are closing. The situation is steadily getting worse as private care home landlords are hiring untrained staff on the minimum wage, no training is given to these recruits, thus they are unable to look after their charges properly, or treat them with respect, thus leaving them their diginity. For further information on this subject visit the Mature Times web site.  

Activity Been Planned to Support the Strike Action on June 30th

In Leicester meetings are taking place with  a view to involve as many retired members groups as possible in support of the activity being planned for the support of the strikes in defence of the Coalition Governments attacks on the Public Sector Pensions. In Leicester there will be a Rally on Victoria Park with Speakers, bands and A picnic. Its very important that there is as much support as possible from Retired members on June 30th  There will be stalls on the park and its our intention to have a TUC Pensioners Network stall with Material from different Pensioner Groups and the East Midlands National Pensioners Convention (NPC).

Demonstrators Outside the Leicester Pensions Office

on April 11th 2011 (PCS members & Pensioners) 

Nottingham on June 30th.              

In Nottingham there will be a Rally outside City hall at 12.00 Noon, this will then be followed by a march through the centre of the city, more detailed information will become available nearer the date. The Nottingham Pensioner's Action Group will be supporting the days activity.

West Midlands Activity Planned for June 30th

I have not as yet received any information regarding any activity being planned to support the Strikers in the West Midlands on June 30th, I am certain that there will be considerable support given to the strikers, in many parts of the West Midlands, and Birmingham in particular. Please lets have that information so that this blog can become our informational and organisational tool as originally intended. I now expect to have the emails roll in for inclusion in the blog.