British Union Warning Over Threat to Pensions

By Jon Smith

June 15,2010, The Independent (UK)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/union-warning-over-threat-to-pensions-2000814.html

The Government found itself on an early collision course with
millions of public sector workers tonight when the leader of
one of the country's biggest unions warned of industrial
action over pensions.

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, launched a
scathing attack on the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition and
pledged a campaign against spending cuts.

He told his union's annual conference in Bournemouth that the
Government "won't know what hit them" if it takes on public
sector workers and cuts services, pay and pensions.

The Government came under attack from several unions today
after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg criticised the "gold-
plated" public sector pensions system as "unfair" on private
sector workers.

Mr Prentis said to loud applause from 2,000 delegates: "If
Nick Clegg comes for our pensions, then we will ballot for
industrial action."

Mr Prentis said Unison will give full support to any branch
taking industrial action to defend jobs, such as library
workers in Southampton who are going on strike next week.

He promised to build an alliance with other public sector
unions to break the pay freeze on more than a million council
workers, warning the Government not to under-estimate their
strength of feeling.

"If this Government picks a fight with us, we will be ready,
we will be the fiercest defenders of our members and the
services they deliver.

"The next four years will test our resolve, but they won't
know what hit them."

Mr Prentis said that just a few weeks into the coalition
Government, it wanted to "throw" public sector workers on to
the dole, freeze their pay and raid their pensions.

Support for children struggling to read had already been
withdrawn, plans to build new school playgrounds cancelled
and hospital buildings put on hold.

"The biggest danger is that people accept the propaganda that
all this is inevitable, but we will stand against those
trying to take us down the road to disaster."

Mr Prentis accused the Government of "arrogance" in asking
the public and unions where spending cuts should be made,
adding: "It's a grotesque version of reality TV - who wants
to be a millionaire meets the axe factor.

"Our public services the subject of an obscene lottery. If
the wealth of the richest 100 people has increased by 30% in
one year, if there's money for council chiefs to give
themselves a 30% increase in three years, health authority
chiefs a 7% increase in the middle of a recession, if there's
money to bail out bankers' bonuses, for war and Trident
nuclear weapons, there is money to pay young workers a decent
wage, money to protect pensions and for public services."

Mr Prentis said Unison was standing on the threshold of one
of the most testing times in its history as he announced
plans for a nationwide campaign against public service cuts.

Mr Prentis accused the Government of "peddling lies" over the
cost to taxpayers of public sector pensions, saying it was
just a few hundred pounds a year per household.

"These pension myths are scaremongering. There are no
unreformed, gold-plated pension pots. The average pension in
local government is just £4,000 a year, dropping to £2,600
for women."

Mr Prentis said the Government should be encouraging people
to save for their retirement, not attacking workers who do.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "Ministers are
presenting the costs of public sector pensions in a highly
selective way. They are not comparing like with like and have
not been clear that a main cause of the increased net cost of
public sector pensions is their decision to freeze public
sector pay."

Brian Strutton of the GMB said: "The hysteria surrounding
public sector pension costs has to stop and be replaced by
rational discussion."

Unite's assistant general secretary Gail Cartmail said: "It
is deeply ironic and very sad that the Liberal Democrats, who
first introduced the state pension with Lloyd George in the
1900s, should now be mounting a right-wing campaign to
decimate retirement incomes a century later."

Jonathan Baume, general secretary of the FDA, which
represents senior civil servants, said: "Nick Clegg's
comments are unhelpful and frankly misleading."

_______________________________________________
Marxism-Thaxis mailing list
Marxism-Thaxis@lists.econ.utah.edu
To change your options or unsubscribe go to:
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism-thaxis

Reply via email to