Fairness and Socialism
Yesterday's Sunday Times enjoyed a bit of fun at the expense of UK union leaders - who are presently calling for strikes over public sector pensions.
The newspaper highlighted the fact that the key players are all very highly paid - and benefit themselves from the 'final salary' schemes they are fighting to defend.
The suggestion is that the country's union bosses are living lives that are quite out of reach - to the ordinary union members they represent.
Judges for yourselves - here are the key figures published by the Sunday Times:
Dave Prentis - Unison
Total pay including benefits - £142,312
Union pension contribution - 26% of gross salary
Property - six bedroom home in London worth up to £1.3 million
Bob Crow - RMT
Total pay including benefits - £145,548
Union pension contribution - 31%
Property - rents three bedroom housing association home in London
Mark Serwotka - PCS
Total pay including benefits - £142,876
Union pension contribution - 30%
Property four bedroom home in Surrey worth up to £592,000
Christine Blower - NUT
Totaln pay including benefits - £140,167
Union pension contribution - 28%
Property - four bedroom in London worth up to £661,000
Now as Karl Marx once said - 'a labourer is worthy of his hire'.
But what I don't understand is why these union leaders don't support the proposed reform - from 'final salary' to 'career average' pension schemes.
Because as I've said many times - low paid workers subsidise higher paid workers under a final salary pension scheme.
To my mind that's not very fair - or very socialist.
The newspaper highlighted the fact that the key players are all very highly paid - and benefit themselves from the 'final salary' schemes they are fighting to defend.
The suggestion is that the country's union bosses are living lives that are quite out of reach - to the ordinary union members they represent.
Judges for yourselves - here are the key figures published by the Sunday Times:
Dave Prentis - Unison
Total pay including benefits - £142,312
Union pension contribution - 26% of gross salary
Property - six bedroom home in London worth up to £1.3 million
Bob Crow - RMT
Total pay including benefits - £145,548
Union pension contribution - 31%
Property - rents three bedroom housing association home in London
Mark Serwotka - PCS
Total pay including benefits - £142,876
Union pension contribution - 30%
Property four bedroom home in Surrey worth up to £592,000
Christine Blower - NUT
Totaln pay including benefits - £140,167
Union pension contribution - 28%
Property - four bedroom in London worth up to £661,000
Now as Karl Marx once said - 'a labourer is worthy of his hire'.
But what I don't understand is why these union leaders don't support the proposed reform - from 'final salary' to 'career average' pension schemes.
Because as I've said many times - low paid workers subsidise higher paid workers under a final salary pension scheme.
To my mind that's not very fair - or very socialist.
