After the story about UNISON's decision to delay the official pensions strike ballot while talks with John Prescott continued, many UNISON local government branch secretaries have expressed great concern about the union's unwise decision to delay sending out our official pensions strike ballot papers while pensions discussions with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott continue.

There is no question but that defence of our pensions is going to involve confrontation with this anti-union New Labour government. Our union's leaders need to face up to this simple fact.

UNISON United Left believes that the strike ballot should never have stalled and that it should start right now, regardless of the talks with John Prescott.

It's not just that we don't trust Prescott - but of course we don't. It's just obvious that a strong YES vote in the official strike ballot will be an asset to a campaign that goes beyond the immediate dispute. The plain truth is that a strong Yes vote now may make the government think twice about attacking our pensions after the general election. Now is the time for action!

While we're speaking of vital action to save our pensions: There is just one day left to organise and build for the nationwide TUC Pensions Day of Action that takes place tomorrow - Friday 18 February.

that means now is the time for maximum effort to put together a united trade union campaign to defend our pensions. Public sector union members from UNISON, the T&G, Natfhe, the NUT, the PCS and the FBU are working together across the UK to organise rallies, marches, speeches, and lobbies of MPs.

It's crucial that all of us as committed union members make a final big effort to ensure that there is a maximum turnout at the protest rallies, talks and marches planned for Friday. We want to draw as much attention as possible to our opposition to the government's plans to raise the retirement age and make people work until they drop.

Details of various events are available at www.uul.org.uk. If you are in a workplace where no event has been organised yet, download pensions postcards and factsheets from www.uul.org.uk and get some colleagues organised to stage a lunchtime protest on Friday. Take your cameras down to your local protest event and take some photos. You can send them into the local press, and you can post them up on this site, too, by emailing them through to  info@uul.org.uk!