Roger Bannister, Unison retired member
Unison’s Retired Members Conference was held in Llandudno on 8 and 9 October. Over two days, delegates demonstrated their anger at the way pensioners are being treated, and their determination to do something about it.
The conference came just a day after an impressive lobby of parliament by the National Pensioners Convention, Unite the Union, plus other organisations and trade unions, again evidencing the growing anger of older people.
Matters discussed at the conference included compensation for the Waspi Women (Women Against State Pension Inequality – 1950s women hit hardest by the change in women’s pension age), pensioner poverty, ending the difference in the state pension between the old and new levels, privatisation of the care sector, and even the shortage of – and high charges for – public conveniences.
Understandably, the decision of the Labour government to means test the winter fuel allowance led to a good debate, with a great deal of anger demonstrated. Socialist Party members Gary Freeman and myself raised the need to nationalise the banks and to restore public ownership to privatised services in different debates.
It is clear that older people are becoming increasingly militant, and not prepared to lie back and be trampled on by governments of any political persuasion.
