Water workers face pensioner poverty

Today (Tuesday October 20) Northumbrian Water group workers start industrial action over the prospect of losing their pensions.

Water supplies in the north east of England face possible disruption with call-outs for leaks delayed.

Workers potentially face losing thousands of pounds a year in retirement income while owner Hong Kong magnate Li Ka-shing is ranked as the 17^th richest person and worth an estimated $25.4bn.

“When Li Ka-shing took over Northumbrian water in 2011, there was a pledge that all existing commitments would be honoured,” said Pat McCourt unite regional officer.

“Sadly, this promise has been broken as the company now wants to introduce a ‘career average scheme’ from January 1 which means our members face pensioner poverty,” he added.

A continuous work-to-rule, call out ban and ban on overtime starts across all the company’s sites involving around 100 members from Unite and the GMB union today.

“In the last two financial years, the company has paid out a total of £400m to shareholders, so the management could well afford to maintain the final salary pension scheme,” said Pat.

This will be followed up by a 24-hour strike starting at 08.00 on Monday (October 26) involving around 44 unite members at the Tees dock road site.

“The main reason the company gave for discarding the final salary scheme was the lame one that all the other water companies were doing it,” added Pat.

Pat branded the excuse ‘pathetic’ given that the company is highly profitable and owned by one of the world’s richest men.

“The proposal to get rid of the final salary scheme should be shelved, otherwise a winter of industrial action is very much on the cards,” said Pat.

The workers had voted by 61 per cent in favour of strike action and by 80 per cent for industrial action short of a strike.