Proposed by Councillor Geoffrey Watt

Seconded by Councillor Cherry Povall

(1)  Council believes trade unions play a vital part in a functioning democracy and believes they have an important role in a market economy.

(2)  Council notes that some trade union leaders are calling for further industrial action in response to the Coalition Government’s reform of public services and the pensions provided to public sector workers.

(3)  Council urges trade union leaders to recognise that:

·  Following the debts left by the previous Government, all parties would have been forced to make cuts to public spending, as recognised by the Labour  Leader during his Party’s Conference.

·  The independent review into the future of public sector pensions, by Labour’s former Work and Pensions Secretary, concluded that change was unavoidable.

·  The Coalition Government is working constructively with public sector unions on taking forward future reforms and ministers are meeting unions regularly as part of ongoing engagement on the Government‘s plans to increase employee pension contributions.

·  The Leader of the Labour Party has refused to back the strikes and has welcomed the trade union reforms introduced by previous Governments.

(4)  Council therefore believes that it is premature to strike while the discussions - set up at the request of the TUC - are ongoing and believes that, in the absence of support from any of the three Party leaders, the union leaders should remain at the negotiating table to seek the best possible deal for their members and the taxpayer.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2)

Proposed by Councillor Brian Kenny

Seconded by Councillor George Davies

Delete all after (1)

Insert:

(2)  Council notes the analysis published by the TUC on 5 September 2011 which found that women’s unemployment is set to rise as a result of the Conservative-led Government’s public sector jobs cuts.

(3)  Council further notes the TUC resolution on 14 September to defend public sector pensions and campaign for decent pensions for all, recognising everyone deserves dignity in retirement.

(4)  Public sector workers have suffered an on-going pay freeze and cuts to public services and closures of many vital services our communities rely on.

(5)  Now the Government has launched an unprecedented attack on public service pensions.  This is not only an injustice but could undermine the viability of some pension schemes.

(6)  Council expresses concern at the Conservative-led Government’s mishandling of changes to public sector pensions and the provocative manner of ministers during negotiations.

(7)  Council recognises that the Labour Government took tough decisions on public sector pensions to cap the taxpayers’ liability and introduce reformed pensions schemes. Council acknowledges that these decisions were taken in consultation with public sector unions.

(8)  Council agrees that the UK’s ageing population means that some public sector pensions will need to change.  However Council believes that the approach taken by the government so far has been unfair, is not a genuine attempt to make the schemes more sustainable and is a cash grab by the Treasury imposing an additional tax on workers already facing a pay freeze.  The increased contributions are not being used to strengthen the schemes, but are going to the Treasury to pay debts caused by the banking crisis.

(9)  Ministers have failed to engage properly with the millions of public sector workers who will be affected by the changes and take on board their legitimate concerns.  Despite lengthy negotiations, the Government has refused to listen or move, leading to union members being balloted on taking strike action as a last resort to show their opposition.

(10)  Council commends the work of public sector workers up and down the country, including Wirral, who provide vital services to everyone and calls for meaningful negotiations to reach satisfactory agreements.

Having applied the guillotine in accordance with Standing Order 7(8) the Council did not debate this matter.

The amendment was put and lost (29:34) (One abstention)

The motion was put and carried (34:29) (One abstention)

Resolved (34:29) (One abstention) –

(1)  Council believes trade unions play a vital part in a functioning democracy and believes they have an important role in a market economy.

(2)  Council notes that some trade union leaders are calling for further industrial action in response to the Coalition Government’s reform of public services and the pensions provided to public sector workers.

(3)  Council urges trade union leaders to recognise that:

·  Following the debts left by the previous Government, all parties would have been forced to make cuts to public spending, as recognised by the Labour  Leader during his Party’s Conference.

·  The independent review into the future of public sector pensions, by Labour’s former Work and Pensions Secretary, concluded that change was unavoidable.

·  The Coalition Government is working constructively with public sector unions on taking forward future reforms and ministers are meeting unions regularly as part of ongoing engagement on the Government‘s plans to increase employee pension contributions.

·  The Leader of the Labour Party has refused to back the strikes and has welcomed the trade union reforms introduced by previous Governments.

(4)  Council therefore believes that it is premature to strike while the discussions - set up at the request of the TUC - are ongoing and believes that, in the absence of support from any of the three Party leaders, the union leaders should remain at the negotiating table to seek the best possible deal for their members and the taxpayer.