Commenting after the passing of motion 16 at NEU Annual Conference, Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The NEU recognises the value of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) as a reward for our members’ hard work over a working lifetime. Pensions are deferred pay for which our members contribute. The Girls’ Day School Trust and other disputes show that members can win when their interests are threatened.
“NEU members are at the forefront of the battle in the independent sector to protect the TPS. Sadly, some employers only seem listen to their staff when faced with the threat of strike action. NEU members’ willingness to stand up to defend teacher pensions has seen our membership in the sector grow to a record high.
“From Birkenhead to Worcestershire, from Macclesfield to Hertfordshire, in just the last few weeks NEU members have defeated employer plans to cut the TPS across the country. Many schools that were proposing to cut TPS have now recently committed to remain.
“The state pension is the cornerstone of most people’s retirement income. The triple lock should be protected throughout the next Parliament as pensioners have a right to a retirement free from the scourge of poverty. The level of state pensions is particularly important to women owing to the gender pensions gap, which means women both live longer and have a higher chance of poverty in retirement.”