Union Scaremongering

Dave Prentiss shows what the union bosses are.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15583952

If you listen to his statement he say that members have to work 11 years longer for their pension.
When did the retirement age go to 76?

He says that no offer has been made to any local government worker, nurse, health worker, any of our members, of course there has'nt, the offer made by the Government is made to the unions not indivuals.
This is the type of scare mongering tactics used by unions to brainwash their memebers , I know I have done it in the past when I was a Naive union Convenor /Officer.

Unions are the scurge on society in my opinion and should be bannished from the country.

Re: Union Scaremongering

Sieg Heil!!! - Hitler, Mussolini and Togo did that too and look what became of them!!! Try that here and you really will start a civil war!!!

Re: Union Scaremongering

He is correct AB - health professionals in the Mental Health Sector were considered in the "special classes" for retirement age - which was 55 - that would make 11 years extra. I am sure those who know what it means to spend a long career working in this sector would agree that retirement at 55 is well earned and deserved.

Re: Union Scaremongering

After a career of back breaking work...laying slabs,bricklaying,labouring etc...there are millions would well deserve early retirement at 55.I don't see why certain professions deserve special treatment and not others.They have a taxing job yes...but so do many others.I wouldn't fancy climbing icy scaffolding ladders in my sixties.

Re: Union Scaremongering

Aerolor, they can still retire at 55 if they so want to but as before they wont be able to collect their Government pension until the legal retirement age so you dont have to work an extra 11 years.


A lot of firms have the 55 year retirement age plan where you can retire and collect your works pension but you can not get the Government pension

Re: Union Scaremongering

The revisions to the NHS pension scheme will
mean that there will be no special classes and the age at when an NHS pension can be taken will be 65 for everyone. New members to the scheme won't be able to take a pension at 55 or 60 as previously.
Existing members are also being encouraged to swap over to the new pension scheme (i.e. 65 years before the pension can be taken) and it is very difficult to work out whether this will be advantageous or not because it is complicated and everyone has to make their own decision based on a guestimate of what they think the future will be.

I am aware that anyone can finish their working life at whatever age they want, but the occupational pension for NHS employees will not be able to be taken before 65 for all new members to the scheme.

I think that this was what Prentice was referring to.

Of course, I know that nobody can draw their Government old age pension before they reach the qualifying age.

I don't pretend to understand the complexities of the new NHS scheme as I am out of it now because I am retired and drawing my pension.

Edited to add:
I just want to add that I did not finish at 55 (many people don't). I reluctantly finished my official working life in the NHS at 64.

Re: Union Scaremongering

Under the new NHS pension scheme all NHS workers will draw their occupational pension at 65, (not 55 or 60) so no special classes.
I understand what you say about back breaking work poohdog; many jobs are physically difficult, but I honestly believe there are significant factors which should be acknowledged for some jobs in the NHS, differences and stressors which are not likely to be experienced doing other jobs like you mention, but I would rather not go further into this subject on an open forum.

Re: Union Scaremongering

Aerolor, anyone can opt out of any company pension schemme provided that they have a private pension scheme, the same goes for theNHS so no-one has to work 11 years longer to get a pension.

Prentiss is using bad examples as scaremongering tactics.

Re: Union Scaremongering

That is true AB the word is "provided", but I am not talking about people having 2 or 3 or 4 different pension schemes from different company schemes. I am thinking of the 1 NHS pension scheme which is usually the one NHS staff have (as well as the o.a.p of course). I also don't think scheme members are likely to be persuaded by scaremongering tactics. From when I was at work I believe the opinion of people in the NHS is that UNISON is woolley and doesn't shout loud enough for its members. The majority of nursing staff belong to the RCN anyway.

Edited:
Yes staff may be able to opt out of the NHS scheme, but it does not alter the fact that it will be suspended and they will not be able to draw the pension at 55 even if they leave the NHS to work somewhere else - they will have to wait until they are 65 under the new scheme, so that is an extra 10 years at least until they can draw the NHS pension, which means that if it is the only scheme paid into they cannot retire at 55 to live off an occupational pension.

Re: Union Scaremongering

Arerolor, by law everyone is allowed to transfer their pension to another one so when they are forced to retire at 55(although that is being removed) they will be offered a 'suspended pension' but they have the choice to transfer it to another one if they so wish.
If they do not have one then they can take a pension out and then transfer their old company pension into it.