PENSIONERS' income has been slashed under the Tories, and already pressure from the Labour Party's backroom boys has brought about damaging retreats on this issue from the unions.
The Public Service Pensioners' Council has retreated from its previous position of demanding that pensions be linked to the better of earnings and prices ( a retreat challenged and successfully rejected at recent NUT Conference), arguing that it is 'unrealistic' that any political party would commit themselves to restoring the link. Fortunately many pensioners' organisations reject that approach too.
The offensive against pensions Is another facet of the attack on the welfare state required to meet the convergence criteria for It is an attack almed at one of the most vulnerable sections of the working class which cannot threaten to withdraw its labour in support of Its demand for dignity. but which is increasingly willing to organise to publicise its demands, as shown through the massive pensioners lobby of last year's Labour Party Conference for example.
As If attacks on pension levels themselves were not enough the services older citizens rely on have been slashed in the last eighteen years. been at the sharp end of many of the attacks on the welthey disproportionately rely do the WHS, social security benefits, public transport and public services.
The imposition of VAT on fuel disproportionately hit older people, who spend a higher percentage of their Income on heating.
The much publicised E79 million shortfall in Kent County to be partly met by closing 10 old people's homes. The cuts in Glasgow City Council's budget meant cuts in home helps, warden support in sheltered housing, and homes have been privatised under the Tories, resulting in worswork in them and for the people Many benefits are now means-tested, and frequently older peocannot figure their way through the bureaucratic layers to get to them. These Indirect attacks on pensioners have been matched by attacks on the pension itself.
One of the early acts of the Thatcher government in 1979 was to sever the link between pensions and average wages. Single pensioners would be around £23 a week better off today and couple E32 If they had not been robbed in this way.
The British government's response to European Equality legslation has been to level down women's access to pensions so Only 15 per cent of women reany case, although that proportion will rise as women reaching pension age have spent more of But the state pension is of even more importance to women than men, as over two thirds of women over 60 age group are Under the Tories the whole existence of the state pension was looking increasIngly under threat. It is vital to ensure that that nelther pensionIon movement will stand for an attack on this basic and vital right.
Pensioners have already paid for their right to security in old age through years and years of National Insurance contributions - they must not be stolen from The Secretary of the Public Services Pensioners' Council assured it that the Council would not be taken seriously if it continued in the run up to a General Election with the call to link pensions to the better of earnings or prices.
Pensioners will not take se. riously a trade union movement which does not fight for retired workers. Nor will they take seriously any government which fund pensions whic rerusing to tax more highly those earning over 2100.vuu per year and continuing to pay billions for Trident missiles.
The Tory government looked after /ts people; the bosses, bankers and arms traders. The Labour Party - with its massive majority - must be forced to look after all of ours.