“Millions of women have been clinging to the hope that they would finally be awarded the compensation that they deserve. It’s deeply disturbing to say that the government decided not to accept the recommendations of the parliamentary ombudsman and delay compensation to thousands of women affected.”
Speaking on the opening day of UNISON’s national conference in Liverpool, Rosie McGregor, retired members board, brought a motion to campaign and lobby the government for the immediate payment of compensation to WASPIs (women against state pension injustice).
In 2024, the government ombudsman set out the compensation that should be paid to the 3.6 million women who missed out on seven years of state pension when the retirement age was raised from 60 to 67. When they were in opposition, Labour promised to fulfil the recommendations of the ombudsman if they were elected to power. A year on, the government has still not paid a penny.
Supporting the motion, Jane Doolan, national executive, said: “These women, born in the 1950s, have worked tirelessly throughout their lives. Some are still working, making substantial contributions to their communities, their families and their workplaces. They’ve been let down at the last minute by the government moving the goalposts.”
The women most impacted are those employed in lower paid jobs, as kitchen assistants, cleaners, catering staff, receptionists. Many of these roles were part time.
“This is about the government running roughshod over women, who worked all their lives with the expectation of one thing – a state pension – only to have it taken away,” said Tracy Moony, national women’s committee. “Many of these women worked part time so that they could care for their families. They did not have time to earn a decent occupational pension and are now relying on a totally inadequate state pension.”
Ms McGregor, added: “For some, it’s been a real struggle to get a job and plug the gap. Some can’t work because of work-related injuries, disabilities, caring responsibilities or because they now have to care for grandchildren due to the high cost of childcare.”
A delegate from Portsmouth city branch, said: “I fall into the WASPI category. From the age of 16 when I started work for the minimum wage, what kept me going, when I only had pennies in my purse, was the fact that 60 years old I could retire. But that’s not true and I’m having to work another seven years now. It’s just not right is it?”
It is estimated that since 2015, when the campaign for justice started, around 315,000 WASPI women have died. This figure has saved the Treasury £4 billion.
Another delegate added: “The lack of support/sympathy for WASPIs is appalling, but not surprising. Society continues to undervalue the work that we do and to take and take our contributions for granted.”
At the end of her speech, McGregor received loud cheers and clapping from conference when she sang Bread and Roses, a poem by James Oppenheim, which has become associated with the labour movement: “Hearts starve, as well as bodies, give us bread, not roses.”
The motion passed unanimously.
Other motions passed on the first day of the union’s national delegate conference included:
- Winter fuel allowance should be reinstated to all pensioners and not be means-tested. Whilst the recent announcement by the government to bring back the winter fuel allowance to pensioners with an income of £35,000 a year or less, is welcomed, UNISON opposes means testing as it creates a two-tier society. Conference agreed to lobby the government to reinstate winter fuel allowance for all pensioners.
The article ‘Pay us what’s rightfully ours’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.
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