UNISON local government and schools ballot: What next?

The NJC (council and school workers) pay ballot results for UNISON are now out. The 75% vote for strike action shows the impact the cost of living crisis is having, and the anger amongst large sections of the membership at a decade of low pay. However, the aggregate turnout of 31% will frustrate many activists and members alike. Once the inevitable initial pangs of disappointment have abated, a sober analysis will be instructive. We will need to highlight how the union has been strengthened since electing the left-wing Time for Real Change-led NEC in 2021, and where further improvements can still be made.

Mixed results

These pay ballots were disaggregated, meaning each of 4,342 employers were subject to a distinct vote. Over 700 ballots were ‘won’, with a positive vote for strike action. Unfortunately, only two large local authorities (over 1,000 members) ‘won’ in passing the arbitrary and undemocratic 50% threshold set by the Tories’ anti-union laws. A significant number of larger ballots came frustratingly close to this turnout threshold.

The National Joint Council’s Negotiating Committee met on Tuesday and voted by a large majority to not continue the campaign for the 23/24 claim. This will disappoint thousands of members who voted for action. Whilst not underestimating the difficult situation, it could have been possible to focus resources on the branches who fell just short in the initial ballot to get more over the line. The focus now needs to be preparing for the 24/25 claim.

Mood to fight

The 75% vote for strike action is significant, and shows a growing mood to fight. In the Autumn, as increasing mortgage rates take effect, there could be a further surge in anger. The next steps therefore must be a considered decision based upon feedback from regional activists, and should take account of the growing mood. It is likely that the Autumn could see further coordinated action by workers across various sectors at national and local level.

All UNISON branches and members should be involved in solidarity actions, including taking part in strike rallies - for example, of teaching unions, NASUWT and the NEU. This can play an important role in rebuilding confidence and getting more members active in preparation for the next stage of the national pay battle in our union.

We also need to assess the ‘state’ of the union, and how we continue the task of building a campaigning, organising union that leads a real fight. Time for Real Change, elected as a majority of the NEC in 2021, and recently re-elected as the largest group, have started to make real strides towards the type of union we need. 30 years of a servicing, insurance-based, individual-focused approach to trade unionism cannot be overturned overnight. But the union absolutely can be transformed.

To push this furthe,r we need to build TFRC at all levels of our union and to develop it as a broad, fighting and democratic organisation. TFRC needs bold, public facing campaigns aimed at recruiting and activating branch activists across the union. It needs to link boldly and unapologetically with fighting members of other unions, striking back across the public sector, including rank-and-file health workers’ campaigns like NHS Workers Say NO.

There remains a hostility in some sections of the union, and amongst the bureaucracy, to the organising agenda. That could be seen in the opposition that was mobilised successfully to defeat, by the narrowest of margins, Motion 84 at the recent UNISON conference. This was a motion focused on utilising some of the resources sitting dormant in bank accounts, to help build a successful strategy to deliver and win disputes. But it must be noted that other important motions promoting the organising agenda, and pushed by the TFRC-led NEC were clearly carried and showed the positive changes that are being made within UNISON.

Organising to build a fighting union

There were positive developments in this ballot. A number of technical and tactical advances, for example, were made to make it easier to win the vote, even if too many self-imposed obstacles remain. An assessment must be made of those areas that were ‘targeted’ by the full-time apparatus. The turnout was an improvement on previous ballots, including in those left-led branches signed up to the organising agenda. That can be built upon, either in re-ballots, or in next year’s pay negotiations.

With a strong and clear leadership from the NEC, we can, and indeed must, embark on the task of building the branch-led structures. This means building the skills, confidence and involvement of the activist base, which must be allied to broadening the steward base, with the aim of a steward in every workplace.

Branch activists need to discuss local strategies to work towards this, including how to utilise any ongoing local disputes to strengthen the industrial organising experience of all members. We need to be preparing to seize any opportunity presented to grow our membership and activist base at local and national level. Experiences of other unions, such as the NEU and RCN, in recent years show that the internal situation in a union can sometimes be transformed rapidly when the wider situation changes.

Our longer-term tasks are clear: to continue the implementation of the organising agenda and developing the activist base. Socialist Alternative are building our forces within UNISON to fight for the tactics and strategy to take our struggles forward, if you agree, we urge you to get involved.