Pensions fight at High Court

The unions are appealing against a High Court decision last year which approved a government decision to switch pension calculation from the retail prices index to the usually-lower consumer prices index.

Union reps and retired members organisations pointed out that members stand to lose out and will be protesting outside the court prior to the case being heard.

Speaking prior to the demonstration Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "The change in how pensions are calculated is an attack on all workers.

"It represents a 15 per cent increase in pension contributions for public-sector workers, coming on top of wage freezes and spiralling cost of living, but make no mistake, where the public sector leads, the private sector will follow."

GMB national officer Brian Strutton said: "GMB consider that the High Court was wrong in fact and in law regarding this change to long-standing employment contracts which cuts pensions in payment by 15 per cent and more.

"That is the reason GMB, with the other unions, is mounting this robust legal challenge to that decision."

Civil Service union Prospect general secretary Paul Noon said: "This is just one of the pension injustices inflicted on public and private-sector pensioners by this mean government. It will mean a permanent fall in standards of living for millions of people, breaking the promises made to them during the years they were saving for their pension.

"Not only will it drive many people into penury, by taking money out of people's pockets it will dampen the recovery from recession."

Fellow civil servants' union PCS leader Mark Serwotka said: "For new entrants to the Civil Service it means an immediate cut in their pensions, ripping up an agreement we reached just a few years ago."

And teachers' union NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates added: "I hope that the Court of Appeal recognises that teachers who entered into an agreement to save for their pension should continue to expect that the agreement will be honoured."

johnm@peoples-press.com