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Setting the record straight on the compensation scheme

27 July 2010

If PCS had accepted the New Labour deal concerning the compensation scheme would the present Government have honoured those terms?

The answer is NO.

When judging this matter it is important to keep certain key dates in mind. On the 4 December 2009 the then (and wholly unlamented) Cabinet Office minister Tessa Jowell unilaterally announced changes to the compensation scheme; these came into being on 1 April 2010 (how apt).

The general election was announced on 6 April. Of course the vote took place on 6 May.

The Conservative Manifesto was launched on 13 April.

At page 67 of this Manifesto they said:

We will reform the Civil Service Compensation Scheme to bring it more into line with practice in the private sector.

Given that the imposed changes to the compensation scheme had come into effect on 1 April then obviously the Conservatives were referring to the New Labour proposals.

This Government is proposing the deepest cuts ever seen in the public sector; pensions, jobs, welfare benefits etc are under threat. Since coming to power the Coalition has been busy overturning New Labour polices; are we to believe that the one area they would not touch would be the New Labour policy on the compensation scheme?

The fact is that the Conservative side of the Government is determined to cut our redundancy/pension rights. Only the PCS Union is determined to defend those rights.


 

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