18 March 2005
Millions of public service workers look certain to take part in the sector's largest strike for decades next week as the government comes under fire for its 'politically inept' handling of pension reforms.
Seven unions will take the unprecedented step of uniting on March 23, just weeks before an expected general election, for a nationwide day of action against government plans to raise the age of retirement and reform pension structures.
Five local authority unions representing 1.4 million workers – Unison, the T&G, GMB, Amicus and the Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians – have been holding talks with Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in efforts to avert the action.
New pension regulations, which raise the retirement age from 60 to 65 and withdraw the 85-year rule that allows workers to access pensions early, will come into force next month, a year earlier than reforms for other workers.
The unions have been pressing Prescott to annul the regulations and allow unions to negotiate on all changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme, with a second phase expected in 2008. 'Our members are not prepared to accept changes by diktat,' said Unison general secretary Dave Prentis.
Jack Dromey, deputy general secretary of the T&G, said: 'The government should now sit down with the trade unions to negotiate a sensible solution which ensures the long-term viability of good pension schemes.'
Sources close to the talks, expected to reconvene as Public Finance went to press, said there was some hope of a resolution, although it was clear the strike would still go ahead.
However, there was growing anger among unions that they have had to resort to strike action in the run-up to an election. 'They have united the public sector unions at the wrong time. This isn't just wrong, it's politically inept,' the source said.
The depth of feeling has even run to the FDA, the senior mandarins' union, which will hold its first strike since 1981, albeit for half a day, on March 23.
It said the government's proposals were contradictory and incoherent. 'Our members should have choice over their retirement,' said Jonathan Baume, general secretary. 'Forcing people to retire at 60 or even 65 makes no sense.'
This is unlikely to be the last day of action if the government refuses to back down on its proposals. Teaching union Natfhe is balloting members for a strike on April 14, which could be a united day of action just three weeks before an election.
PFmar2005
