2 November 2011
Following the Chief Secretary to the Treasury's statement on public service pensions, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown urges the public sector to examine the offer very carefully before announcing strike action as it would merely serve to hurt millions in the private sector who pay their taxes in order to produce public sector pensions that they themselves can only dream of.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con): Does my right hon. Friend agree that the public sector should examine very carefully the generous revised terms that he has announced before considering strike action?
Such action would merely serve to hurt millions in the private sector who pay their taxes in order to produce public sector pensions that they themselves can only dream of.
Danny Alexander: I do indeed hope that the trade unions will examine the proposals carefully. I was encouraged when they said that they would at our meeting this morning. Of course trade unions need to take time to understand the impact of the changes, but I hope that on reflection they will accept that the new offer constitutes a generous enhancement from the Government, and a fair and reasonable basis on which to reach agreement in the scheme-by-scheme talks that will take place during the next couple of months.
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Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (The Cotswolds) (Con): Does my right hon. Friend agree that the public sector should examine very carefully the generous revised terms that he has announced before considering strike action?
Such action would merely serve to hurt millions in the private sector who pay their taxes in order to produce public sector pensions that they themselves can only dream of.
Danny Alexander: I do indeed hope that the trade unions will examine the proposals carefully. I was encouraged when they said that they would at our meeting this morning. Of course trade unions need to take time to understand the impact of the changes, but I hope that on reflection they will accept that the new offer constitutes a generous enhancement from the Government, and a fair and reasonable basis on which to reach agreement in the scheme-by-scheme talks that will take place during the next couple of months.
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