Restore pension link now, demands STUC

(Thursday 23 April 2009)

by Malcolm Burns in Perth

The Scottish TUC urged the government on Wednesday to immediately increase pensions above the poverty line - currently at £151 per week - and restore the earnings link.

The pensions motion rejected the idea that there is a pensions crisis because people are living longer, not least because the National Insurance scheme has excesses of more than £35 billion.

Congress also rejected attacks by employers on occupational pensions. Train drivers' union ASLEF delegate Chris Barrie said that there were few more important issues before congress.

"The current economic situation means that the Labour government should be doing all in its power to help pensioners," he said.

"We will not accept crocodile tears from politicians."

North Lanarkshire TUC delegate Tommy Brennan said: "We should immediately restore the link to earnings and increase the basic state pension to more than £151.

"There is no dignity for many of our pensioners in trying to live on today's basic state pension. There is no dignity in having to decide whether to eat or heat.

"It's an indictment on this supposedly Labour government."

And GMB delegate Charlie Robertson demanded additional resources for older pensioners.

"The derisory 25p a week paid to over-eighties has not increased since its introduction in 1971," he said.

"This is the generation which protested for the right to work, defeated fascism and built the welfare state and are the poorest - they are less likely to have occupational pensions and more likely to have additional expenses."

UNISON delegate Catriona Beveridge told congress that public-sector pensions were currently under attack from the right.

"Do you think council and health and government workers retire early on pensions like Sir Fred Goodwin?" she asked.

"The actual level of the average pension for UK local government workers is £3,800 a year."

Unite delegate Stevie Deans, a shop steward at Ineos in Grangemouth, thanked the STUC for its support in last year's pension strike.

"We were faced with a greedy employer who, despite making millions of pounds in profits, intended to take our members' pensions rights away from them," he said.

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