THE 0, C 1920s protest sets the shape of things to come The question of pensions is one that has often turned people off. When pensions are discussed, they often doze off - or day-dream about almost any other topic.
Retirement may seem a long way away to many workers and the size of their next pay packet or the speed of work required of them in the here and now seems much more immediate.
The figures are too complex.
There have been some counterweights to that tendency.
At home it's clear that both government and employers are using a squeeze on pensions to shift the balance of forces against workers. When people hear that Rentokil (which doesn't recognise any trade unions) has closed its final salary pension scheme they know this is yet another example of bosses protecting their profits.
In the public sector many activists have reported that others who have not traditionally been militant are begining to understand the importance of this attack.
In many European countries over the last decade or so there have been an increasing number of struggles against attacks on pensions.
In mobilising in the workplace, whether in support of the ballot in local government or other action that will be needed to defend our rights, we need to explain whats going on.
Like other parts of the "social wage" such as paid holidays, we have paid for our pensions through our labour. This isn't just true of direct contributions to an employers pension scheme. Its also true of the state pension - paid for out of our taxes rather than being a handout from the generous and faceless state. also our money. If we work in the private sector then we directly make profit for the bosses - and then claw back a tiny percentage through these contributions. If we work in the public sector then the money that funds the service comes from taxes anyway - paid overwhelmingly by working people rather than by big business.
Pensions are not a distant issue - they are about our right, and the right of all working people to a decent living income, while we are at work - and after we finish working. MUST BE BIGGER ..AND THIS ONE'S FROM! GORDON BROWN WISHING YOU MANY MORE HAPPY YEARS AT WORK
HAP RETIREMEN But the employers contribution to work pension scheme is IT'S A DISGR ACE GMB NO TO 3%
per hour 6%