We all know that in this society, big business comes first. Small
businesses can fall by the wayside, but big business in trouble, they’ll see
how they can get their grubby hands on taxpayers money, one way or
another, to bail them out. It is usually a government subsidy, (taxpayers subsidy), or a
tax break, some way in which we, the tax payers, can help keep the
corporate beast alive. Now though they are sinking to an even lower
level of duplicitous greed and depravity. It’s your pensions they
are after. The government is considering giving Tata Steel the green
light to cut people’s pensions, to save the shareholders money. Of
course all the other big businesses will realise that this is a
one-of arrangement, my arse. They will squeal “unfair”, they will claim that they need
the same rules to make it a level playing field, and bob’s your
uncle, open season on your pensions. Capitalism is ruthless,
depraved, exploitative and favours the few, but they need our money
to continue to screw us. It’s a crazy world, and we allow it to go
on, when we could bring the whole thing crashing down. Workers of the world, take a months holiday, all at the same time.
This from 38 Degrees:
The government’s trying to rush through new laws that could let big businesses put millions of our pensions at risk. [1] We've got 48 hours to stop them. In the rush to save a failing company, Tata Steel, the government’s planning to give them the power to cut staff pensions. Experts are warning it could open the floodgates for other companies to follow suit. It could put millions of pensions at risk. [2]Pensions are the safety net that let us sleep easy knowing that we’ve prepared for later life. Most of us spend years paying into them, but this new law could give big business bosses the power to go back on their promises and empty the pot.
But 38 Degrees members could stop them. The government’s consulting on their plans right now - but they’d probably prefer to keep them quiet. [3] If thousands of us sign a huge petition today, then deliver it on Wednesday we can force the plan out of the shadows.
We’ve not got much time. The consultation closes in 48 hours so we’ve got to act fast. [4]
So please can you add your name right now?
The government prides themselves on being good to pensioners. They know it’s a vote-winner. The last thing they want is a huge to-do over pensions that could anger a huge number of people they need on side. If tens of thousands of us sign a huge petition to stop the government rushing through these dangerous laws, it could make them back down to avoid the embarrassment.
Please can you sign the
petition now?
Thanks for being involved,
Lorna, Rachel, Maddy and the 38 Degrees team
NOTES:
[1] The Guardian: Tata Steel: warning that pensions restructure could set risky precedent: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/26/tata-steel-warning-that-pensions-restructure-could-set-risky-precedent
The Telegraph: Warning that Tata steel pension plan sets dangerous precedent: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/05/26/government-consults-on-legal-change-to-pension-rules-to-speed-ta/
[2] The BBC: Tata steel pension changes 'unique' to firm: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36388178
[3] The consultation can be found below. It closes on 23rd June at 11:45pm.
Government.uk: British steel pension scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/british-steel-pension-scheme
[4] See note 3.
