Delegates attending the ICTU Women’s Conference in White’s Hotel, Wexford, have today (Thursday, 5th March) unanimously passed a motion supporting the Stop67 campaign to halt the proposed increase in the state pension age and establish a stakeholders’ forum to discuss issues concerning retirement. Speaking on the motion to support the Stop67 campaign, SIPTU National Executive Council member, Mary O’Sullivan, said: “It is vital that Conference indicates its support for the twin aims of the Stop67 campaign. That is stopping any further increases to the state pension age and the establishment of a forum which will involve all stakeholders in negotiations concerning pensions and retirement.“Delegates, how we treat the issue of pensions reflects how we wish to see our society develop over future years and decades. Is our society to be one where we ensure that a life of work is rewarded or one where insecurity and financial pressure forces people to remain in jobs beyond their wishes and often their physical ability?”SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, Ethel Buckley, said: “The Stop67 campaign has growing support from leading civic society organisations, political parties and most importantly the public. The unanimous support of the ICTU Women’s conference for the campaign is another important stage in us winning the battle for fairness for retired workers.“The raising of the state pension age affects all workers but it has a more detrimental effect on women. We are more likely to have interrupted contribution records and caring duties and forced to rely on means-tested unemployment payments between retirement age and the age we can access the state pension. That is why stopping the raising of the age of pension entitlements is one of the key demands of the Women Workers’ manifesto which will be launched on International Women’s Day (Sunday, 8th March) at 2.00 p.m. in Liberty Hall in Dublin.“Pensions are a workers’ issue and a women’s issue. We are committed to winning the battle for pensions fairness in order to ensure that older workers will not be forced into poverty, working more years than they want to or onto the dole.”
ICTU women’s conference supports Stop67 campaign to halt pension age increase
