- Conference
- 2012 National Delegate Conference
- Date
- 1 January 2012
- Decision
- Carried
Conference believes our members deserve major congratulations for their magnificent efforts on 30 November.
Conference further congratulates the union on its focus and organisation throughout the process of pension’s negotiations and the historic industrial action ballot of over one million members, successfully conducted without legal challenge. Conference notes that our union’s conduct throughout, including on 30 November and in subsequent talks, demonstrated an unyielding commitment to the maintenance of defined benefit pension schemes for current and future members, and to the ongoing defence of schemes against any future political attack.
At this time, we can say that the following principles have been upheld:
1) the long term sustainability of public sector pension schemes has been demonstrated and acknowledged as such by relevant government ministers;
2) the union has been successful in highlighting that the real crisis in pensions in the UK remains in the private sector;
3) that the dispute has exposed the way in which a race to the bottom sells out future pensioners and tax payers and demonstrated the unethical approach of the current generation of business.
However we recognise that the Treasury imposed terms for negotiations on public sector pensions expressed in various “heads of agreement” breached a number of fundamental principles including:
a) raising retirement age in line with state pension age to at least 68;
b) ending final salary schemes;
c) arbitrarily imposed contribution increases based not on the sustainability of our pension schemes but on the government’s desire to make us pay more.
This led Danny Alexander to boast that; “These agreements deliver the government’s key objectives in full, and do so with no new money since our November offer.”
Conference recognises that it is for members in each scheme to make the final decision on pensions proposals by the appropriate consultation method and for each of the relevant service groups and branches to make appropriate decisions and recommendations.
But we recognise that the Treasury’s terms for future public service pensions represent a massive shift in wealth away from public service workers and the danger that they will make pensions unattractive for younger workers in particular and therefore threaten the long term sustainability of the schemes themselves
Conference reasserts the principle that decent pensions are an indivisible element of the total pay package and that despite attempts by the government to divide and rule, the public sector should continue to play a role as a model employer in the widest sense, including pension provision.
In terms of the union’s future work programme on pensions, Conference recognises that the campaign to defend pensions in the public and private sector must continue and calls on the National Executive Council to:
i) support relevant labour movement wide campaigns for decent pensions for all including a state pension not lower than the official poverty line figure (currently £178 according to figures used by the National Pensioners’ Convention) to be paid to existing pensioners and work with the pension industry and all other relevant bodies and individuals to reverse the decline in the private sector;
ii) develop and contribute to any such campaign UNISON analysis of pension provision in the UK, setting out the options and action needed to continue to sustain good pension provision and increase coverage amongst workers;
iii) ensure the monitoring of the implementation of any new schemes that emerge from the current dispute, with a view to ensuring that operation of schemes is in line with agreed aims;
iv) ensure that the union’s policy on public sector pensions remains up to date, relevant to the changing workforce, and congruent with the need for schemes to remain sustainable in the long term;
v) campaign politically around the issues relating to the ageing public sector workforce, while ensuring that branches are equipped to deal with the practical consequences of this within our diverse workplaces;
vi) ensure that branches and the union more widely continue to promote scheme membership to all in our workplaces and to improve access for all groups including those on zero hour contracts and casual workers.
vii) ensure that clear advice is available to members on the benefits of remaining within their occupational pension scheme and the implications of leaving;
viii) promote the “get campaigning” materials which provide resources and training to assist members in lobbying and campaigning in defence of pensions and other UNISON campaigns.
Conference notes with concern that the proposed changes to public sector pension schemes and the state retirement age are disproportionately impacting on the lives of women.
Women are already statistically more likely to have lower pensions, primarily due to time taken out of the workplace and part-time working to meet caring responsibilities, and low pay affecting both their lifetime earnings and their pension in retirement.
Disabled and Black women statistically have even lower lifetime earnings, and are therefore more vulnerable to pensioner poverty. LGBT women have fought long and hard for equality in public sector pensions including pensions for surviving same sex partners and pensions equality for trans workers, and now face seeing those pensions eroded.
In the current economic climate low paid women in the public sector have also seen their household income reduced and may now see a stark choice between paying pension contributions or meeting household bills and childcare costs.
Many women are already suffering the consequences of being unable to pay into an occupational pension scheme – two thirds of the UK pensioners now living in poverty are women – but research shows that as many as half of all women are still not able to make adequate pension provision for their future.
Meanwhile the accelerated state pension age raise for women has dashed the expectations of working women who will now be forced to work longer. This raises serious questions about the ability of workers in some professions to be able to do their jobs safely and effectively; the lack of opportunities which will be available for younger workers; and the levels of stress and ill health among an ageing workforce.
Conference calls upon the National Executive Council to:
A) work with the self organised groups and service groups to ensure that these concerns are taken on board in UNISON’s pensions campaigning and negotiating agenda;
B) encourage women members to become actively involved in pensions campaigning, and as pension trustees and champions
Further, Conference calls on the National Executive Council to urgently work in the widest coalition of trade unions, retired members’ organisation and other interested civic society organisations to highlight the detrimental effects of the increase in state retirement age and persuade the government that such increases are neither necessary or wanted.