Strike not justified

I DON'T believe that last week's public sector strike was justified.

While I entirely accept that no one would wish to have a less generous pension, we need to fully consider the background to the Government's proposals. The country is in a treacherous economic situation and we have to make savings. Public sector pension costs have sky-rocketed as longevity has increased (today the average 60 year old is living 10 years longer than in the 1970s).

They have been far more generous than those in the private sector. Indeed, to get an equivalent pension in the Private Sector you would on average have to contribute over a third of your salary each year.

Some believe that better pensions in the public sector can be justified because those in the private sector earn more – but that is simply untrue – full time public sector workers earn nearly £4,000 more on average than private sector workers.

The changes proposed have safeguards to protect the less well off. Those who earn the full time equivalent of £15,000 or less will not be expected to make any additional pension contributions. Many on low to middle incomes will contribute more but receive a higher pension when they retire. The pension pots people have built up to date (accrued benefits) will be protected in full and those who are within 10 years of retirement will not see any increase in their retirement age or reduction in their pension.

Passing judgement on the Government's offer, Lord Hutton, Labour's former Work and Pensions Secretary (who oversaw the pensions review) stated 'it is hard to imagine a better deal than this.'

Negotiations are on-going. We were talking the day before the strike and the day after it. Let's keep talking and resolve this soon. The country deserves nothing less.