Public sector workers are angry and frustrated by vilification of their jobs

14 September 2011

GMB issued a further statement following the announcement by TUC affiliated unions of strike ballots in the dispute over pensions in the public sector.

Brian Strutton, GMB National Secretary for Public Services said, “GMB has announced today a ballot process that signals the start of a long, hard and dirty dispute brought about by government's arrogance and contempt for public sector workers.

The ballot for industrial action will include care workers, social workers, hospital porters, refuse workers, healthcare assistants, PCSOs, teaching assistants, paramedics, 999 control room staff, gravediggers and thousands of other frontline public sector workers. These are not workers that want to strike but they are angry and frustrated by the continued vilification of their jobs and the contempt shown by Cameron and his Cabinet for their commitment and their futures.

GMB has negotiated in good faith but Ministers in Local Government, Treasury, Health and Cabinet Office have refused to engage and even now refuse to tell our members the full extent of the cuts to their retirement savings. GMB has strained every sinew in trying to reach a negotiated agreement with government on pension reform. Government has refused to offer any flexibility or reason in exchange. They have refused basic requests for information, failed to meet unions and set ridiculous timetables for talks that it is clear government wanted to fail.

Already more than one in four Local Government workers are priced out of the LGPS yet government and council leaders are seeking to reduce benefits and increase member contributions to ensure quality pension saving becomes the exclusive preserve of the few. There is still time for a negotiated solution but we cannot delay the ballot process any longer.

GMB is clear that the future of the pensions of 12 million UKtaxpayers is not an issue for ideological rhetoric. The facts show the schemes are sustainable, affordable and, where appropriate, reformable. The failure of Francis Maude, George Osborne, Michael Gove, Andrew Lansley and Eric Pickles to negotIate with trade unions has led to the start of what will be a long, hard and dirty dispute.

As report after report has shown, the costs of public sector pensions are falling and the reforms introduced less than five years ago are saving employers billions. Between them the LGPS and NHS schemes already take in £6billion a year more from contributions and in the case of the LGPS investment returns on the £165billion of assets, than is paid out in pensions. Reforms to the LGPS are already saving councils more than £2billion yet Eric Pickles wants to take a further £900m from the 2million current members of the scheme despite the full knowledge that to do so jeopardises the future of the scheme. It is a sign of the government's failure that Pickles will negotiate with council leaders about imposing cuts to the pension scheme but refuses to talk to the members whose retirement is under threat."

---

Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to Central Lobby. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the Central Lobby service.

As such, Central Lobby does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.