TUC 'line in the sand' on public sector pensions applauded by Unite
30th July 2009
The TUC’s ‘line in the sand’ in exposing the distortions about
public sector pensions has been applauded by Unite, the largest
union in the country.
The TUC said in a new briefing that the majority of public
sector pensioners receive a pension of less than £5,000 a year and
that half the women on NHS pensions receive less than £3,500
annually.
Unite assistant general secretary for the public sector, Gail
Cartmail, said: "These new TUC findings expose the myth being
peddled by the right-wing media and commentators that hard-working
public servants are living in the lap of luxury once they have
retired.
"This is nonsense and it is right that the TUC has drawn a line
in the sand on this issue. If there is a cause for concern, it is
the extravagant, bordering on the greedy, pensions that an elite of
City and top business people award themselves, regardless of
whether their enterprises are successful or not."
Gail Cartmail said that there were three facts about public
sector pensions that needed to be highlighted:
- that the current level of public sector pension provision is
self-funding i.e. the money needed is covered by the contributions
made by employers and employees. This scheme is not asking for
bail-outs from the government
- the cost of providing a public sector pension, according to a
recent report by the Pension Policy Institute, is the same as the
cost of a typical final salary scheme in the private
sector.
- the government has negotiated with the trade unions and
agreement has been reached to raise the retirement age for new
entrants for public sector schemes; to increase average member
contributions; and to cap the increase in government costs.
ENDS
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
For further information, please ring:
Gail Cartmail 07768 931 305
Shaun Noble, communications officer (health sector) 020 7420 8951
or 07768 693 940
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