68 is too late
A campaign launched by three unions to fight government plans to increase the state pension age is gaining momentum.
Eleven more unions at national level have given their support, as have the National Shop Stewards Network, the National Pensioners Convention, local union branches, trades councils and local Labour Parties. The 68 is too late campaign was launched by the PCS civil service union, Unite general union and the NUT teachers’ union in May to fight government plans to increase the state pension age to 68, which would be the highest state pension age in Europe.
However, the campaign believes that coalition plans to increase the age to 68 is only the start, as the formula announced in the Queen’s Speech means babies born in 2012 will have to work until they are 80.
The campaign also seeks to highlight the damaging effect of making people work into ever older age: it refers to a report by the Office for National Statistics published in June which found that a 16-year-old male in the north east of England could expect 45 years of healthy working — taking him to just 61 years of age.