Unite press release and photo opportunity

What: A coalition of state pension campaigners and MPs will stage a protest at Parliament in Westminster.

When: Today (Tuesday 2 May) at 2pm, on College Green, SW1P 3JY.

Time for Sunak to say he won’t attack the State Pension age - if he wins the next General Election 

Campaigners say postponing the decision isn’t good enough - we know 68 is too late.

Campaigners to deliver petition signed by tens of thousands.

MPs will join a coalition of workers and pension campaigners on College Green to fire a shot across the bow of the Tories and demand Rishi Sunak rules out an attack on the State Pension.

Fearing a massive defeat at the next General Election the Tories announced a delay to its decision on raising the State Pension age until after the election.

But 13 years of Tory austerity and public sector cuts mean workers know the government can’t be trusted. That’s why workers and pension campaigners are calling on the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak to rule out any further rises in the State Pension before the General Election.

The government had plans to bring forward the State Pension age rise to 68, potentially as soon as 2037.  But Unite maintains that the State Pension age is already too high – as it stands, it’s due to rise to 67 by 2028 and 68 by 2046.

Caren Evans, Unite national officer for retired members said: “Unless Rishi Sunak completely rules out raising the State Pension I believe the odds are firmly in favour of a nasty surprise for middle aged workers after the election if the Tories win.

“After 13 years of austerity and public sector cuts the Tories can’t be trusted with your State Pension. That’s why we are demanding rock solid assurances from the Prime Minister ruling out any further rises.”

Life expectancy is no longer rising steadily and healthy life expectancy is well below the State Pension age.  The average healthy life expectancy for men in England is 63.1 years, for women it is 63.8 years.  But a right wing think tank the Institute of Fiscal Studies recently claimed the Government could raise the state pension age to 70 by 2050.

Jan Shortt, general secretary of the National Pensioners Convention said: “Workers of today are the pensioners of tomorrow.  Raising the retirement age when the health of the nation is at its worst is unacceptable. It would show a lack of commitment by Government to tackle issues that impact adversely on older people.

Irene Graham from the Scottish Pensioners Forum said: "It’s important we defeat the Government’s plans to introduce 68 as the State Pension Age for millions of workers aged 44 to 52.

“We don’t want the government to delay the decision we want them to abandon it. It’s not too late for the government to respect and value workers by reversing its plan to raise the state pension age. Workers should not pay the price for government incompetence and corporate greed."

ENDS

Contact: Ciaran Naidoo 07768 931 315

Twitter:@unitetheunion Facebook: unitetheunion1 Instagram: unitetheunion

Unite is the UK and Ireland’s leading union fighting to protect and advance jobs, pay and conditions for members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.