Sunday 11 Mar 2012 @ 11:15
WiredGov Newswire (news from other organisations)
WiredGov Newswire (news from other organisations)
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Unite calls for rejection of government’s final public sector pensions' package
The government is steamrolling through its final offer on public sector pensions, having avoided any meaningful negotiations over the last year, Unite, the union, said today (Friday, 9 March).
The government’s agenda that employees pay more, work longer and receive less when they retire was non-negotiable from the very start – and that’s why Unite is recommending that its members in the NHS, Ministry of Defence (MoD) & government departments and in teaching reject the proposals.
Unite called on ministers to return to the table for genuine talks with the unions.
Unite’s 100,000 members in the NHS are currently being consulted in a ballot, due to close on 19 March, on the pension proposals. Its members in the MoD & government departments will also be having a consultative ballot.
Unite’s assistant general secretary, Gail Cartmail said: “The coalition’s mask has finally dropped – they are pushing through a pensions’ package without having held real and genuine negotiations over the last year.
“Ministers are using these hefty increases in pension contributions as an additional unfair tax on NHS workers to pay for the deficit caused by reckless bankers who have played havoc with the British economy and caused misery to millions of working people and their families.’
“Now many public sector workers – the bedrock of local communities, such as nurses and teachers – face working longer before they retire. The prospect of a 68-year-old paramedic lifting patients will become a reality with the increased risk to patients. Do the public really want to see this?
“From next month, public sector staff will be paying more in contributions, yet facing a further 12 months pay freeze. ................
“These severe changes are being driven by the Treasury, despite Cabinet ministers, Andrew Lansley and Michael Gove having expressed strong reservations about the long-term impact on the validity of the individual schemes, if these changes were steamrollered through.
“It is national disgrace and Unite will continue to campaign against this putrid agenda of unfairness.”
-ends-
Note to news editors:
For further information, please contact Unite communications officer, Shaun Noble on 07768 693940.
Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest trade union with 1.5 million members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Len McCluskey.
