We are now entering a significant stage of the PCS national campaign to defend the decision won in the High Court to protect the existing terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme. The Coalition Government’s Superannuation Bill has passed the initial first reading stage, and is heading for its second reading in the House of Commons on 7th September 2010 when it will be subject to greater scrutiny.
PCS and other civil service unions have written to the Common’s Speaker, John Bercow, to point out the Bill as proposed is not a legitimate “money bill” in the true parliamentary sense, but a ruse to accelerate the Bill through Parliament to get it on the Statute book by 16th September 2010 using this fast track method. The coalition government are clearly unsure of their ground in legal terms after the previous government lost two court judgements.
I know many of you have written to your MPs and some of them have even followed up the replies they have received which is excellent. It is vital to keep that pressure up and I would ask members who have not written to their MPs to please do so now and copy to the union. Our case is just and strong, which is borne out by our successes in the law courts.
See the latest version of e-action letter to MPs which can be found on the PCS website at www.pcs.org.uk. Don’t let them get away with it – please write to your MP now !
