Bristol Green Party - Letters - Workers' pensions must be honoured

Bristol Green Party

Workers' pensions must be honoured - Charlie Bolton, 21 December 2005

To: Western Daily Press

Dear Sir/Madam

Am I the only person to be appalled at the decision by Rentokil to close its final salary pension scheme to existing staff?

When did it become acceptable for employers to impose changes of working conditions on its work force? If someone accepts a job at a company, they sign a set of terms and conditions. If you join a company on the understanding that you will receive a set of benefits - in this case, a final salary pension, then surely the employer should honour it? When did it become ok for the employers to be able to rewrite terms and conditions to suit itself?

Surely, this means that the management of companies which behave like this are simply not to be trusted?

Back in the late 70's, the Tories got elected on an agenda of 'curbing union power'. Well, it is now obvious that the pendulum has swung too far the other way. Union power may not be what we need, but we certainly need considerably more influence by the workforce.

Yours

Charlie Bolton
Bristol Green Party