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Make the case for the alternative

8 June 2010

In response to publication of the government's spending review framework document, PCS deputy general secretary Hugh Lanning said:

"Low-paid public sector workers will be horrified to learn that the government is again on the attack looking to cut their pensions.

"Excluding the very highest earners, the average civil service pension is just £4,200 a year and more than 100,000 people currently receive a pension of £2,000 a year or less - this is their reward for a lifetime of low pay as dedicated public servants.

"While we reject the notion that there are 'good' cuts and 'bad' ones when it comes to public services, it is a disgrace that the government is also looking to target the most vulnerable in our communities by cutting support to people receiving benefits.

"People on low incomes did not cause this economic crisis and should not be made to pay the price for it.

"We are more than a little sceptical about the extent to which trade unions will be included in this consultation.

"But if the government is committed to talking and listening, we will be happy to point out where tens of billions of pounds of extra revenue could come from by collecting the tax that's owed; happy to have a proper debate about the role the public sector plays in the economy; and happy to bust the myth that there is a 'frontline' and a 'back office' that can easily be separated."

 

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