Statement after TUC PSLG meeting

TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber

 

Speaking after a meeting of public sector unions at the TUC yesterday (Monday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:

'Since the day of action we have seen a new atmosphere in the negotiations. The state of play varies between sectors.

'Progress has been made in health and local government where key principles for further negotiation in heads of agreement will provide the basis for further talks in the New Year.

'It's important to stress that no agreements have been reached, but unions now have proposals to put to their executives and members.

'We have reached a stage where the emphasis in most cases is in giving active consideration to the new proposals that have emerged rather than considering the prospect of further industrial action.

'We have been talking for many months but since the day of action that involved millions and with the intensive discussions over recent days we now see change. Accrual rates are more favourable then were originally proposed, there is enhanced protection for those nearing retirement, Fair Deal protection for those whose jobs transfer out of the public sector and there will be no adverse changes to pensions for 25 years.'

Mary's Story - a Pension's tale

UNISON west midlands region have produced a striking new video on pensions in the health service. A must watch.

Nottinghamshire Pensions leafletting tomorrow

Nottinghamshire trade unionists are holding leafletting sessions right across the county - can you help for an hour to promote this campaign to protect public sector pensions?
Contacts below:
Nottingham Market Square, 12 noon, contact nottstc@gmail..com
Beeston 12 noon, contact Thomas.unterrainer@talk21.com for more info
Sutton in Ashfield town centre, 12 noon, contact Mick at mansfieldcentralbranch@googlemail.com
Mansfield town centre, 12 noon contact Danny on maggiekind@btinternet.com
West Bridgford, Outside Oxfam Shop contact Martin Sleath on martin.sleath@nottscc.gov.uk
Sherwood Nottingham, 12 noon, contact Richard Buckwell, richardbuckwell@hotmail.com

Regional Council takes pensions campaign to the streets of Derby

David Cameron robbing a teacher of his pension contributions
at today's Pension Justice campaign event in Derby

Today's Midlands TUC regional council was cut short to enable delegates to take to the streets of Derby to pursue the Pensions Justice campaign which is gaining ground as union ballots produce heavy results in favour of strike action later this month. Some forty trade union and trades council delegates, along with TUC staff, leaflets Derby and took the chance to engage with Saturday shoppers to explain why the industrial action is necessary.
Coverage from Central TV and the Derby Evening Telegraph will help to further promote the message that public sector pensions are affordable without increasing the contribution rate and extending the pension age.
The next day of action will be held on Saturday 19th November with events in many towns and cities across the midlands.

UNISON members vote yes in pensions strike ballot

Members of UNISON, the UK’s largest union, have today voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action to protect their pensions.
The union balloted members including nurses, teaching assistants, social workers, care assistants, paramedics, police staff, school dinner ladies, probation workers and cleaners.


Overall:
Yes: 245,358
No: 70,253
Results
Local Government (Including Scotland)
Yes 171,428
No 54,500
76% in favour – Turnout 30%


NHS (including Scotland)
Yes 73,930 No 15,753
82% in favour – Turnout 25%
Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON said:
“The decisive yes vote in the ballot, reflects the deep concern that our members have over Government ministers’ proposals for their pensions. “Yesterday’s statement in Parliament was a marked improvement on earlier proposals.
“But, it is important to understand that the statement has to be translated into offers in the scheme specific talks. We still have had no offer in those negotiations, where such an offer can legitimately be made.
“We support the TUC day of action on 30 November, but will be negotiating right up to then and beyond to get a fair deal for our members.” Senior lay officials of the union are meeting throughout the afternoon to discuss the latest Government statement on pensions and to decide what action to take as a result of the strike ballot.

Statement after pensions meeting

A meeting of the TUC's Public Services Liaison Group (PSLG) at Congress House in London today (Wednesday) agreed the following statement:

'At the meeting earlier today Danny Alexander and Francis Maude outlined a number of new proposals to the TUC negotiating team, including an improvement in the proposed accrual rates within the major public service schemes compared to their previous position, and new proposed transitional protections for those closest to retirement. They also indicated a long-term commitment to any agreed reforms not being reopened within the next 25 years.
'The PSLG welcomed this movement in the government's position which has come as a direct result of the strength of feeling and determination shown by public sector workers and the groundswell of support for the TUC's day of action at the end of this month.
'These proposals, and their detailed implications for the pensions offer within each scheme, will now need to be considered in detail within the sector specific negotiations, alongside all the other issues including proposed contribution increases, increases in the pension age, and the impact of the indexation change from RPI to CPI on which the government's position remains unchanged.
'All the unions have indicated throughout this process their determination to reach a negotiated settlement on all these issues. That remains the position and unions will engage intensively in the coming weeks. But unless and until further real progress is made and acceptable offers are made within those negotiations, unions remain firmly committed to continuing their preparations for the planned day of action on November 30.
'A further meeting of the PSLG will be held in November to consider reports on any progress made within the sector talks.'

