Letter: Pension fairness

Gordon McQuade of the Fire Brigade Union accuses Danny Alexander of "living in a fantasy world" about the introduction of changes to public sector pensions (Letters, 20 June). I suggest that it is he and his contemporaries such as Dave Prentis and Mark Serwotka who are deluded.

Any pension scheme which takes an average 6 per cent contribution from the employee but pays benefits that require a 30 per cent-plus contribution is unsustainable and wholly unfair on those who have to pay the difference from taxes on their own often meagre salaries and non-privileged pensions.

Unions will tell us that average pensions are only 5,000, ignoring that this is mainly a function of length of service and that it is multiples more than would be available in the private sector.

Alexander's measures should be seized rather than jumped all over by the unions. Even if Lord Hutton's proposals were implemented in full, public sector workers will remain in a very favoured position: they will still be in a salary-related scheme; the benefits will still be vastly better than virtually all private pension schemes and there will be no increase in contributions for the lowest paid. Taxpayers will continue to subsidise their scheme(s).

They will have to work longer, but increased life expectancy means they will receive their pensions for longer.

David K Allan

Mainshill

Haddington, East Lothian