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Reporting local life since 1854 37p Tuesday, October 11, 2011 SEN-eO3-S2 [C] Cheshire Final [C] Walters tipped to be Irish star: Back Page SPORT Health trust sacks nurse A NURSE who was sacked by a health trust is vowing to clear his name. Representatives for the man, a nurse manager at a home for adults with learning disabilities, is now urging supporters to come forward. The action taken is said to relate to incidents from 1995 to 2010 and comes after he was suspended by Combined Healthcare Trust. See Page 3 ALISON POOLE 1960-2011 Tributes to Herceptin campaigner: Page 5 Crime falls as red tape is cut MORE than 3,500 fewer crimes have been committed across Staffordshire in the past six months. Figures released by Staffordshire Police today show 33,730 crimes were committed from April to September. That compares with 37,292 offences over the same six months in 2010; a drop of almost 10 per cent. Violent crime, burglaries, robberies and car crime have also fallen across the county over the same period. The reduction comes as families battle a recession and the force has lost more than 300 officers and civilian staff since April 2010, as it looks to save £38 million over the next four years. Senior officers today attributed part of the crime reduction to cutting bureaucracy to let officers tackle crime. Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Jane Sawyers said: “We have stripped out the administrative functions behind the scenes. “Officers running local policing teams no longer have responsibility for buildings, human resources and admin and can focus on perfor mance.” 20 , 000 VOTE ON PENSION STRIKE Contingency plans drawn up to protect front line services BY ALEX CAMPBELL [email protected] MORE than 20,000 public sector work- ers in North Staffordshire and South Cheshire were today being asked to back mass strike action. The strike action over a pensions dispute could spark the biggest walkouts in UK history. Unison members across the region are being balloted on a strike which will hit councils, the NHS and police forces. It is the first time the union has balloted its entire membership for strike action and comes amid claims Government plans will lead to bigger pensions contributions but worse pen- sions. The union has 9,600 members across Staffordshire’s councils, 7,000 in the North Staffordshire NHS and South Cheshire NHS, 4,500 members at Stoke- on-Trent City Council, more than 3,000 in Cheshire East Council, as well as more than 2,000 working for Stafford- shire and Cheshire police forces. If the strike goes ahead, each will be forced to draw up emergency contin- gency plans to cover striking workers or leave the public to face major disrup- tion to front line services. Unison said the ballot follows eight months of failed negotiations, but the Gover nment’s department for Com- munities and Local Government today described the threat of industrial action as “completely unnecessary.” Jane Heath, Unison branch secretary for Staffordshire, said: “We are urging our members to vote yes in the ballot. “We know they won’t make the decision to strike lightly, but they have been left with little choice.” Unison said 999 call centre operators, probation officers, nurses, social work- ers, teaching assistants, dinner ladies, hospital cleaners and council officers will be among those voting. Members will be asked to strike on November 30 with the prospect of fur- ther action to follow. Stoke-on-Trent branch secretary Colin Walton said: “Hopefully members will vote yes, because this is what it will take to send a statement to the Gov- ernment that we are not prepared to stand by and allow them to erode our pension rights. “Women in local government get between £2,000 and £4,000 per year in pension having worked for their life. “They are not gold-plated pensions by any means. “It is something that every- body believes but is not supported by the facts.” Ballots will be delivered to the home addresses of members from today. Results are due on November 3 and should be announced by Unison on the same day. The Trades Union Council (TUC) is calling for unions to unite for a national day of strikes on November 30 and further ballots are likely. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Ser- vice has re-trained station managers and senior officers in front line fire-fighting amid threat of industrial action by the Fire Brigades Union. The North Staffordshire TUC is holding a public meeting on Wednes- day, October 12, to discuss the Novem- ber 30 strikes. ‘Sums don’t add up’: Page 6 Will you be supporting industrial action? Email us at letters@ thesentinel.co.uk 2-4-1 TICKETS AT SEE PAGE 20 Token collect, terms and conditions apply kumon.co.uk *Enrol your child between 1 September & 31 October 2011 for a two-week Free Trial and begin your Kumon journey. Begin your Kumon journey Maximise your child’s development with Kumon’s tailored maths and English study programmes. Newcastle-under-Lyme Clare Bainbridge 01782 519788 Stoke-on-Trent Bret Shah 01782 744387 Fees vary. Please refer to your local study centre. *Terms & conditions apply. Contact your local Instructor today 46 Piccadilly, Hanley ST1 1EG ©NM 46 PICCADILLY HANLEY, STOKE-ON-TRENT, STAFFORDSHIRE ST1 1EG 01782 263888 WWW.BUCKSJEWELLERS.COM GOLD PRICES SURGES TO A NEW ALL TIME HIGH Cash in your Old Gold now!
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SEE PAGE 20 37pTuesday,October11,2011 Newcastle-under-Lyme Maximiseyourchild’s developmentwithKumon’s tailoredmathsandEnglish studyprogrammes. GOLDPRICESSURGESTOA NEWALLTIMEHIGH Stoke-on-Trent Reporting local life since 1854 Walters tipped to be Irish star: Back Page BY ALEX CAMPBELL ContactyourlocalInstructortoday *Enrolyour childbetween 1September& 31October2011for atwo-weekFree Trialandbeginyour Kumonjourney. kumon.co.uk Will you be supporting industrial action? Email us at letters@
Transcript of pensionsvote
Reporting local life since 1854 37pTuesday, October 11, 2011
SEN
-eO3
-S2
[C
]
Cheshire Final
[C]
Walters tipped to beIrish star: Back Page
SP ORT
Health trustsacks nurseA NURSE who was sacked bya health trust is vowing toclear his name.