TUC on government public sector pensions consultations

Brendan Barber, TUC General Secretary

Commenting on the announcement from the Treasury today (Thursday) concerning proposed increases in public sector pension contributions, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Today's consultation documents reveal exactly what kind of increases could soon be hitting millions of public sector workers, when they are already in the middle of a pay freeze and facing a huge squeeze on their living standards.
"The proposed increases, along with other changes the government wants to make to public sector pensions, present the individual schemes talks with a hugely difficult agenda to address over the summer.

"Only if the government demonstrates real flexibility in the coming talks and shows that it is genuinely listening and prepared to change course, will it avoid more unions deciding to enter into dispute and planning industrial action later this year."

Myths and realities on public sector pensions

As pensions have moved up the news agenda TUC staff have challenged the claims that public servants benefit from gold-plated, unreformed and unsustainable provision. Alice Hood makes the case against current public sector pensions myths and Nigel Stanley discusses the real pensions injustice: the £39 billion of tax relief which mainly goes to the better off. With the lowest paid public sector workers facing net pay cuts of up to 10 per cent over the year ahead the fairness of pension provision looks set to remain high on the agenda for some time to come.  

TUC response to Danny Alexander's comments on public sector pensions

Responding to Danny Alexander's comments on public sector pensions today (Friday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said:
"At such a critical time in complex negotiations this is a deeply inflammatory public intervention with a clumsy mix of announcements apparently designed to pre-empt the talks, coupled with crude threats that even worse terms might be imposed if unions refuse to acquiesce to this assault on their pensions.
"Many of the detailed proposals set out by Danny Alexander today have not even been put to the TUC negotiators, and the government has yet to give a response to specific proposals tabled by the trade union side.
"I have found over many years that if you are seriously trying to build trust to settle a difficult dispute you should talk honestly and openly inside the negotiating room and exercise self restraint outside.
"This speech, and the media-spinning operation around it, has dealt a serious blow to union confidence in the government's good faith in these talks."

Imposing harsh changes to public sector pensions could leave future pensioners in poverty

Brendan Barber

Commenting on the final report of Lord Hutton’s Review of public sector pensions published today (Thursday), TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Public sector workers are already suffering a wage freeze, job losses and high inflation. They are now desperately worried that they will no longer be able to afford their pension contributions, and will have to opt-out.
“Even without any changes recommended in today’s report, public sector pensions have been reduced in value by 25 per cent by a mix of negotiated change and the government’s arbitrary switch to the CPI measure of inflation.
“On top of this the government has announced a £2.8 billion increase in contributions and a review of the discount rate that could also increase contributions. Even without further changes public sector workers will pay much more for substantially less.
“Lord Hutton’s report is a serious piece of work with aspects we can welcome such as the call for good quality pensions and better scheme governance. But while we hope the government will heed his advice to get employers and unions around the table to make sure any changes are properly negotiated, these talks will take place against a very difficult background.
“Issues such as moves to a career average scheme will have very different impacts on different schemes – and unless there is an increase in the accrual rate the switch will simply mean that some will lose out more than others.
“And if changes force members to leave schemes this could make the short term cost of pensions for the government greater and store up real problems for the future.
“Imposing changes without agreement could lead to real industrial tensions and getting the decisions wrong could leave future pensioners in poverty.”

Costs of public sector pensions are being presented in a highly selective way

Responding today (Tuesday) to comments made by the Government on the costs of public sector pensions, TUC Regional Secretary Cheryl Pidgeon 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.
“The cost of public sector pensions they talk about is the difference each year between how much it costs to pay pensions to staff who have already retired and the contributions that current staff and employers are making – even though contributions are to pay tomorrow’s pensions not today’s.
“As ministers have decided to freeze pay, contributions – a straight percentage of pay – are also frozen.
“As pensions rise with inflation, inevitably the gap between pensions and contributions will grow even though the cost of pay and pensions will fall as the freeze bites.”