LGBT equality fight continues

Unite delegate Maggie Ryan moved a motion today (September 16) at the TUC on discrimination in survivor pensions – a motion that was prioritised at this year’s national LGBT conference.

 
“Throughout this year, LGBT equality has rightly been at the forefront of our movement, with lesbians and gays supporting the miners leading our section of the Pride march in London and central to the Durham Miners Gala,” Ryan said.

 
She highlighted the introduction of equal marriage rights as “one of the greatest victories in recent years” which ended a “long injustice and fundamental inequality”.

 
“But that doesn’t mean that all discrimination has ended,” Ryan noted. “And inequality in survivor pensions remains.”

 
“Why should our pension contributions towards a survivor pension be calculated from December 2005?” she asked.

 
“Where does the Treasury get the idea that the equalisation of pensions in line with other survivors is unaffordable?”

 
“We’ve earned it, we’ve paid into it and we want it back,” Ryan asserted.

 
She pointed to the fact that major private sector employers agree and have already equalised – including BA, BAE systems, Barclays and Jaguar Land Rover.

 
“For years the LGBT community has battled for what is right and the struggle goes on,” Ryan went on to say.

 
“The pink pound is good enough to be taxed when earned and spent. So why isn’t it good enough to give back to loved ones?”

 
And, Ryan added, it’s not only same sex couples who are affected.

 
“In public service schemes it is common for widower’s pensions only to be calculated by reference to contributions made by women after 1988,” she explained.

 
“We pay in equally and then get treated unequally,” Ryan added.

 
“Last year, the coalition government was forced to look at survivor benefits in occupational pension schemes.

 
“But the report was about measuring discrimination, not about how to end it.

 
“[There was] no attempt to give any costings for remedying the problem for those of us affected – active members versus deferred members and those already in retirement.

 
“Not even beginning to look at the different aspects of benefit, such as future payments versus backdating,” she said.

 
Ryan called on Congress to campaign to end this discrimination now.

 
“This is where we can all make a difference,” she said.

 
“When a partner, wife or husband dies, the additional stress and discrimination lesbian and gay couples face is an outrage.”

 
Calling for support of the motion, Ryan concluded:

 
“Let’s ensure all pension schemes are equalised and end pensions discrimination entirely.”

Find out more about discrimination in survivor pensions here.