Teachers shun Government’s final offer on pensions dashing hopes of end to bitter dispute

January 6th, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
David Richards

Last updated at 5:00 PM on 6th January 2012

Teachers’ leaders today refused to sign up to the Government’s final offer on pensions, dealing another blow to hopes that the bitter dispute could soon be resolved.

The NASUWT claimed that the Department for Education’s process of trying to reach a deal had been ‘completely unsatisfactory’.

The move follows yesterday’s decision by Unite’s health executive to reject the proposed deal for health workers, and a decision by the British Medical Association to survey around 130,000 doctors and medical students on the Government’s final offer, raising the prospect of their first industrial action ballot for more than 30 years.

Unions say their members will end up paying more, working longer and getting a smaller pension when they retire.

Public sector workers take part in a march through central Bristol in June last year.

Public sector workers take part in a march through central Bristol in June last year. Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers, including teachers and civil servants, staged a mass strike across the UK in protest at the governments planned cuts to pensions.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: 'Put bluntly, the NASUWT national executive has recognised that the process the DfE used to seek to reach agreement by its imposed deadline of December 20 was a debacle.'

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: ‘Put bluntly, the NASUWT national executive has recognised that the process the DfE used to seek to reach agreement by its imposed deadline of December 20 was a debacle.’

‘Valuable time was wasted by the DfE. It failed to provide the necessary information on which meaningful discussions could take place, chopped and changed its mind on the issues which were up for discussion, and presented some potential changes which did not have Treasury approval.’

Ms Keates claimed teaching unions were ‘pressurised and threatened’ to sign up to a document last month when a final draft was not available.

‘Even when a document was produced as the final meeting was breaking up, overnight the wording was changed unilaterally by the DfE.

‘In these circumstances, it would have been completely irresponsible for the NASUWT to have signed up to the heads of agreement.

‘These are critical issues which have profound implications for teachers, for the profession and for the education service.

‘The Secretary of State promised that he would ensure that the interests of teachers were protected and that he would devote all the time and resources necessary to ensure that every effort was made to reach an agreement.

‘I will therefore be writing to the Secretary of State today requesting that he meets as a matter of urgency with the NASUWT and the other unions which have reserved their position on signing the heads of agreement to discuss fully these concerns.’

Members of the NASUWT took part in a huge strike last November involving up to two million public sector workers, ranging from teachers and social workers, to headmasters and lollipop ladies.

Unite’s health sector national committee unanimously rejected the proposed deal as a basis for a satisfactory outcome to the long-running row.

General secretary Len McCluskey said the committee had turned down the Government’s ‘pernicious attempts’ to make hard-working NHS staff pay more, work longer and get less when they retire.

The BMA said it will seek the views of its members on whether the proposed deal is acceptable, and if not, what action they would be prepared to take. The BMA said a formal ballot on industrial action could follow.

A Health Department spokesman said Unite’s decision was “disappointing”, adding: “The proposed new NHS pension scheme is a good deal – it is fair to the NHS workforce, it is fair to the taxpayer and makes public service pensions affordable and sustainable.

‘The improved offer on public service pensions protects all those within 10 years of their pension age from any further change. It means the nurses and doctors who dedicate their life to treating us will continue to receive the best quality pensions available in this country.’

A series of union executive meetings will be held next week when officials will decide whether to accept or reject the Government’s offer, or put it out to a ballot of workers.

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I have no current axe to grind as I am retired. I know the Private Sector preachers on here will be caustic as usual. It does however seem to me that Public Sector workers should think about all this as the offers may be removed with vastly inferior stuff coming along later. I believe the lefty influence is stalling things, not good for the ordinary members.

– taff, wales, 06/1/2012 17:31

So have the MPs changed their pension scheme yet, or ar they hoping that there will be money left over to keep their’s the same? A short while after coming into power the Goverment found an extra £5000 per MP for the claim forms. This is over £16,250,000 at a time when minister say there is no money.

– Guy, London, 06/1/2012 17:23

A TOTAL of £46 billion more has been paid into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme than has been paid out since its introduction in 1923. Long term costs of the TPS are declining despite Government claims the current imbalance between contributions and payments makes teachers’ pensions unsustainable.
Funding public sector pensions is a complex area. It’s a long term issue, policies shouldn’t be driven by short-term considerations.

– Arthur Heard, London UK, 06/1/2012 17:15

You people need to wake up and smell the coffee – there is no money for you. There is no money for any of us. You need to get back to work like the rest of us mugs have to.

– LF, London, 06/1/2012 16:40

Dont argue with these people just do it and to hell with them, lots of them are not up to the job anyway.

– will, gillingham, 06/1/2012 16:29

ah didums, you mean that teachers can’t retire at 50 any longer and have pay for their pension and do a full life work like the rest of us to get their pension; whatever next, oh yes nearly forgot a job for life and a pension linked to inflation. What a terrible deal.

– rob, tring, 06/1/2012 16:29

Put them all in detention ! Those that can WORK those that can’t …………

– rob, tring, 06/1/2012 16:21

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