BOB COOTE CAREFULLY DODGES HIGH (PRICED) TIMES AT THE BLACKPOOL HILTON

One does tend to question the thinking behind the Unison conference department  for sending countrywide delegates to the prestigious Hilton Hotel in Blackpool this year, bearing in mind that this is a pensioner’s type assembly.

It was large enough, comfortable enough for sure, but with refreshments in the breaks alleged to be £1.80 a cup of tea and sandwiches from £7 when this is essentially a PENSIONERS gathering - one wonders just how many branches would want to swallow that level of expenses !

This, being my second ‘pootle’ to Blackpool this year for our branch, having already attended the Springtime ‘Pensioners Parliament’ of course - I had booked in at my more realistic accommodation some way down the front – and chose to find alternative café and pub locations for my sustenance, at these times.

However that aside – a good businesslike conference, starting with the usual first day workshops on the various salient matters currently under scrutiny – transport / pensions / communications within Unison / ageism and care homes, got under way.

An early start to the second day was beneficial and in providing revised debating time enableling the full programme of thirty five motions to be dealt with. So after an official Mayoral welcome it was down to the main business at a swift tempo.

There was much debate and business with regard to the continued  close Unison connections with the National Pensioners Convention (organizers of the ‘Pensioners Parliament) who had a national membership of one million – but the potential of ten million, and sought retired members to support their efforts with £1 per member a year, as the organization ran on just three (and a half) staff !  Closer ties between Unison and the NPC were called for in campaigning and demonstrating – mostly for the urgent need to restore the Link (Pensions to average earnings) which is currently costing each pensioner £37 a week at this time. Also the urgency to have the increase in pensions – meantime set at a target of £114 a week brought forward to next April on the basis that by the proposed date of 2012 – three million pensioners would be ‘not with us’

Women’s pensions were outlined as a disgrace of the state system, with one in five single women pensioners living in poverty – for each £1 a man receives from a pension – women only get 34p. Twice as many women as men have to depend on tested benefits to exist, understandable when It was pointed out that the original pension designed in the 1940’s cast women as dependents, leading to loosing out due to unequal pay, part time working and caring responsibilities.

There was a huge debate on the question of possible enforced driving tests for all at age 75, meaning both medical, written and on the road retesting. Linked to this is the vexed question of ageism on many fronts. Most important was the false wall of the cherry picking travel insurance companies, (including UIA) trying so hard to preclude us ‘wrinklies’ from reasonable cover. When one delegate was charged £500 insurance for a flight to the USA – its time for us to protest.

The withdrawal of the Post Office card system of collecting benefits and pensions came under much crossfire on behalf of both young mums and pensioners, who may well find much longer and difficult journeys facing them under the new proposals if adopted.

Many other motions on social care, hospital closures, council tax, council housing and the support of the NPC ‘Pensioners Charter’ were brought to the floor and eagerly debated – and of course voting for the three motions to be brought forward to the National Unison conference next year would be the last act as we filed out of the well appointed hall to get off home,  hoping that this year the National conference finds time to debate the motions passed up to our workforce colleagues.

Bob Coote

Retired Members Secretary

24th October 2006