Dorset union workers protest against changes to pensions

Picket lines were drawn across the county including at the Weymouth Job Centre, the Land Registry in Weymouth and at the Defence Support Group (DSG) workshop at Bovington.

And a protest meeting was held at HMP The Verne about the rise in retirement age.

In London, 35,000 police officers marched through the streets to highlight their concerns about government cuts of 20 per cent to policing.

Off-duty officers including around 200 from Dorset marched through the streets of the capital past Number 10 Downing Street, down Whitehall, through Trafalgar Square to the National Police Memorial in The Mall where officers laid wreaths to remember fallen colleagues.

The Police Federation of England and Wales organised the demonstration to highlight concerns about the consequences of the policing cuts.

Chairman of Dorset Police Federation Clive Chamberlain said the turnout was ‘unbelievable’.

He said: “I’m delighted with the turn-out and feel sorry that we had to do it.

“I hope it has highlighted issues to the government and to communities and we hope it makes a difference, although I’m not optimistic it will.”

He added: “But I think we have done the best to show our concern. We have done something positive, we hope.”

Union workers from Unite the Union, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), as well as those at DSG, united in a show of solidarity against government changes to pensions.

Unions oppose the government’s pension plans that could see workers paying greater contributions, working until they are 68 and receiving smaller pensions.

At Bovington, dozens of DSG union workers were out with red flags and picket line placards.

Nick Chaffey, organiser of the strike, said that he was really pleased with the turn-out.

He said: “It reached 60 people and it’s not just the people here, it’s the people that have taken a day’s leave to show solidarity.”

DSG worker Rod Thompson, who has worked for the company for 17 years, said: “We took a job here, it was less money but we had that pension and the whole security of the job. They have now pulled the rug from under us.”

Phil Bristow has worked for DSG since 1991. He said: “I feel angry, furious, frustrated. A range of emotions really.”

At the Weymouth Job Centre picket line branch chair for PCS Department of Work and Pensions Dorset branch, Tim Nicholls was pleased to see decent numbers striking.

He said: “We are furious. It’s shocking and people don’t realise what a blatant theft it is.”

LAND REGISTRY STAFF MAN PICKET LINE

LAND Registry union staff manned a picket line and waved placards.

Andy Woodgate, the PCS branch chair for Weymouth Land Registry said they had an excellent turnout.

He said: “There are nearly 200 members working here and judging by the number that are in, I would say 90 per cent of members are out, which is excellent.”

He added: “Members are angry. There’s no need to attack us. There are plenty of other sectors, for example collecting unpaid tax.”

He said that the average civil servant pension was nothing like what the government was saying.

His message to the Prime Minister was: “Why us, why public sector workers? Why ordinary working people?”

PRISON STAFF PROTEST

PRISON officers held a short protest meeting against government plans to extend the working age to 68.

Although Prison Officers Association union workers at The Verne Prison on Portland did not take industrial action, members held a meeting in the prison conservatory to protest against the retirement age increase.

POA branch chair Tim Roberts said that all officers had ensured that the prison was safe and secure and that all prisoners had breakfast before officers held the meeting.

He said that under new plans officers would have to work until they were 68.

He said: “The government said they would make an exception for services like the police and fire brigade.

“Because of the nature of the job we do we hoped the government would give operational staff that exception.”

PUBLIC SECTOR PENSIONS UNSUSTAINABLE

Taxpayers’ campaigners claimed that unions must accept that the present system is unsustainable.

The average household will pay a total of £45,000 in tax towards the cost of providing public sector pensions over their lifetime while many struggle to contribute to their own pensions.

Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It is astonishing that taxpayers are facing the disruption of yet another strike over pensions.

“It’s particularly frustrating because even after Hutton’s proposals, staff in the public sector will still get a far more generous deal than the millions of taxpayers who pick up the tab.

“Public sector pensions in their current form are unsustainable and the unions need to be more realistic, otherwise our children and grandchildren will be paying off our bills for decades to come.”