LTB:PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS AND CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

[POSTMAN]

No. 127/11
Ref: GS: 13.0


To All Branches

Dear Colleagues

PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS AND CONSUMER PRICE INDEX
RETAIL PRICE INDEX (RPI) TO CONSUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI).

Branches will be aware of the TUC campaign against the payment of welfare benefits and public sector pension payments moving from the RPI measure to CPI measure.

It will be recalled that George Osborne, in his statement last year, announced that changes would be made to the mechanism used to determine increases in welfare payments and public sector pensions. This is scheduled to be introduced in April 2011.

This matter has been the subject of discussion for sometime on the TUC Executive and was again discussed at a meeting of the TUC Executive held on Tuesday 8th February.

As reported to the CWU National Executive Council, members of the TUC Executive met with David Cameron on Monday December 20th and the move from RPI to CPI was discussed. The General Secretary of the TUC, Brendan Barber, headed up those discussions. The General Secretary CWU raised the matter with the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

In the last few weeks a meeting has taken place between the TUC and the Government on the whole question of public sector pensions. The change in RPI to CPI is obviously of concern to trade unionists and the wider society.

A meeting to discuss this subject has been scheduled for today, Thursday February 10th. The CWU will be represented at this meeting. The briefing documents other than the “Private Confidential” legal advice is attached as an appendix to this circular.(The LTB with the appendix's are in the attachment below)

Any enquiries on this LTB should be addressed to the General Secretary’s office quoting the reference GS 13.0

Yours sincerely

W HAYES
General Secretary