Public sector strike: SNP defends ‘duty’ to cross picket line
John Swinney says the plan mirrors that of previous votes. Picture: Ian Georgeson
Finance Secretary John Swinney said today that it was his duty to cross a picket line and lead a Holyrood debate on public sector pensions.
Mr Swinney will be at the Scottish Parliament, despite calls from Labour and the Green Party for politicians to take to the streets with striking public sector employees.
The SNP administration refused to clear the parliamentary timetable and will debate what Mr Swinney called a UK Government “cash-grab” on pensions.
While Labour and the Greens will steer clear, Tory and Liberal Democrat MSPs are expected to take part in the debate.
Mr Swinney, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, said: “I don’t support the strike action - and I’ve already crossed a picket line to come into St Andrew’s House.
“I did that because it’s my duty as a minister in the Scottish Government to carry out my responsibilities on behalf of the people.
“I will go to Parliament later on today and I will lead a debate on public sector pensions.
“I think what the United Kingdom Government has done has been very damaging to the industrial climate of Scotland.
“We have a long-term debate about the sustainability of pensions, which I think is a fair and reasonable debate to have.
“Our prospects of resolving it satisfactorily have been contaminated by the short-term cash-grab of the Treasury to increase people’s contributions to their pensions.
“I think that has badly undermined the climate of trying to deliver long-term sustainability to pensions in this country.”
Hundreds of thousands of public sector workers in Scotland have walked out over proposed changes to their pensions.
The vast majority of schools are closed and transport, hospitals, courts and other public services are all affected.
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Thursday 23 February 2012
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There are 86 comments to this article
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anti u k
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 03:03 AMNicola Sturgeon WONDERFUL,..... Grahamski sows EAR......SNP SILK knickers.i think this is Grahamski having a full mental breakdown .........the LOSERS LOST ......the WINNERS WON....an absolute majority , more votes , lots more votes ....the labourites voted with the Tories MORE TIMES than they voted against ....amnesiac or what ?.... WINNERS .......alex salmond has a nice round gut and BIG eyebrows....portly or what ?
anti u k
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 03:01 AMwhat a bunch of dullards..... hysterical IDIOTS ... know what .? ... MAJORITY by SNP ... AleX Salmond has lovely spinning eyebrows...VOTE NO, Grahamski, MO MULLET.........the LOSERS LOST ......the WINNERS WON....an absolute majority , more votes , lots more votes ...the WINNERS WON ........the LOSERS LOST .....ALex RULES the WORLD ..... Mastermind ALEX ...... SHARP thinkER ALEX.........the LOSERS LOST ......the WINNERS WON....ALEX WON..... .....UNIONISTS all beyond help, ..Grahamski having a full mental breakdown now.... MO MULLET sitting by his UNIONIST taxpayers paid computer typing UNIONIST LOOSERS type.
Brit-free
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 01:18 AMwhat a dullard to ask such an easily answered question as if it was " Mastermind " ...it wont satisfy the dolt ......he thinks it was a "killer" question .......look .now its just talking to itself .......From the Shared Assets of the dissolved U K ......are you not bright enough to understand that the people who have paid the money IN ....will have an equal right with ALL other beneficiaries to draw the money OUT ....there will be a settlement based in law ....it will provide for the equitable division of ALL assets and ALL debts ....perhaps there will be adjustments mutually agreed ....thats for negotiation ....but what was paid in will be paid out .....sheesh ....
Vote 'NO'
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 01:18 AM80 Funny
Maurice the Dolphin
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:43 AM#81 - I'll ask the same question again - In a post Independent Scotland how will the pensions in Scotland be paid and from where will they be paid?
Brit-free
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:34 AMWho is going to what ?....pay Scotlands Pensions .?...we will pay it , out of the ASSETS that Scottish public sector workers have already paid into the U K pension pot .......what a dullard to ask such an easily answered question as if it was " Mastermind " ...it wont satisfy the dolt ......he thinks it was a "killer" question ...
Maurice the Dolphin
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:32 AM#79 - Every time I read a post from you the Benny Hill tune comes into my head, don't know why? Is there a wee guy comes round and smacks you on the head every now and again? Or now you have these special 'head picket duty' powers have you been promoted to running around hitting someone else on the head?
Brit-free
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:29 AMmabye VOTE NO is a pal of Tommys .?......VOTE NO says ....".not that splitter .....the Peoples ( provisional ) Front of Judea "
Maurice the Dolphin
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:28 AM#77 - Got the answer to the pension question I asked you yet? lol
Brit-free
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:23 AMEd Milliband is a SCAB ...i know for a fact he crossed at least TWO picket lines today .....mabye VOTE NO is a pal of Tommys .......in which case .....beyond help
Vote 'NO'
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:22 AMDraw a 20-mile radiys circle around the Amazon "Success for Scotland" (Salmond), and watch the High Streets of Kirkcady, Dnfemline and Glenrothes die as a consequence. What next? Be a SCAB rather than back Scotland's public sector workers?
Brit-free
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:20 AMThe SNP knew the opposition parties would use their numerical advantage to push through the tram project...........you left out the magic word "stupidly" ...between the words ...would .....and use .............and " disasterous " between the words ...the and tram project .....are you a schoolboy ? ...because this is too easy
Vote 'NO'
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:19 AMDo the SNP's MSP's plan to SCAB at the next day of action in March?
Maurice the Dolphin
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:18 AM#70 - Swinney's excuse for the A9 not being dualled as promised in their 2007 manifesto is that some of the tram cash could have gone to pay for it. That's the same Swinney who signed off £40m for Gaelic, £9m to Amazon in exchange for for low paid temporary jobs and countless milllions to the windfarm brigade.
Maurice the Dolphin
Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 12:16 AM#67 - "it makes it easy for us to rip the p1sh out of you as a kind of sport like shooting fish in a barrel"...................................Even with your new found ' head picket duty' talents it's highly likely that you couldn't even p1sh straight never mind shot fish in a barrel!
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