UNISON has strongly condemned the proposals of the so called Independent Public Service Pensions Commission chaired by ex Labour minister John Huttton: http://www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2212
Hutton proposes increasing worker contributions and raising of the retirement age for all public service workers thus repudiating the agreement reached between Government and Unions in 2005:
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/indreview_johnhutton_pensions.htm
As Dave Prentis pointed out this morning on Radio 4's Today programme, the Coalition Government has treated the Commission with contempt - pre empting its findings on increased contributions with an announcement of a 50% increase in last October's Spending Review.
UNISON must now focus on engaging our membership in a campaign to defend Pensions with the following objectives:
· To ensure there are no detrimental changes to member’s pensions schemes, particularly the NHSPS and LGPS
· To influence government and pension fund stakeholders to understand the real impact of short term changes
· To ensure that UNISON structures and members gain a greater understanding of member pension schemes – to end the fog of pension jargon
· To ensure that UNISON structures are utilised so that members are fully consulted and prepared to defend their pension schemes against detrimental changes
· To ensure the campaign is incorporated into the overarching Defending Public Services and utilising the Million Voices campaign
