Unite to ballot its 250,000 public sector members on public sector
pensions
14 September 2011
Unite, the largest union in the country, will ballot its 250,000
members in the public sector for industrial action in defence of
public service pensions.
Unite General Secretary, Len McCluskey said: ‘Unite, along with
other public sector unions, will ballot its members in the public
sector for industrial action.’
‘The union movement has taken this step with reluctance, but we
have been faced with a government that refuses to negotiate in good
faith.’
‘Public sector workers, many of them lowly paid, are being
relentlessly and unfairly targeted by the government. With their
retirement incomes under threat, they have been pushed into a
corner and are being forced to take this action.’
‘Unite has attended every negotiating session with government
ministers since February, but they have been dogged by ministerial
bad faith and leaks to the media while negotiations on the
individual schemes were continuing.’
‘Public sector pensions are not ‘gold plated’. Half of public
sector pensioners get less than £5,600 a year. In local government,
the average pension is £4,000-a-year - for women it is
less. Half of women, who have worked in the NHS, receive
£3,500-a-year or less.’
‘And this was recognised by the Cabinet ministers in charge of
health and education respectively, Andrew Lansley and Michael Gove
who raised concerns about Treasury Secretary, Danny Alexander’s
hardline attack on public sector pensions in the summer.’
‘Public sector pensions were reformed by the last government
with increased contributions and later retirement ages.’
‘What the government is attempting to do will drive thousands of
already hard-pressed public sector workers out of these schemes
and, ultimately, undermine the very viability of the schemes.’
‘Millions of public sector workers, particularly low paid women,
face years of pensioner poverty in their retirement. Unite is not
prepared to participate in this race to the bottom for dedicated
public sector workers. Pensions, whether they are in the public or
private sector, are deferred pay built up after decades in the
workplace.’
‘Public sector employees should not be used as the scapegoat for
the economic crisis caused by the City elite, who truly do enjoy
‘gold plated pensions - the former disgraced boss of the Royal Bank
of Scotland, Sir Fred Goodwin being the most shameful and greedy
example.’
‘Even at this late stage, the union movement is prepared to
continue negotiating with ministers, but it has to be in good
faith.’
Unite will be letting its 250,000 public sector members know the
timetable at a later date.
Unite represents workers in the NHS, local government, higher
and further education, and central government departments.
-ends-
For further information, please contact Unite communication
officers, Ciaran Naidoo on 07768 931315 and/or Shaun Noble on 07768
693940
