British public sector rises up as 200,000 strike against cuts and reforms (Sektor awam British meningkat sehingga 200,000 bermogok menentang luka dan pembaharuan)

REVIEW: Striking public sector workers march in protest through central London (Pekerja sektor awam yang menarik dalam protes melalui pusat bandar London, pada May 10, 2012)

Seramai 200,000 sektor pekerja awam marah diadakan hari bantahan pada hari Khamis, mengambil jalan-jalan di London untuk menyuarakan rasa meluat mereka pada luka kerajaan yang dicadangkan. Antara para penunjuk perasaan ialah kakitangan awam, pensyarah, pekerja kesihatan, kakitangan Kementerian Pertahanan, dan pegawai-pegawai imigresen - didorong oleh menteri-menteri 'ikrar untuk meneruskan usaha itu dengan reformasi kontroversi, yang jelas dalam Ucapan Ratu semalam. Kira-kira 20,000 pegawai polis luar tugas dari semua 43 pasukan di seluruh England dan Wales juga mengambil untuk perarakan polis pertama di sana dalam lebih daripada 4 tahun.

Pegawai-pegawai, yang diharamkan dari pembatalan di bawah undang-undang, telah membantah terhadap 20 % peratus pemotongan bajet polis negara dan cadangan-cadangan bagi pembaharuan paling luas gaji dan syarat-syarat yang dilihat di lebih daripada 30 tahun. 16.000 pegawai memakai topi hitam untuk mewakili kehilangan pekerjaan yang dijangka dalam tempoh 4 tahun akan datang. Paul McKeever, pengerusi Polis Persekutuan, berkata: "Kami berada di pasang surut terendah yang pernah saya ingat." "Kami tidak menentang perubahan," kata McKeever. "Apa yang kita berada terhadap sakit bermaklumat perubahan yang berdasarkan ideologi yang akan merosakkan perkhidmatan, kerosakan pegawai dan yang paling penting merosakkan orang ramai juga." Salah satu perunding kerajaan plumbum pada pembaharuan pencen sektor awam, kabinet setiausaha Francis Maude, menyifatkan permogokan sebagai "sia-sia" dan menegaskan bahawa ceramah lebih pencen tidak akan dibuka semula: "Ia amat mengecewakan bahawa segelintir kesatuan berkeras menjalankan dengan tindakan mogok sia-sia yang akan memberi manfaat kepada sesiapa. "

"Kami menggesa pemimpin-pemimpin kesatuan untuk menimbang semula kedudukan mereka. Ceramah Pencen tidak akan dibuka semula dan apa-apa lagi akan dicapai melalui tindakan mogok." Keluar dewan 1 hari Khamis menandakan serangan ke-3 utama oleh pekerja sektor awam ke atas reformasi pencen dalam tempoh 6 bulan yang lalu. Ia telah diketuai oleh Perkhidmatan Awam dan Perdagangan (PCS) 'kesatuan, pekerja kesihatan dari kesatuan Bersatu, guru dan pensyarah dari Universiti dan Kolej Union, kakitangan awam Nipsa penjawat awam kesatuan di Ireland Utara dan Tentera Laut Diraja kakitangan sokongan kesatuan RMT.

Berpuluh-puluh ribu pensyarah daripada sekurang-kurangnya 75 universiti dan kolej universiti juga mengambil bahagian dalam dewan lebih pemotongan pencen. Apabila perubahan diperkenalkan pada tahun 2015, pensyarah akan melihat sumbangan mereka meningkat sebanyak 50% dan ramai yang akan perlu bekerja sehingga umur 67 atau 68 tahun, lebih daripada 65. Juga, pelancong dan juga London pendakap diri mereka untuk terus pergolakan pengangkutan mungkin semasa Sukan Olimpik akan datang. Menyatukan telah dipanggil pada beribu-ribu pekerja bas untuk mengundi pada serangan berturut-turut ke atas pembayaran dalam tempoh Sukan.

No right to strike

Di bawah Akta Polis 1996, polis British diharamkan dari menonjol atau menyertai kesatuan. Pengharaman itu telah berlaku sejak insiden 1919 apabila hampir setiap konstabel dan sarjan enggan pergi bertugas, menyebabkan bilau di London dan Liverpool. Bercakap pada hari Khamis, Julie Nesbit Persekutuan Polis - yang mewakili 124,000 pangkat dan pegawai fail - kepada program Hari ini BBC Radio 4 bahawa pengharaman ke atas tindakan perindustrian meletakkan berkuat kuasa pada kelemahan berbanding dengan pekerja sektor awam yang lain.

"Kami tidak mempunyai hak industri dan kita tidak boleh berbuat apa-apa tentang rawatan yang miskin yang kami terima," kata Nesbit. Beliau menambah, "perkhidmatan polis adalah perkhidmatan awam yang muktamad. Kami rakyat tanpa yang lain perkhidmatan awam tidak dapat berfungsi." Sementara itu, kerajaan itu berkata ia sedang mempertimbangkan tindakan mahkamah terhadap pegawai penjara yang menarik, mendakwa dewan itu adalah menyalahi undang-undang. Michael Spurr, ketua eksekutif Pesalah Kebangsaan Pengurusan Perkhidmatan (Noms), berkata: "Saya amat kecewa bahawa POA telah mengambil tindakan yang menyalahi undang-undang ini."

