Pensions protests: lessons from around the world

Guest post by Jessica Radford, used to be campaigns and policy intern

Thousands have taken to the streets in protest at public sector pension changes. Demonstrations are taking place across the UK, including Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Exeter, York, Gateshead, Aberdeen and London. WDM joined the march in London alongside the Jubilee Debt Campaign and we were happy to see our supporters and allies in the crowd. People of all ages were present, ranging from primary, secondary and college students to podiatrists and midwives and, of course, teachers.

Cameron has described the walkouts as a ‘damp squib’ but with 300 000 public sector workers in Scotland on strike, 170 000 workers in Wales and an estimated 2 million altogether across the UK this shows the voice of the people coming out against the government and its policies which cannot be ignored. It shows that an economy that works to profit the elite minority can no longer be sustained. The economic crisis is being used as an excuse to put even more power in the hands of big corporations, forgetting about the hard workers in the public sector. Those who have already suffered because of the crisis are the ones who are now forced to pick up the bill through their pensions; people forced to work for longer and for lower pay.

It is important to look at lessons from the past to address the issues in the present. In the 1980s and 1990s, the UK government and other rich western institutions offered aid money to poor countries with the requirement that they cut spending on public services which paved the way for increased access for private companies. The results were not the success intended. Zambia, for example, saw its economy shrink by 40% from 1970-1995 as local communities lost control of their own resources whilst big businesses benefitted from fewer regulations. In this way, the poorest members of society were hit the hardest. The government must remember that economic policies must benefit the poorest in our country and should strive to end inequality.

The strikers today should take encouragement from examples around the world where there have been successful movements and resistance to neo liberal economic policies. For example, in 2000 people in Cochabamba, Bolivia faced their water rates rising by 50%. This followed a policy of transferring water management out of government control and into private hands; a policy advocated by rich western countries. After many weeks of protest, named the ‘water wars’, the public sector regained control of its water supply and access to water in poor areas improved. This shows that protests and demonstrations can work in favour of the public sector and people must not be put off joining them.