National Delegate Conference 16-19 June 2008

Defending our public service pensions

Kate Ramsden

Agnes Petkevicius

Conference condemned attacks on public sector pensions by press and politicians and recognized that this threat will only grow if a Tory government get into power at the next general election.

Delegates threw their weight behind a range of measures to defend our members pensions. Kate Ramsden, from Aberdeenshire told conference that it has been open season on our pensions with the press referring to them as "gold plated" and a "luxury the country can't afford.

But an average local government pensioner gets just £74 per week.

"Not a huge amount, said Kate, but without it they would be forced onto full state pension and would face poverty in old age.

She slammed the Tories plans to "reform" our pension. "We should be clear that by this they mean the destruction of public sector pensions," said Kate, rejecting accusations that our pensions are unsustainable and unaffordable.

She called on the NEC to provide information to all our members on the plans for public sector pensions of all the parties standing for election to enable members to make an informed choice about who they vote for, and she urged delegates to campaign in their branches to defend pensions.

"This fight belongs to all of us. These are our pensions which are under threat and we all must take responsibility for defending them - not just for ourselves but for all those who may yet work in public services."

Agnes Petkevicus, of City of Edinburgh further emphasized the need to counter the attacks on our pensions and talked of the added threat to members' pensions of outsourcing.

She told conference that in Edinburgh members' jobs have been outsourced to a Leisure Trust and the pension scheme closed to new entrants. Back to the drawing board for new structures?

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