'Fair Pensions Assure Britain's Future'
Fair Pensions Assure Britain's Future
Letter from Mark Sewotka (General Secretary, PCS Union) from 28th November's Guardian
Digby Jones claims that the government has mortgaged Britain's future by reaching an agreement with unions over some public sector pensions (Interview, November 25.) Agreeing to honour contractual pension obligations to teachers, civil servants and health workers might more accurately be seen as protecting the country's future: the same protection should be extended to local government workers and firefighters.
I wonder if Digby Jones is more concerned about the lesson this pensions settlement sends out to private sector workers, who are quite rightly worried about their pensions and future prospects. Public sector workers were not given any favours because of their unions' supposed relationships with the government - most of the unions involved are not affiliated to the Labour party. Public sector workers used collective strength to defend themselves. Private sector workers should (as they already are in some cases) join unions, get organised and do the same - they can count on our support.