Commenting on proposals from Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice to change pensions for council workers, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said today (Monday):
“No one should be looking to fund one essential public service by raiding another. That isn’t a plan, it’s a house of cards.
“Forcing council staff on to inferior pensions would leave retired workers worse off and add to the already severe recruitment crisis in local government.
“Employees’ pensions aren’t the reason so many councils are on a financial precipice. That’s down to years of budget cuts from Conservative governments.
“The sums involved appear to have been plucked out of the air by Reform UK. The latest evaluations of the scheme are expected to show it’s well managed with healthy returns.
“The country desperately needs a world class social care system, but making council staff poorer and elderly people more vulnerable isn’t the way to deliver it.”
Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
Media contacts:
Dan Ashley M: 07508 080349 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
The article Pension overhaul is not the answer to councils’ funding woes, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.
Comments are closed.