Health dispute: where next and what are the lessons of the ballot?
Just imagine what people would have said just a couple of years ago when they were applauding NHS staff on their doorsteps, had they known that the very same people would be voting in their tens of thousands to strike simply so they could prevent inflation undermining their income.
The truth is however that even during the height of the pandemic members were commenting that it was us that were going to be made to foot the bill… sooner rather than later.
To make things worse the dislocation and stress on services have placed extra burden onto an already very stretched NHS. We all know there are 135,000 unfilled NHS vacancies. No wonder patients wait. And that staff are exhausted. Truth is that a below inflation pay offer feels like a kick in the teeth from a Tory government that does not seem to care that this means more staff will leave.
No wonder then that UNISON members in Health voted by a huge margin to reject the pay offer in England and Wales. The mood on the ground was also demonstrated by the RCN’s similar vote and other unions doing the same.
Almost 90% of UNISON members who voted were in favour of strike action with a turnout much more than double that of the ballot in 2014. All but one branch in Wales managed to reach the legal threshold to conduct a lawful strike, and all in the North of Ireland. However, only a minority (8) of UNISON branches in England got 50% turnouts. A similar number came very close and will be reballoted. Other branches may also be reballoted. Significantly, the best turnout was recorded in the Ambulance trusts which reflects the particular problems and the organisation in that sector. They will be on strike on 21st December.
UNISON’s Health Service Group Executive has agreed to push solidarity action and activities to support those health workers who will be taking strike action in the run up to Christmas. Solidarity with health workers who are striking is crucial. We can wear badges “We support striking health workers”, take cards round for all our colleagues to sign, make collections, put up posters, join their pickets before or after work, take food and drinks to their pickets, join their rallies. Or even put a pay protest on at your hospital on the days other health workers are on strike, even if there are no strikes at your hospital.
The degree of anger among members in Health at the situation in the NHS and the cost of living crisis is huge. We have a mandate to fight on. Not one branch voted to stop fighting. There is growing mood of opposition to the cost of living crisis across the Trade Union movement as a whole and the public sector in particular. Our fight will not stop. The Tories are weak and divided. They know they will lose the next election. But they are also vicious, promising even more anti-union laws and a 2% pay cap next year.
In drawing up a balance sheet of the ballot outcome it is of course important to stress the positive, the proportion voting for strike action and the mood among members. But it is also necessary to understand the reasons why UNISON didn’t reach the threshold in more than a minority of branches, despite the best endeavours of activists and full timers.
Some key issues include:
Health Branches need more activists so we are better organised: years of accepting below inflation pay increases does not recruit people into union activity.
The union’s data management systems were a big obstacle: in a postal ballot members need to be able to update their address details and order replacement ballot papers easily and quickly. Newly registered members need to be processed in a timely way to allow them to receive voting papers. The evidence suggests that many members didn’t receive their ballot papers thus contributing to an apparently low turn out. It was reported that at times there was a 2 hour wait for Unison Direct to answer the phones. The success of other unions in addressing these issues may provide some useful ideas for UNISON. Phone banking and texting information can be used to chase those who did not receive a ballot to update their addresses.
The union needs to work collaboratively with the RCN and other unions to pool resources where appropriate. In a national ballot affecting hundreds of thousands of workers the union needs to maximise its impact. Coordinated action doesn’t just mean turning up on the picket line on the same day. It means the strongest possible campaign.
As Time for Real Change supporters have emphasised, a major task for UNISON has to be to move from the idea that the union needs to merely concentrate on servicing the members. While we will always need to address individual problems and represent people, it is increasingly evident that we can’t fight low pay and especially not a cost of living crisis on a case by case basis. We need to transform UNISON into an organising union. We need to increase the level of connection members feel with their union. The strength of our union comes in part from its huge size, but that in an of itself doesn’t solve the problem. Members need to be engaged and have an understanding of what they can do to make a difference. The mood among members in Health illustrates the potential that exists. We have to ensure that potential is realised.
In relation to the current dispute, the key to victory will be coordinated action, backed up by a huge wave of solidarity and a campaign that reaches the public. Health workers have an enormous reservoir of sympathy, admiration and respect from the public. It has been very noticeable just how much support the rail workers and the University staff have had on their picket lines. Everyone is affected by the cost of living crisis and understands the issues we are fighting for. Recent news that the Welsh Government will not sanction workers who don’t cross picket lines is a symptom of this. The more pressure that can be exerted on the employers the better.
Health workers deserve better
No health worker should need to use a food bank
Fight for the full claim
Full solidarity to any health worker (or other worker) out on strike!