Representatives for theman, a nurse manager at ahome for adults with learningdisabilities, is now urgingsupporters to come forward.
The action taken is said torelate to incidents from 1995to 2010 and comes after he wassuspended by CombinedHealthcare Trust.See Page 3
A L I SO NP OOLE1 96 0 -2 0 1 1Tributes to Herceptincampaigner: Page 5
Crime falls asred tape is cutMORE than 3,500 fewercrimes have been committedacross Staffordshire in thepast six months.
Figures released byStaffordshire Police todayshow 33,730 crimes werecommitted from April toSe ptember.
That compares with 37,292offences over the same sixmonths in 2010; a drop ofalmost 10 per cent.
Violent crime, burglaries,robberies and car crime havealso fallen across the countyover the same period.
The reduction comes asfamilies battle a recession andthe force has lost more than300 officers and civilian staffsince April 2010, as it looks tosave £38 million over the nextfour years.
Senior officers todayattributed part of the crimereduction to cuttingbureaucracy to let officerstackle crime.
Assistant Chief Constable(ACC) Jane Sawyers said: “Wehave stripped out theadministrative functionsbehind the scenes.
“Officers running localpolicing teams no longer haveresponsibility for buildings,human resources and adminand can focus onperfor mance.”
20,000 VOTE ONPENSION STRIKE
Contingency plans drawn up to protect front line services
BY ALEX [email protected]
MORE than 20,000 public sector work-ers in North Staffordshire and SouthCheshire were today being asked toback mass strike action.
The strike action over a pensionsdispute could spark the biggestwalkouts in UK history.
Unison members across the regionare being balloted on a strike which willhit councils, the NHS and policefo rc e s.
It is the first time the union hasballoted its entire membership forstrike action and comes amid claimsGovernment plans will lead to biggerpensions contributions but worse pen-s i o n s.
The union has 9,600 members acrossStaf fordshire’s councils, 7,000 in theNorth Staffordshire NHS and SouthCheshire NHS, 4,500 members at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, more than 3,000
in Cheshire East Council, as well asmore than 2,000 working for Stafford-shire and Cheshire police forces.
If the strike goes ahead, each will beforced to draw up emergency contin-gency plans to cover striking workers orleave the public to face major disrup-tion to front line services.
Unison said the ballot follows eightmonths of failed negotiations, but theGover nment’s department for Com-munities and Local Government todaydescribed the threat of industrial actionas “completely unnecessary.”
Jane Heath, Unison branch secretaryfor Staffordshire, said: “We are urgingour members to vote yes in the ballot.
“We know they won’t make thedecision to strike lightly, but they havebeen left with little choice.”
Unison said 999 call centre operators,probation officers, nurses, social work-ers, teaching assistants, dinner ladies,hospital cleaners and council officerswill be among those voting.
Members will be asked to strike onNovember 30 with the prospect of fur-ther action to follow.
Stoke-on-Trent branch secretaryColin Walton said: “Hopefully memberswill vote yes, because this is what it willtake to send a statement to the Gov-ernment that we are not prepared tostand by and allow them to erode ourpension rights.
“Women in local government getbetween £2,000 and £4,000 per year inpension having worked for their life.
“They are not gold-plated pensions byany means. “It is something that every-body believes but is not supported bythe facts.”
Ballots will be delivered to the homeaddresses of members from today.
Results are due on November 3 andshould be announced by Unison on thesame day.
The Trades Union Council (TUC) iscalling for unions to unite for anational day of strikes on November30 and further ballots are likely.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Ser-vice has re-trained station managersand senior officers in front linefire-fighting amid threat ofindustrial action by the Fire BrigadesUnion.
The North Staffordshire TUC isholding a public meeting on Wednes-day, October 12, to discuss the Novem-ber 30 strikes.
‘Sums don’t add up’: Page 6
Will you be supporting industrialaction? Email us at [email protected]
2-4-1TICKETS AT
SEE PAGE 20Token collect, terms and conditions apply
kumon.co.uk
*Enrol your
child between
1 September &
31 October 2011 for
a two-week Free
Trial and begin your
Kumon journey.
Begin yourKumon journeyMaximise your child’sdevelopment with Kumon’stailored maths and Englishstudy programmes.
Newcastle-under-Lyme
Clare Bainbridge 01782 519788Stoke-on-Trent
Bret Shah 01782 744387Fees vary. Please refer to your local study centre. *Terms & conditions apply.
Contact your local Instructor today
46 Piccadilly, Hanley ST1 1EG©NM
46 PICCADILLY HANLEY, STOKE-ON-TRENT,STAFFORDSHIRE ST1 1EG
01782 263888 WWW.BUCKSJEWELLERS.COM
GOLD PRICES SURGES TO ANEW ALL TIME HIGH
Cash in your Old Gold now!
