He was responding to an article by Max Hastings in The Guardian (10/4/2006) "Taxpayers will resent the cost of turning public servants into fat cats"

Dave Prentis said "Max Hastings needs to learn the difference between a top Whitehall civil servant and the Birmingham dinner lady when it comes to pensions.  Where does he get the idea that local government workers enjoy "generous salaries". Or that dinner ladies, home helps, nursery nurses and the other million plus members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) are "luxuriating in state patronage"? The current pensions dispute is about honouring an agreement, not awarding privilege, a word equated with local government jobs.

"There might well be a Whitehall mandarin complaining that he struggles to live on a pension of "just" £75,000 but that is an extreme example.  The average pension for all LGPS members is £3,800 a year.  All LGPS members want is whats owed to them.

They aren't looking for a "cherished right" of retirement at 60.  LGPS members don't get to retire on a full pension at 60.  LGPS members don't get to retire on a full pension at 60.  They are asking that their pensions are not reduced further, by up to 30% as a penalty for leaving "early".

"Members of every other public-sector pension scheme have had their pension contract honoured, why should local government workers be treated any differently?  Teachers contracts honoured but not teaching assistants, police but not police staff, civil servants but not dustmen and social workers that work in hospitals but not htose social workers who work for councils.

"if local government workers did not save for their retirement through a pension scheme, they would have to rely on means-tested benefits meaning that the taxpayer pays.  But people need reminding that local government workers are taxpayers too.  They pay income tax and council tax and unlike many people they have also been saving for their future putting away 6% of an often meagre salary because they signed up to a pension promise.

"When it comes to pay, Hastings uses the example of doctors and consultants who might have seen "dramatically improved" increases.  The same cannot be said for nurses and other health workers.  it is wrong to put the blame for the current deficits on NHS staff.  It is the privileaged private sector which is sucking money out of the health service and enjoying the "featherbedded" treatment of which Hastings is so critical".

"Local government workers deliver essential services on low wages.  They face sometimes confrontational and threatening behaviour and try to provide quality services under constant budget constraints.  They are people looking of an apparent race to the bottom of the wage ladder.

"The strike on 28th March showed many things, most particularly the burning resentment of members at being treated so badly.  But it also showed how important their jobs are.  You don't half miss something when suddenly it is not there."