Workers gave blood, sweat, and years
Mark Evans, Carmarthenshire County Unison, retired members’ branch secretary (personal capacity)
For the first ten years as Carmarthenshire Unison secretary, with 4,000 members, I cannot recall a case of a member being refused ill-health retirement, or being unhappy with getting a higher (worse) tier than they expected.
But three years ago, the pension doctor retired, and the council employed a company from Cardiff. Suddenly, a significant number of members were either refused ill-health retirement, or given a worse tier than they expected.
Refused
We raised this issue. But senior management refused to acknowledge it was happening.
Workers were being dismissed on ‘ill-health’, as they could not perform any job in the council. But when they applied for ill-health retirement, they were told they were not eligible!
Management said they would only let workers know if they would be getting ill-health retirement in exceptional circumstances. Some workers were getting PIP disability payment, not easy to get, but could not get ill-heath retirement!
Often the explanation from the company doctor was our union member was awaiting an operation, and this could improve their condition, so that they would be able to work. Never mind that there was a waiting list of several years for some operations, with no guarantee of success. Members were left unable to work, and without an income.
We feel squeeze
Making ill-health retirement harder to access is a consequence of cuts. The council tightens its belt, and we feel the squeeze.
The retired Unison branch and Unite the Union lobbied Dyfed Pensions Board, which includes Carmarthenshire, on 8 January. We will continue to demand the council makes acquiring ill-health retirement a fair process, and that the council stops passing on cuts.
The Plaid Cymru council, with its fingers crossed behind its back, is promoting ‘social partnership’. But it cannot even ensure staff that have given blood, sweat, and years to the local authority get the pension they have paid for and deserve.
