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Press Release

Gold plated pensions? Only for chief officers

8 September 2011

GMB have just released figures that show the London Borough of Barnet's pension fund is more than generous to the bosses, but condemns ordinary workers to a very humble retirement income.

Regional Officer, Keith Williams, and Labour GLA candidate Andrew Dismore have used the Freedom of Information Act to find out the true figures which have revealed that the highest pension payment is £75,000 pa and the lowest only £12.72. Moreover, the pension funds are in healthy balance and there is no need either to cut benefits or increase contributions.

Keith Williams said:

“Even the average figures show former chief officers received £25,000 pa, whilst a road sweeper gets only 1/8th of that. If anyone is milking the system it is the senior officers, not those who do the unsung day to day work that council tax payers need to keep the borough moving and on which the borough prides itself – the refuse collectors, gardeners and road sweepers”.

Andrew Dismore said:

“The Conservatives have spouted a lot of rubbish about the public sector pension funds in their efforts to justify increased contributions and reduced benefits. My Fol request has shown that this is not necessary a far as Barnet is concerned.

What is needed though is greater equity within the system. It is not fair that there is such a huge disparity between those at the top and those who work hard to keep the borough moving. It is not fair that one pensioner alone, a former chief officer, can pocket £75,000 in pension, when a refuse collector's basic salary when at work is less than 1/5th of that, never mind how low their pensions are, at an average of only 1/25th of that figure, just over £3,000.

Leading Barnet Councillors like Brian Coleman should now come clean and tell the truth about public pensions and not demand ever more from those at the bottom of the tree”.



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