Local Labour supports strike action 29/11/11
The Western Isles Labour Party supports the protest by local government workers about the government’s attack on their pensions. Public sector workers have never been able to get large pay increases and one of the major benefits within their contract of employment has been a sensible pension plan.
The government wants to cut the pensions of local government workers and shift its’ fundraising away from the rich to the poor. The current proposals take money from workers but do not put that cash into their pension fund; but straight into the Treasury. These proposals are particularly vicious when the pension arrangements for MPs, which are solid gold rather than gold plated, are exempt from their own proposed cuts.
Strike action is always awkward and painful but a protest has to be supported when people who had no part in causing a problem are having their employment conditions cut by people who are not reducing their own pension as well. The government are also planning to cut the top tax rate for high earners, adding to the unfairness of the proposed pension cut.