Hemel Hempstead Labour

Your voice in tough times

Government myths about day of action

FIGHTING FOR DECENT PENSIONS

The Coalition Government  is attempting to spread untruths re this day of Action.  In fact they are in a panic over all of this.  Local Government and NHS and all the other Trade Union Members are up in arms about the attacks on their pension schemes.  A friend of mine is now going to have to work another seven years until she is 67 before she can retire with her pension.

GOVERNMENT MYTH NO. 1.  That because people are living longer  they claim their pensions longer is untrue.  Pension Schemes were revised to address this three years ago.  Scheme benefits and costs are now 25% lower.

GOVERNMENT MYTH NO. 2.  Big public sector schemes are in deficit.  There is no funding gap.  The public sector schemes were assessed for long term risk and adjusted according three years ago and are now very secure.  They are now cash rich with income far exceeding outgoings.

GOVERNMENT MYTH NO. 3.  Public services and their pensions are causing the financial crisis.  The only sector that caused this crisis was the banks.

GOVERNMENT MYTH NO. 4.  We are all in this together.  Everyone has to make sacrifices why not public sector workers?  People who work in the public services have had to suffer a wage freeze for the last three years and are facing unprecedented job cuts.  Many of the people who work in the public sector have low paid and heavy work, their pensions  are certainly not gold plated.

GOVERNMENT MYTH NO. 5.  It’s not fair that public sector workers get good pensions when the private sector doesn’t.  In recent years we have seen just how much the Chairmen and Chief Executives of FTSE companies receive for bonus payments, shares and salaries.  They are certainly not feeling  the pinch and are not ‘in this together’.  Everyone deserves an adequate pension including workers in the private sector but then to improve pensions for workers in the private sector  would reduce owners of companies and profit for shareholders.