London Weighting For Pensioners

Being a “Johnny come lately” to the clerical personnel of the Guildhall, a fter most of a working lifetime in the ‘print’, I was most impressed to be introduced to your long standing London weighting payments.  My former ‘print’ industry ran more than a few ‘Spanish customs’ but this one took the biscuit as far as I was concerned!

This formulation of rightly adjusting pay packets to reflect the cost of our living in London was such a good idea, but come retirement some nine years ago now – did the cost of living in London or its environs suddenly cease – no way!

With this in mind – I have, on many varied places and on many occasions, written and aired the view that when we are put out to grass the state pension needed to address this very vexed question for us all.

And now I find that my train of thought has at last reached a station –  that of the august body in the world of the retired person – the London Older People’s Strategies Group, ( which is an umbrella forum for older persons organisations and  individuals) ,  are in the business of seeking a fairer deal for the older person in the workforce.  They were set up in 2000 to engage with the Mayor of London on all issues affecting the lives of London’s older persons, and in this year of 2006 age discrimination in the workplace will become illegal – officially.

The strategies group meet regularly with the Mayor of London, and other representative bodies in the capital.  The message coming through is that if older workers are to enjoy a fairer deal in the workplace then public organisations should be leading by example.

A very strong case that the cost of living is much higher than in other parts of the country has already been made of course, and whilst this is reflected in higher pay, it does not happen with pensions. Therefore of course anyone on a state pension living in London will find it harder to make ends meet.

he London Older People’s Strategies Group proposal for a London Weighting for London Pensioners has the ear of the Mayor and hopefully he will be supportive of any campaign in this direction.

Bob Coote

Retired Members Secretary

8th March 2006