|
|
Unions Threaten Strikes Over Pension Age
By Hélène Mulholland, The Guardian
United Kingdom
February 18, 2005
The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, addresses public sector workers at a protest event against changes to public sector pensions
Union members are planning strike action over government plans to raise the public sector retirement age by five years from April next year.
The coordinated day of campaigning was held today ahead of the strike action expected to take place from next month, after a number of unions across the civil service, local government, education and health sectors vowed to force a government U-turn over its decision to impose a higher retirement age with little consultation.
Over 150 public sector staff attending a rally in central London heard that new colleagues were set to lose up to 25% in pay as a result of the changes.
New local government workers have been singled out first for the raised retirement age, which is being imposed along with other changes this April - one year ahead of their public sector peers.
Jean Geldart, the chairwoman of Unison's National Service Group, said a ballot being launched today for the union's 800,000 members was for ongoing strike action.
"We are not balloting for one day," she said. "We are balloting for continuous industrial action and that action will continue unless the government and employers do not back down." Ms Geldart reported back on talks held this week between the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, local government unions and council employers to try to avert strike action, following fury within local government at the decision to introduce pension changes a year earlier than in every other service.
She blamed council bosses, rather than the government, for the breakdown in talks last night which put the strike ballot back on course. Ms Geldart pointed out that unlike council workers who had paid their contributions throughout their working careers, the majority of local authorities had opted to take a "pensions holiday" when the stock market was strong in the late 80s and early 90s, leaving a black hole in council pension schemes.
She called on members to use the expected spring general election to bring pressure to bear on MPs, vulnerable to the wrath of the thousands of public sector workers living in their constituencies.
The TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said unions wanted constructive talks with the government over pensions. "People who have been in the lowest paid work have the least prospect of looking forward to an early retirement," he told the audience. "It is too simple to say that work until you drop is the answer to the pensions problems we face."
Paul Mackney, the general secretary of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE), condemned MPs for offering themselves "a gold-plated, platinum-lined, copper-bottomed [pension] scheme for themselves", while backing tougher terms for everyone else. He said his union was balloting for a second wave of strike action on April 14, three weeks after some unions begin their action.
The 70-strong group of London MPs sent a message of support to the campaigning unions. Penned by John Cruddas, MP for Dagenham, it said that the MPs recognised that pensions have always been part and parcel of the public sector terms and conditions. "We will be giving our support to ensure that constructive talks continue," Mr Cruddas wrote.
|
|
