November 30: You were magnificent

See reports in December's Scotland in UNISON

Around 300,000 public service workers in Scotland stood up to fight the government's malicious and unnecessary pensions cuts on 30 November.

Rallies across the country underlined the resolve of public service workers to stand up for fairness - and to defeat the myths and lies peddled by the government and big business.

At the Edinburgh rally, Rodney Bickerstaffe, President of the National Pensioners Forum and ex UNISON General Secretary, roused the 10,000 strong crowd and told young people "You have a legal right and a moral duty to stand up to bullies and diktat".

At a pensions strike rally in the Barrowlands Ballroom in Glasgow, UNISON Scottish Secretary Mike Kirby hailed the 'solid strike' and told members "The real pensions’ crisis is in the private sector – where two thirds of employers do not pay a single penny towards their workers’ pensions."

Solid strike - with great public support – shows government must stop Great Pensions Robbery.

"Public sector workers are entitled to pensions that are affordable, sustainable and fair. Public sector workers are doing what successive governments have told them to do to prepare for life after work.

"At a time of pay freezes, pay caps, real pay cuts, significant increases in national insurance contributions, higher VAT, rising inflation and fuel costs,
we believe it is wrong to require public service workers to increase their pension contributions. Contributions which will go straight to the Treasury
to pay off the deficit caused by the banks.

"50% increase in monthly contributions for 15% less benefits over the lifetime of drawing benefits. Some Fair Deal on Pensions.

"The real pensions’ crisis is in the private sector – where two thirds of employers do not pay a single penny towards their workers’ pensions.

"It could cost this country up to £15 billion to support the millions of private sector workers who have been locked out of saving for their retirement.

"Never before have so many public service workers - and so many women - taken action. We know that today’s strike is being lead by women – 3.7 million could be affected by the plans to make detrimental changes to pensions.

"And they won’t be fooled by government ministers’ claims that their justified action will hit jobs. They know the real reasons that the dole queues are growing are the disastrous choices the government is making.

"The critics of today - the bonus billionaires and Tory Cabinet millionaires - know nothing of the value of public services, where we care for elderly and infirm, we teach children, empty bins and save lives.

"And as floods hit parts of Scotland people resort to public services for assistance. But on a day like today, you don’t want to hear from me.

"You’d rather hear from George the police civilian in Dundee, who, with his colleagues, walked off the shift at midnight.

"You’d rather hear from Tina the nurse in Inverness Tina has worked as a nurse for 27 years. She looks after outpatients at her local hospital £597 worse off today because of the 50% contributions, £1,275 worse off tomorrow because of the cut in benefits.

"Davena and the security staff at Glasgow Caley University marched off shift at midnight... led by a piper.

"Nursery nurse Carol, tackled her first live TV interview last night, to tell Scotland, that after 30 years paying a pension she’s being robbed."

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Archive 30 November

Up to three million public service workers are striking against attacks on their pensions. Attacks that mean we'll pay more, work longer and get less. For full details of the attacks see the UNISONScotland and UNISON UK pensions pages.

Keep up to date with strike day news and events - and better still, let us here your news, your messages, your photos and your videos on the day.

See events and send and read messages of support on the google action map going online soon Click here for a list of STUC rallies

Email photos - with brief notes about place and event - to unisonscotn30@gmail.com

Or text photos (or very short videos) to 07766 399 264

You can email videos but it's best to upload you video to YouTube and send us the links at unisonscotn30@gmail.com

Follow events on the blog and on twitter (use #unisonscotn30 and #N30) and facebook

And you can do all this too on the UK website.

And remember - we want news, pics and videos as they are happening so send them right away!