RPI to CPI Early Day Motion 1032

Haybob

I have written several time of my dismay that no co-ordinated action of the mass of affected pension members has not arisen. I am aware that some unions and pension trustees have written to their members advising them of these detrimental changes but this is the minority. Only last week I tried gaining NHS staff to sign the petition only to be met with disbelief and a total lack of understanding. One Sister was retiring early so in her mind she would be safe from the proposed changes! These are educated people that have NO appreciation of what is going on. No wonder this Government can apply this steal by stealth when so many are just not aware of the degrading of their hard worked for pensions. It is time for the Unions etc. to unite against this injustice, but alas my letters and phone calls to them seem to only get a lack lustre responce. When will they all wake up?

Goldwing1

The next step has to be to attend the MP's lobby and rally in London on 1st March. This has to be done step by step.

I'll be there.

Ripoff_2

viridens wrote: »

It Seems that my spiffing plan for a Number10 petition is on hold for at least for the moment -see (short-lived?) new thread for details.

In the meantime, I note that there are other petitions out there, but like much else that is going on (including support for EDM 1032) there is a lack of coordination.

I have just now received a reply to a further query to my union asking why they had still not mentioned or publicised EDM 1032:

Please accept my apologies for the late reply, but I have been very busy and I was not in the office on Friday 18 February.

The outcome of the vote to approve the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2011 and the draft Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2011 last week was was approved by 247 votes to 19. The pensions increase order was agreed to without a vote. Despite this happening, the Lobby on 1 March will still go ahead – MPs will still have the opportunity to ‘pray against’ the Order by signing an Early Day Motion (EDM). The details of the EDM will be available on the Lobby day for lobbyists to ask their MPs to sign the EDM.

T H E - P E N S I O N S - I N C R E A S E - O R D E R - W A S - A G R E E D - T O - W I T H O U T - A - V O T E !

Ain't democracy great?

-And I note the jolly "Despite this happening, the Lobby on 1 March will still go ahead" Is the implication that this is only because it is now maybe just too late to call it off?

The Rally and Lobby goes ahead because it was recognised that the uprating for this year was problomatic but that doesn't mean next years can not be influenced.

The fight is now on for next year and the battle has only just begun. The attendance at the Rally and Lobby is the first step on that road, it is so important to get the meassage across to the MP's. We need to take the fight to them and show them we are serious about this robbery plus to show them that this will not go away and we are not just accepting this blindly.

Ripoff_2

Haybob wrote: »

I have written several time of my dismay that no co-ordinated action of the mass of affected pension members has not arisen. I am aware that some unions and pension trustees have written to their members advising them of these detrimental changes but this is the minority. Only last week I tried gaining NHS staff to sign the petition only to be met with disbelief and a total lack of understanding. One Sister was retiring early so in her mind she would be safe from the proposed changes! These are educated people that have NO appreciation of what is going on. No wonder this Government can apply this steal by stealth when so many are just not aware of the degrading of their hard worked for pensions. It is time for the Unions etc. to unite against this injustice, but alas my letters and phone calls to them seem to only get a lack lustre responce. When will they all wake up?

The main problem is getting the message out there, people are really unaware of the consequences and people in employment are also unaware that this change will also affect them.

We and as many people like us, need to use whatever means we can to publish this change and it's effects on people's lives.

Maybe, write to your local paper, write to the national papers, make it personal to you, how it effects you. Keep writing to your MP, tell your friends and family, mention the change when ever you can with how it effects you and them.

Show others how it effects them. Use the information in this forum to re-inforce your point. It's all here, it's up to us to make sure we get the message across.

It's a battle, and no battle is easy but with effort and determination WE can win. Take Egypt, for example, look what people power can achieve, we can do the same and get this WRONG, put RIGHT.

hopping_mad

New to this Forum / thread - but very interested to see this wrong put right!
Read today that FORD car workers are threatening to strike over this issue of RPI -> CPI.
Clearly, whilst difficult to achieve (and appreciative of so much effort to date - in particular through the good services of RIpoff) my concern, as voiced by many others, is that an overall strategy to coordinate across the many sectors is likely to be the only way to finally win the day. 'Single' voices in the wilderness are unlikely to be heard - but we must keep shouting.

Interested_Taxpayer

hopping_mad wrote: »

New to this Forum / thread - but very interested to see this wrong put right!
Read today that FORD car workers are threatening to strike over this issue of RPI -> CPI.
Clearly, whilst difficult to achieve (and appreciative of so much effort to date - in particular through the good services of RIpoff) my concern, as voiced by many others, is that an overall strategy to coordinate across the many sectors is likely to be the only way to finally win the day. 'Single' voices in the wilderness are unlikely to be heard - but we must keep shouting.

Welcome to the fight hopping_mad. Spread the word about puting this wrong right.
The battle has just begun!

Thicko2

Well done Unite and the workers at Ford. My full support.

Wont do much good for Gideon and Dave's GDP figures i imagine.

Interested_Taxpayer

Interested_Taxpayer wrote: »

Welcome to the fight hopping_mad. Spread the word about puting this wrong right.
The battle has just begun!

Note for the diary.

IDS is on the BBC Question Time panel next Thursday from Derby. Hope some of our posters are in the audience and that the Pensioner Organisations are represented.

teacher_retired

Many posts are reflecting on the lack of coordinated union action. (see also Frank Fields website).
However I do know many unions are seeking legal advice. Have any of you specific literature personal to you which links your pension to rpi - mentioning it specifically. If so your union would I am sure like a copy - refer to head office of your union re appropriate address etc. As others have said get the word around your friends and colleagues. See if you can rejoin your union as a retired member if you are not already a member. March 26th is a key date for the start of joint union action.
Don't let it get you down I know that many in work are preparing for massive industrial action - even those who traditionally would never contemplate such moves.
However the government aren't prepared to discuss the issue and are agitating for the ultimate removal of the public sector.
So it's going to be a long hard road.
All we who are retired folk can do is carry on the debate and push EDM 1032.
But i repeat the start of joint union action is March 26th 2011. Let's wait until March 27th to consider how cohesive the union response is. Don't give up!

viridens

Dear teacher retired et al

Although RPI is specifically mentioned in the terms & conditions of many schemes including my own (see * below), I have yet to hear of legal opinion refuting the change to CPI. I'm not sure why. Certainly all increases to date have been RPI based (acquired rights, past performance?).

As to unions, This proposal was annouced in the budget last June and the actual pensions increase order was agreed without a vote in Parliament last week. Seven months have slipped away. Surely the best time to defuse a ticking bomb is before it explodes.

We will certainly all feel the concussion & fallout from April onwards.

I feel that unions could have attempted and potentially achieved much more in these 7 months, and we are now engaged in a battle to reverse agreed Government policy. However, I do remember the Poll Tax revolt, and the might of people power. I hope it prevails in this case too.

I have kept up membership of my last union, ATL (Association of Teachers & Lecturers). The first full article about this matter appeared in this month's magazine, and suggestions for action and template letters to MPs etc were only sent out a few weeks back. There has still been no mention of EDM 1032anywhere to members to date. Unfortunately, this seems typical of most unions. Still, nil deperandum...



* Here is a scan of standard retirement paperwork from Capita Hartshead (Teachers Pensions):

http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/08c7c6b5f67a844678d0703605b9654a0bc0f97cb81326e052d34617de5fe7376g.jpg

In case of problems, The appropriate section says "Your pension will be increased to take account of increases in the cost of living and is fully index-linked in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI) on the same basis as state pensions..."

I hope to see many of you, and many others, under Big Ben next Tues.