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Unions challenge Public Sector Pension plans in High Court

Six of the major trade unions plan to challenge the governments decision to raise public sector pensions in line with the consumer price index instead of the retail price index.

Today the BBC reports that the unions will begin a judicial review in the High Court against the decision, which they believe has been introduced with the aim of reducing the budget deficit.

The Treasury declined to comment on their findings that the move to CPI could eventually cut the value of public sector pensions schemes by 20%.

Dan Prentis, general secretary of Unison accused the government of making a “cynical multi-million pound raid on pensioners to pay down a deficit they did nothing to cause.”

Unison will be joined by Unite, the Fire Brigades Union, the Public and Commercial Services Union, the Prison Officers Association and the NASUWT teachers union.

Millions of current public sector staff would be affected by the changes, as CPI continues to rise at a lower rate than RPI.

George Osborne has already described CPI as a “more appropriate” measure of inflation.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .