Teachers refuse to sign pensions offer

Teachers refuse to sign pensions offer

6 January 2012

The two main teaching unions have today confirmed their opposition to the government's plans to force public servants to pay more and work longer for less pension in retirement.

NASUWT's national executive said it would not be signing the 'heads of agreement' and hit out at the Department for Education, with general secretary Chris Keates describing the negotiating process as "a debacle".

Ms Keates added the union would be writing to the secretary of state Michael Gove requesting an urgent meeting with the unions to discuss their concerns, according to a report on the UnionNews website.
Ahead of its national executive meeting next Thursday (12 January), the NUT has today also called for further urgent discussions with the government.

The union said it remained concerned about proposed increases in employee contributions and the increase in pension age, and confirmed it would appeal the High Court judgement on the imposed switch in pensions indexation.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: “We remain committed to a negotiated agreement on pensions but these proposals will not, in our opinion, serve the interests of teachers or the education system."
 Yesterday Unite unanimously rejected the proposed deal for health workers and the British Medical Association raised the prospect of its first industrial action ballot for more than 30 years.
PCS's national executive meets next week to discuss the latest in the dispute that brought two million public servants out on strike on 30 November.

Watch Mark Serwotka discuss pensions on the BBC's HARDtalk programme
Pensions offer - what the other unions have said
Read our ‘Fair pensions for all’ booklet
There is an alternative - economic arguments against the cuts
It’s time to take sides - join PCS
Follow PCS on Twitter, Facebook and Unionbook