Fewer than one person in 10 believes Government claims that public-sector pensions are “gold-plated”, according to an independent poll commissioned by union Unite.
Polling company Survation surveyed more than 1,000 adults ahead of next week’s strike by public-sector workers.
According to its findings those polled believed by a margin of three to one that unions were more likely to tell the truth about the affordability of pubic sector pensions.
Public sector pensions are falling as a share of gross domestic product, dropping from 2 per cent to 1.8 per cent b 2030 and 1.4 per cent by 2060, according to the Office of Budget Responsibility.
Only 8 per cent of those questioned said they would regard the average public sector pension of £6,000 a year as gold-plated. It found that almost nine out of 10 people said politicians and company bosses were not making enough sacrifices in the current difficult economic times but most believed nurses, teachers and refuse collectors were doing enough.
The union attacked what it called the “hypocrisy” of ministers leading the pension negotiations.
It said an average public sector worker would have to work three lifetimes to match Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude – currently leading the pension talks – has in his own publicly-funded pension pot, or two lifetimes to match that of Liberal Democrat Chief Treasury Secretary Danny Alexander.
Conversely, said Unite, the independently wealthy Chancellor George Osborne would have to work for just a year and a half for £5,600 per year in retirement – the average pension of employees who have worked in the public sector for decades. A local government worker would have to work 124 years to match what Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles could retire on
in 2015. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley’s pension is almost 10 times bigger than an average health worker.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: “Unite supports good pensions for all workers – including MPs. What we don’t support is a Cabinet of millionaires attacking the very modest pensions of the men and women who care for our sick, teach our children and keep our streets safe.”
“It’s another example of how out-of-touch the Government is. Ministers, who can retire on tens of thousands a year, are slashing the pensions of workers who stand to get a few thousand a year and then have the nerve to call them gold plated.
Mr McCluskey urged the Government to stop trying to turn people against their neighbours, friends and colleagues who work in the public sector and get back round the negotiating table to talk seriously.
Ministers pensions in 2015:?George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer: £32,977. Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister: £26,403. Vince Cable, Business Secretary: £39,551. Francis Maude, Cabinet Office Minister: £42,825. Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury: £26,403. Eric Pickles, Communities and Local Government Secretary £43,825. Andrew Lansley, Health Secretary: £39,825.
