Monday 28 November 2011

Support the pension strike

A lot of government misinformation has been and will be spread as the public sector unions' strike arrives this Wednesday.  The simple fact is that the government is using the recession as an excuse to dishonestly shaft millions of public sector workers.  Everyone should get behind the workers.

The BMA are to ballot members on potential action soon and many of us think more could have been done earlier, still the BMA are very much in support of the other public sector unions.

The simple fact is that the government reached an agreement on increased contributions to the NHS pensions of doctors in 2008, with our contributions increased massively to 8% at this point.  The government is now unilaterally trying to double the amount doctors pay into their pensions, despite this long term deal being agreed three years ago.

The government's behaviour has been an utter disgrace in this regard, not forgetting their dishonest privatisation of the NHS at the very same time.  The government is already making about 2 billion pounds in profit per year from the pension schemes of doctors as things stand.  It is outrageous that they are trying to shaft us in this way.

So get behind any public sector staff striking this Wednesday and don't believe the lies peddled by the government.  They will pretend that these cuts are essential and needed, they are most definitely not needed.  The government would prefer to pick on easy targets like public sector workers than bother to address massive issues like the massive corporations which avoid billions of tax every year.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The government is already making about 2 billion pounds in profit per year from the pension schemes of doctors as things stand."

Nonsense. Even Anday Blake of the BMA has gone on record to explode this myth. He posted in his blog:

"Finally I’d just like to clarify a point about the funding of the scheme as I hear a few people suggest that the NHSPS in ‘in surplus’; this is not the case. Members pay their contributions and in return accrue a benefit promise which will be paid by the government regardless of whether, at that particular time, the contributions coming into the scheme exceed the benefits being paid out — or vice versa.

At the moment (and for the short term) contributions received by the NHS pension scheme exceed the benefits paid out, a fact notable in the context of the government wanting to raise a large amount of money (from the scheme specifically or in general?). The BMA response to this is ‘you already are’; (having earmarked) £10.7bn (from the scheme?) between 2009/10 – 2015/16. This is not a funding surplus (where assets exceed liabilities) as there is no fund.

While it’s a very good pension scheme it is not a goose that lays golden eggs. No pension scheme could exist on the basis of receiving more than it paid out as no one would want to join it!"

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