"Kami telah melaksanakan pelan kontingensi kami, dan keutamaan kami adalah untuk melindungi orang awam dan memastikan bahawa penjara kekal selamat dan terjamin." Menyatukan Penolong Ketua Setiausaha Gail Cartmail mempertahankan pemogokan Khamis: tindakan perindustrian "Hari ini, akan membina pada tahap yang tinggi kemarahan yang pada paparan semasa di November 30 mogok kemarahan ini telah ditambah oleh desakan tegas kerajaan bahawa kakitangan sektor awam bekerja lebih lama, membayar. lebih dan menerima kurang apabila mereka akhirnya bersara."

Mogok kebangsaan oleh sekitar 1 juta pekerja sektor awam pada 30 November tahun lalu diikuti oleh beberapa siri perjanjian rangka untuk perkhidmatan awam, kesihatan, pendidikan dan kakitangan kerajaan tempatan. Pembaharuan pencen telah dimasukkan dalam ucapan Queen, walaupun pembangkang untuk perubahan. Walau bagaimanapun, bercakap pada hari Khamis, jurucakap Perdana Menteri David Cameron berdiri oleh program berjimat cermat: "Kerajaan ini mewarisi defisit tertinggi dalam G20. Menangani dengan defisit itu telah melibatkan beberapa keputusan yang sukar. Salah seorang daripada mereka telah pembaharuan pencen perkhidmatan awam."

Menteri kerajaan dari seluruh spektrum politik mengkritik protes. Imigresen Menteri Damian Hijau berkata: "mogok ini adalah sama sekali tidak perlu dan kami percaya orang ramai akan mendapati ia tidak boleh diterima keselamatan sempadan UK adalah paling penting dan kita akan menggunakan rancangan kontingensi untuk memastikan kita mengurangkan sebarang gangguan yang disebabkan oleh tindakan kesatuan yang dirancang."

A duty policeman (Below R) speaks with off-duty British police officers marching through central London (Seorang pegawai polis bertugas (Dibawah R) bercakap dengan pegawai polis British di luar tugas berarak melalui pusat bandar London pada May 10, 2012 (AFP Photo/Tal Cohen)

As many as 200,000 angry public sector workers staged a day of protest on Thursday, taking to the streets of London to voice their disgust at proposed government cuts. Among the demonstrators were civil servants, lecturers, health workers, Ministry of Defence staff, and immigration officers – fueled by ministers' vows to press ahead with the controversial reforms, made clear in yesterday's Queen's Speech. About 20,000 off-duty police officers from all 43 forces across England and Wales also took to the capital for the first police march there in more than four years.

The officers, banned from striking under law, were protesting against 20 per cent cuts to the national police budget and proposals for the most wide-ranging reform of pay and conditions seen in more than 30 years. 16,000 officers wore black caps to represent expected job losses over the next four years. Paul McKeever, the Police Federation's chairman, said: "We're at the lowest ebb I can ever remember." "We're not against change," McKeever said. "What we're against is ill-informed change based on ideology which is going to damage the service, damage officers and most importantly damage the public as well." One of the lead government negotiators on public sector pension reforms, cabinet secretary Francis Maude, described the strikes as "futile" and insisted that talks over pensions will not be reopened: "It is very disappointing that a handful of unions insist on carrying on with futile strike action which will benefit no one."

"We would urge these union leaders to reconsider their position. Pension talks will not be reopened and nothing further will be achieved through strike action." Thursday's one-day walkout marked the third major strike by public sector employees over pension reform in the past six months. It was led by the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) civil servants' union, health workers from the Unite union, teachers and lecturers from the University and College Union, the Nipsa civil servants' union in Northern Ireland and Royal Navy support staff at the RMT union.

Tens of thousands of lecturers from at least 75 universities and university colleges also took part in the walkout over pension cuts. When the changes are introduced in 2015, lecturers will see their contributions rise by 50% and many will have to work until the age of 67 or 68, rather than 65. Also, tourists and Londoners alike are bracing themselves for further possible transport upheavals during the upcoming Olympics. Unite has called on thousands of bus workers to vote on strikes in a row over payments during the Games.

No right to strike

Under the Police Act of 1996, British police are banned from striking or from joining unions. The ban has been in place since a 1919 incident when almost every constable and sergeant refused to go on duty, causing havoc in London and Liverpool. Speaking on Thursday, Julie Nesbit of the Police Federation - which represents 124,000 rank and file officers – told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that the ban on industrial action put the force at a disadvantage compared with other public sector employees.

"We don't have industrial rights and we cannot do anything about the poor treatment we are receiving," Nesbit said. She added, "the police service is the ultimate public service. We are the people without whom the rest of the public services cannot function." Meanwhile, the government said it was considering court action against striking prison officers, claiming the walkout was unlawful. Michael Spurr, chief executive of the National Offender Management Service (Noms), said: "I am extremely disappointed that the POA has taken this unlawful action."

"We have implemented our contingency plans, and our priority is to protect the public and ensure that prisons remain safe and secure." Unite Assistant General Secretary Gail Cartmail defended Thursday's walkout: "Today's industrial action will build on the high level of anger that was on display during the November 30 strikes. This anger has been increased by the government's hardline insistence that public sector employees work longer, pay more and receive less when they eventually retire."

A national strike by around a million public sector workers on November 30 of last year was followed by a series of outline agreements for civil service, health, education and local government employees. Pension reforms were included in the Queen's speech, despite opposition to changes. However, speaking on Thursday, Prime Minister David Cameron's spokesman stood by the austerity program: “This government inherited the highest deficit in the G20. Dealing with that deficit has involved some tough decisions. One of those has been to reform public service pensions."

Government ministers from across the political spectrum criticized the protests. Immigration Minister Damian Green said: "This strike is completely unnecessary and we believe the public will find it unacceptable. The security of the UK border is of the utmost importance and we will use contingency plans to ensure we minimize any disruption caused by planned union action."