By William Brooks
NIPSA’S annual delegate conference is taking place in Enniskillen from 27-29 May. At the time of writing, the conference agenda is yet to be published, therefore we can only presume that the motions would have the expected aims of NIPSA when discussing pay, terms and conditions and public sector defence campaigns.
Membership growth
NIPSA’s membership has increased to over 47,000 in the past year, and with that there is good reason to be positive that new and younger delegates will be in attendance to complement and gain experience from long standing reps. One of the major factors of an increase in membership has been the union’s indus- trial action over the past two years throughout the Civil Service, Health and Education, but also, significantly, there has been a large increase of agency workers joining in the same time period.
NIPSA’s recent Civil Service Conference passed motions to support the most precarious members in the fight to get recognition rights with their employer and to increase their rights at work. There is potential then for further motions to solidify NIPSA’s position on how to ensure that young people who carry out the work of the NICS and Health trusts are not at the mercy of employment agencies’ insatiable profit driven business model.
Fight the cuts
There should also be the expectation of motions that focus on the disgraceful and ideologically driven cuts to disability benefits set to be imposed by the current Labour government. NIPSA and Socialist party activists joined in a recent protest called by Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC).
The chant that gained most traction outside of Erskine House (Northern Ireland Office) was “Welfare Not Warfare”. This has real potential to link up other social movements in Northern Ireland and beyond, as governments in capitalist society continue to increase their military spending with ever increasing Defence budgets, whilst simultaneously breaking the backs of the most vulnerable people in our society with cruel welfare cuts.
The trade union movement should mobilise in fully supporting all actions that are required to reverse these devastating cuts including supporting a wider campaign of protests to coincide with DPAC’s protest in Britain on 7 June.
For social justice
NIPSA delegates will also be debating important international issues. The Genocide in Gaza has brought a younger generation into political activity, horrified by the brutality of the Israeli State and drawing conclusions that capitalisms and imperialism are the root cause.
There has also been an increase of racist and far right ideology in public discourse, encouraged by the ruling classes as it serves to drive a wedge between workers everywhere. The trade union movement must robustly challenge the rhetoric that blames refugees or migrant workers as governments across the Global North aim to remove their responsibility to build social housing and to properly fund health and social services. NIPSA activists, supported by the union, have been attending anti-racist demonstrations and countering the narrative that is perpetuated by the far right.
In the context of the right-wing backlash in society, epitomised by Trump and growth of Reform UK, the union must link arms with all prepared to fight back to defend their rights – such as those protesting against the recent transphobic Supreme Court ruling that seeks to drive society back- wards. NIPSA and other unions taking up these issues will significantly strengthen our ability to fight back on all the issues.
Today’s strike is a hugely important step forward in the struggle to stop the cuts.
The current battle over pensions is a defining one for our movement. Over two million workers from 24 unions took action together on 30th November in the biggest show of strength in living memory.