Today we'll know the scale of imminent theft from millions of retired workers depending upon occupational pensions for their income I because today's the publication date for the inflation figures on which next April's uprating of pensions and benefits will be based.
As announced in the Emergency Budget it will be the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rather than the Retail Prices Index (RPI) which will be used (http://m.guardian.co.uk/?id=102202&story=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/oct/12/price-index-change-hits-pensions-benefits).
I have been complaining here for some time that this change is an attack on our living standards (http://jonrogers1963.blogspot.com/2010/06/unisons-retired-members-under-attack.html) which reduces the future value of previously accrued benefits and breaks pre-election promises from both Tories and Liberals - I agreed with MJ at UnionFutures when she argued three months ago that we needed to fight this (http://unionfutures.blogspot.com/2010/06/defend-public-service-pensions-now.html).
UNISON's submission to Hutton made clear that we opposed this change - but came dangerously close to facing both ways in making the point that the change could make defined benefit schemes more "affordable". If it saves pension schemes £100 Billion over 40 years at the expense of retired workers it will certainly do that!
In today's Guardian Brendan Barber makes the sound point that this "insidious" cut won't make massive savings until well after the ConDem Coalition's deadline for wiping out the deficit.
This is a long term cut in the value of benefits and pensions. It takes effect from next April and has been implemented without a shred of consultation.
The millions of pensioners who stand to lose need to be marching with us on 26 March - but we need to be considering more than just marching in March if we want to prevent our retired members being the victims of robbery in April.
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment