Public service workers from across Aberdeen will join together this week to discuss attacks on their pensions and plans to defend them.
UNISON, Scotland’s largest union in public services, together with Unite, GMB and EIS have called the mass meeting on Thursday, July 14, to outline plans to protect members’ pension rights. Staff from north-east NHS, police support staff, teachers and local council employees will all be in attendance.
The UK Government is proposing to increase pension contributions by 50 per cent, raise the retirement age and change the way pensions are indexed from RPI to CPI – resulting in a cut of 15 per cent. However, as pension regulation is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, MSPs can choose to reject the UK plans and protect quality pensions in Scotland.
Mike Kirby, UNISON’s Scottish Secretary, said: “UNISON is in discussions with both the UK and Scottish governments about its unfair and unnecessary changes to our members’ pensions which would see them working longer, paying more and getting less. These changes amount to nothing more than a pensions’ tax on public service workers, who are being left to pay the price for bailing out the bankers.
“These proposals would make saving for retirement unaffordable and out of reach for those we most depend on to clean our hospitals, care for the sick and elderly and teach our children.
“The Scottish Government has a choice to make and it’s a simple one; reject the UK Government’s unfair attack on the pensions of hard-working people and protect quality pension provision for Scotland’s public service workers.”
Posted by Peter Smyth
Communications Officer
