Arun workers may strike on pension cuts

Members are being asked to vote in a national ballot for industrial action, as the union feels the proposed changes would leave workers paying more for their pension, working longer before they get it, and receiving less when they do.

Arun UNISON branch secretary, Brian Walter, said: “Previous changes to the pension scheme in 2008 meant that local government staff paid a bit more for their pensions, savings to the costs of the scheme were made and the scheme became sustainable in the long term.”

He added that more money went in than was paid out, which made the changes unnecessary.

“The amount the government wants to take out of the scheme, almost £1bn, is a direct and unfair tax on local government staff and will not be used to make the pension scheme even more sustainable in the long term.

“It will go to pay for rescuing the banks, while bankers who got the country into this mess in the first place continue to take enormous bonuses and contributions to their own pension pots,” he said, pointing out that the average local government pension was £3,048 a year.

The proposals would mean local government employees earning over £15,000 paying an additional 1.5 per cent of their salary into the pension scheme and those earning over £21,000 paying up to six per cent more.

Defenders of the proposals say they would bring public-sector pensions in line with those in the private sector, and that changes are needed, both to save money, and to compensate for the fact that people are living longer.

Mr Walter said: “UNISON believes that everyone deserves dignity and security in old age.

“Making our pensions worse will not improve matters for other working people, and will mean that many more people will be reliant on state benefits in old age.”

While negotiations were ongoing at national level, UNISON, and other public sector unions did not believe the discussions had resulted in any significant changes, he added.

The ballot closes on Thursday, and could lead to a one-day strike on November 30.