Thousands of public sector workers are on strike today over the Government's pension reforms. Those reforms are vital so that taxpayers don't foot an unfair share of the bill for the over a trillion pound unfunded public sector pension liability. The TPA has long called for reform to make the system fairer and more sustainable.
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, appeared on BBC News this morning to discuss the strikes:
He added:
“Unions shouldn’t be disrupting services and forcing schools to close in a vain attempt to stop long overdue changes to their pensions. With an ageing population and huge pressure on the public finances, there needs to be reform so taxpayers aren’t paying a fortune to support pensions far more generous than they enjoy themselves. The Government’s proposals are moderate steps towards making the arrangements a little fairer and more affordable. Striking in response to them is disproportionate and will ultimately prove futile as these arrangements are too expensive to last. The unions should negotiate with the Government, avoid a strike if at all possible, and be realistic about the pressures faced by the families paying for their pensions.”