What Happens When The Government Trash Public Sector Pensions?

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

A story about morale in the recently merged Scottish Police Force was sensationally broken by the SCOTSMAN newspaper on its front page with the alarming claim that ‘One on three police officers to quit in three years’. The story (derived from a Scottish Police Authority survey) was echoed in other areas of the Scottish media including the BBC with the emphasis (here quoted from the TIMES) that:

“The most common factors cited by those who want to quit the force were not feeling valued, a lack of resources, a lack of genuine commitment to wellbeing, health and safety, the pressures of their job and the difficulty of achieving a work/life balance.”

The Scotsman story subsequently disappeared quickly from its web pages – a sure sign something was awry.

Following earlier well publicised attacks on the POLICE SCOTLAND it once again seemed at first glance as if the SNPs decision to create a single force in Scotland had been a major blunder. This was the impression the media wanted to convey but the truth conveys a much starker message and its one that can be transposed more widely to public sector workers throughout these Island.

Analysis of the survey on which the news reports were based indicated whilst several factors could be aggregated to get that ‘one in three’ figure in fact the major factor impacting morale in Police Scotland was CHANGES IN PENSIONS imposed by the Westminster Government.

It turns out that 49% of police officers want out quickly because of ‘changes to pensions’ and as we now the draconian changes to pensions don’t just apply to the Police force in Scotland they are being forced through on all categories of public sector workers in the United Kingdom. Those UK changes are being mirrored in the Isle of Man as well.

The POLICE SCOTLAND survey is a wake up call to those who trumpet draconian cutbacks in pension provision. Further down the road shortages of police officers, doctors, nurses, teachers and indeed all manner of essential public sector workers will be the logical outcome of the populist attack on public sector pensions.

BERNARD MOFFATT

Issued by: The Celtic News

04/10/15

THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE.

The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues

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