pensions
Articles about state and private pensions, pensioners and workers' struggles over retirement pensions.
France: More workers join strikes
Hundreds of thousands of health workers, civil servants, printers postal workers and air traffic controllers yesterday joined transport and energy strikes over pensions and pay.
Thousands joined street protests in Paris, Rouen, Strasbourg, Marseille, Grenoble, Lyon and other cities.
The 24 hour strike left many schools closed, hospitals providing a reduced service and newsagents without newspapers.
The BBC reported that the French capital's two airports and Marseille airport in the south suffered delays and cancellations.
France: Rail, gas and electricity workers prepare to strike
Workers have decided to build on last month's one-day strike and have called for strike action on Wednesday.
Although EDF (Électricité de France) and GDF (Gaz de France) workers have only given official notice of a one-day strike, during the last strikes wildcats and general assemblies meant that the strike largely held the following day.
Canada: metal-workers strike over pensions and pay
Workers at the mining company QIT Fer et Titane in Quebec hav been on strike for over a month, with no end in sight.
Workers are protesting against the two-tier pension system that the company, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, is trying to impose on new workers. Workers had already accepted a freeze on benefits to allow the company to make up pension shortfalls.
The workers are also demanding a salary increase and there are further non-financial demands.
UK: Union claims victory as Metronet strike ends
The RMT has claimed victory over jobs and pensions defence following a solid strike of Metronet engineers.
Strike action by more than 2,300 Metronet maintenance workers was suspended late last night after more than eight hours of talks between RMT, the failed company, its administrator and TfL yielded progress on the issues involved in the dispute.
Transport for London workers vote for strike action over pensions
RMT members covered by the Transport for London Pension Fund have voted by a massive 15-to-one margin for strike action to protect the pension rights of people forced to leave their jobs through ill-health.
The union is calling on the employers involved (list below) to guarantee that they will not bring forward or support proposed changes that would dramatically affect qualification for ill-health pensions.
Royal Mail: Secret pensions robbery plan
The Mirror today revealed a secret plan of mail bosses to slash pensions for tens of thousands of workers.
The newspaper stated that Royal Mail workers will have their pensions slashed unless they work five years longer.
The move would cost staff members thousands of pounds a year. Some could see their retirement pay halved.
In addition the posties' final salary scheme would be closed to new members from next year.
Scottish dock workers ballot for strike action
After a wildcat strike last month, 1200 workers at Rosyth Royal Dockyard have announced they are to ballot on industrial action in their dispute over pensions.
Shop stewards for the four main unions at the yard decided to request the ballot on Wednesday 11 July. The result will be declared on 25 July.
Workers will be asked to vote on whether to back strike action and action short of a strike, with a strong recommendation from shop stewards to vote yes on both counts.
Scotland: Dockers strike over pensions
Hundreds of workers at Rosyth naval dockyard in Fife yesterday ignored the pleas of union officials and walked out in a row over pension cuts
The Daily Record reported that more than 600 workers - almost all those in the yard at the time-took part in the wildcat strike.
They are furious at changes to their pension scheme.
Babcock International, who run the yard, have told workers they will have to pay more into the scheme but will receive smaller pensions when they retire.
1995: The French pensions strikes
A short history of the massive strike movement against welfare reform in France in 1995.
During November and December of 1995 France was gripped by the largest strike movement the country had seen in recent years. After three weeks of strikes workers forced a government climbdown over the issue of changes to pensions of public sector workers.
An "army of pensioners" to protest reforms
The National Pensioners Convention have called for a rally in London to protest propsed pension reforms, the BBC have reported.
Pensioners are to protest over planned reforms which they say will not help people already struggling to pay bills.
The National Pensioners Convention - organiser of the central London rally - says the Pensions White Paper contains "nothing of immediate benefit".
