28th March 2006 - Local Public Sector Workers Come Out On Strike Over Pensions Row.

Crowds of public sector workers demonstrated today outside key workplaces in Hull to protest against Government changes to their local government pension scheme (LGPS). Cars passing the Guildhall honked their horns in response to the Unison placards SOUND YOUR HORN IF YOU SUPPORT US. The proposed changes would affect these public sector workers for the worse as they would be made to work longer or receive a smaller pension. The changes would affect 10% of all working people.

The Government has ensured protection of the pensions of all current civil servants, NHS staff, teachers, police and the armed forces. They will also be able to retire at 60.Yet members of the LGPS are being treated differently. These members include teaching assistants, home helps, police community support officers, school meals workers, emergency services control room staff, and refuse collectors.

These people would be working alongside colleagues who have their pensions protected, for example teaching assistants working with teachers, emergency services control room staff working with NHS paramedics and scenes-of-crime officers working with police officers. These 'support' jobs are often similar, crucial and sometimes just as stressful as the jobs of the unaffected workers, if not more so in some cases. And without these workers many important public services would not be able to function.

Despite media propaganda to the contrary, these workers do not retire on 'fat cat' pensions. They have paid 6% of their earnings into their pension scheme all their working lives. They have also never taken a pensions contributions holiday - unlike some of their employers who have. Three quarters of the workers are women, many of whom are in low paid, part-time jobs. They get an average pension of just £31 per week, and for many, their pensions fall below means tested benefit levels.

The workers have taken strike action because both government and employers refused to listen to their concerns. Common arguments include that life expectancy is rising, so why should members of the LGPS be allowed to retire at 60? The truth is that life expectancy has increased but not for manual workers. Also, some jobs will be physically impossible over the age of 60. So manual workers would be hit hard by these changes.

Another argument is that it will cost the taxpayer a fortune. In actual fact it will save the taxpayer around £2 billion. Around 3-4% of council tax goes on the LGPS, but if it didn't fund their pensions we would all have to pay higher taxes for their benefits and state pensions. The LGPS is unlike any other public sector pension scheme, in that it saves the public and the government money. Contributions are invested and last year 28% of the value of the scheme came from investments. For more information see www.unison.org.uk

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