'We're being made scapegoats for mistakes of the wealthy'
HUNDREDS of workers took part in a march and rally in Bristol to protest over public sector pension reforms.
Hospital staff, university and college lecturers, government workers and those in the civil service held pickets yesterday and then moved inside to Armada House in Telephone Avenue.
In Bristol, members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), members of UNITE and the University and College Union (UCU) joined together at the indoor rally.
The PCS said there was solid support for the strike, the third major walkout by public sector employees in the past six months in protest at the pension reforms.
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Prison officers also joined the walk-out, with their union warning that raising their retirement age would be dangerous.
Prison Officers Association national chairman Peter McParlin said: "We are an essential uniformed service in a volatile operational workplace. A pension age of 68 is unacceptable to this trade union.
"We have a right to retire from service, not to die in service".
Protests across the country were fuelled by ministers making clear in the Queen's Speech this week that they are pressing ahead with controversial pension reforms.
The government say the cost of funding public sector pensions is "unsustainable" in the current economic climate.
It wants workers to pay more into their pensions and work for longer, and to base pay-outs on their average salary over a career rather than the current final salary arrangement.
Protesters taking part in the rally argued they were being made the scapegoat for the mistakes of the wealthy.
Karen Cole, Unite's south west health sector women's and equalities organiser, said: "Unite health sector members from across Bristol joined the picket line outside the Bristol Royal Infirmary in the city and marched to a rally to demonstrate against the highway robbery of their pensions by this government.
"Many of Unite's NHS members are now paying, on average, an extra £30-a-month from last month for their pensions, at a time when pay has been frozen. It is a disgrace that Unite members working in the NHS have to work longer, pay more and get less.
"Yesterday they showed the government that they won't put up with this attack on their retirement incomes. We have sent out a strong message for ministers to get around the table once more and negotiate for a fair pensions settlement."
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude described the strike as "futile" and insisted that talks over pensions will not be reopened.
He said the total of 102,244 civil servants on strike was down from 146,000 in November.
Comments
by Charlespk
Saturday, May 12 2012, 11:21AM
“Well I certainly didn't vote vote Labour!
http://tinyurl.com/dbwfmp (open in a new window)”
by harryreg_uk
Saturday, May 12 2012, 10:54AM
“well, someone's got to pay for the "help yourself to a nice big free slice of the UK" immigration policy!
I dread to think how many £Billions and jobs this is costing!”
by Charlespk
Saturday, May 12 2012, 10:25AM
“@nickthompson
Why do you always try and mislead people Nick? . British Gas is a subsidy of Centrica a PLC. . A Public Limited Company, not by one 'fat greedy boss' which is the impression you try and give. . Many of the shareholders will be our pension funds. . Conservatives, Liberal Democrats as well as Labour voters use energy (gas). . You make no mention of the 'Shareholder Spring' that the coalition is currently aiding, but those whose 'wealth' is dependant on the Stockmarket ARE in this with us all. . They could have all reasonably expected the FTSE 100 to be around the 10,000 mark now, not languishing around the 5.600 level as it currently is, after the disastrous 13 years of Labour misrule.
UKIP would be my choice is more politicians of stature joined them, (many are leaning that way now) , but until we get our dependency on others for both energy and defence sorted out, we are treading a difficult path. . It's time Labour starting aiding the coalition, not constantly hampering it. . . We are all in this together. . Most people have suffered one way or the other.
There will always be differing levels and a minority like Premier League footballers and Simon Cowell who will seem completely impervious to recession.”
by nickthompson
Saturday, May 12 2012, 8:42AM
“"£130 a year on your gas and electricity bill: British Gas owner threatens rises... as it approves a £9m pay package for its bosses"----------------------ALL IN THIS TOGETHER LOL.”
by ant86
Friday, May 11 2012, 7:26PM
“Don`t just blame the conservatives, the recession started when new labour were in power as i remember, plus we have a coalition government with the liberal democrats. so i blame the liberal democrats, the conservatives and labour.”
by chris5472
Friday, May 11 2012, 7:03PM
“Big_Gregory at least with the NHS you'll find the previous Labour government already reviewed the pension scheme creating the 2008 scheme with less benefits and longer retirement age. At least when that was done proper pension illustrations were produced to show how the changes would effect pension members. The Tories this time just pillaged with little explanation. (if any were needed. ie it went to pay bank bailouts)
Although one thing not taking into account here is who wants a 68 year old midwife looking after them? We are living longer but unfortunately more people's health deteriorates in old age. Some people would be fit to work after the present retirement age, although with the ever increasing retirement age it would probably end up be the mother looking after the midwife!”
by Marshwalker99
Friday, May 11 2012, 4:37PM
“Funny how those that support open door immigration then complain at the resultant decrease in the price paid for labour due to its increase in supply.”
by SextonsNose
Friday, May 11 2012, 4:31PM
“Does that mean all those Brits working abroad should be sacked?”
by ant86
Friday, May 11 2012, 3:58PM
“BRITISH JOBS FOR BRITISH WORKERS!!!”
by Charlespk
Friday, May 11 2012, 3:44PM
“'more money than sense'
You don't make money without sense unless you are a Labour Cabinet member, a good footballer or a Union leader these days.
I'm neither of those; nor did I have a silver spoon feeding me my ready-brek.”