WHILE we empathise with his anger over the inadequacy of private sector pensions, we fear Keith Whitfield is falling for the old trick of divide and rule (Letters, 21 February).
The fact is, cutting public service workers' pensions won't add a penny to private sector entitlements. Far from it - experience shows private employers are likely to use public sector pension cuts as an excuse for making further cuts to their own schemes.
Rather than take part in this race to the bottom, we, in the trade unions, want to see fair pensions for all, with public sector schemes left intact and private sector schemes brought up to the same standard.
It's surely not unreasonable to expect the fourth richest economy in the world to provide decency and dignity in retirement for all its citizens.
Ben Drake,
York City UNISON,
Swinegate Court East,
York.
Updated: 10:33 Wednesday, February 23, 2005
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