Pension plans and employment law soon to see a lot more of each other

On June 30th, nearly three-quarters of a million teachers, lecturers, civil servants and other public sector workers marched across the UK in protest against the changes to pension schemes and employment legislation. From Nottingham to Durham, unionised workers made their voices heard. The coalition government and its seat in the financial capital was the main target for these protestors; and for employment solicitors London is home to, it looks to be a busy year. ThomasMansfield LLP and other employment law firms will no doubt be kept busy as workers deal with changes in Pension Schemes, Agency Worker Regulations and other widespread actions. The coalition government has rushed to ‘reform’ a multitude of sectors, with the promise of greater benefit to the ‘Big Society’. However, significant numbers of that big society are not in agreement. According to the Department for Education, over 11,000 schools in England were affected by the strikes. The workers striking raised awareness of the potential damage of the profound changes to their pension plans, which increase the age of claiming benefits whilst potentially reducing the amount received through their pension scheme. Many workers in the UK responsible for some of the most crucial public services, from nursing to education, face significantly lower pension rates than private sector equivalents. The disenfranchisement over treatment of public sector workers also extends to transport. In the weeks leading up to the commencement of the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon this year, Transport for London workers threatened strikes across tube lines during the tournament’s two-week run from June 20th to July 3rd. The threats were eventually assuaged, however the ire of tube, bus and train drivers across the city has not subsided; passengers can also expect fare hikes, as those driving public transport also face financial squeezes. In some cases, something’s gotta give, and these changes in pay rates in particular are no doubt going to cause friction with changes in employment law. It remains to be seen whether such friction will cause further, and wider-reaching, eruptions of protest.