There was uproar in Parliament on Wednesday during a debate organised by the outstanding Labour MP Grahame Morris on the ‘WASPI‘ women, who have been robbed by the government of years’ worth of pension because of poorly-planned and hurriedly-executed changes to retirement ages.
Uproar at the staggering arrogance all too typical of the Tory party.
Conservative Minister Guy Opperman was addressing the women in a packed audience when he told them:
It’s not the government’s intention that we would ameliorate or repeal the [problematic] acts, but we do accept that the government must do all we can to assist everyone affected to retrain and [sic] employment and support.
In other words, “we yanked years of pension out from underneath you with no warning and have no intention of changing that, but don’t worry – we’ll help you work longer instead”.
Cries of ‘shame on you’ erupted among the WASPI women in attendance – and no wonder:
After Opperman sat down, Morris made a noble effort to be diplomatic before pleading with the Minister and the government to do whatever is needed to resolve the situation fairly for the women who have been robbed of thousands of pounds and years of retirement already planned for.
But his face during the Minister’s promise of ‘support’ to work longer was far more eloquent than any mere words could be. You can see it in the video above, but here it is in close-up:
There really does seem to be no limit to the depths of callousness that the Tories routinely inhabit, let alone will sink to.
“Don’t worry about your lost retirement. We’ll help you work longer.”
A government that useless, that callous – that nasty – simply cannot be allowed to continue.
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Thanks so much for highlighting our plight Skwawkbox. It’s been a long slog getting this travesty into the public (and even some MP’s) consciousness. I feel the tide might just be turning.
As a friend the same age as myself, 63, said, it’s nice to know we could train for those high quality high paying jobs at our age, she had always fancied being an air pilot. I too look forward to being offered an apprenticeship on table clearing in a coffee shop, as obviously my several degrees, a PhD and a lifetime experience in very highly paid jobs at the top, including developing antibiotics, which I was bullied out of after the age of 55 were no adequate preparation for a post-60 portfolio career. Although I did start work as a shelf stacker aged 12, and worked my way through waitressing, burger chef, and sandwich bar worker on my way. Thank goodness Yvette Cooper gave us the blessing of the WCA to enable us to still consider ourselves work fit despite the onset of age related degenerative diseases that would otherwise be a considerable barrier to employment. At least employers seem to think so. Generally I find the main problem to be wrinkles, which I can say are guaranteed to make a woman unemployable, as well as invisible (indeed worthy of contempt along with any visible disabilities) in our society. How about the Tories offer us face lifts, as well as apprenticeships, to complete the utterly humiliating condescension?
I’ve decided to train as an airline pilot, Florence. Thanks for the idea. 🙂
WASPI women have spent their lives being kicked in the teeth by wider society.
The secondary modern education system (popularly called the grammar school system) taught us to expect nothing more than housewifery and/or low-paid, unskilled work. The universities were full of young men. There was no Equal Pay Act or Sex Discrimination Act when we started out (and it took years to kick in). Married and pregnant women routinely lost their jobs. In part-time jobs, we only earned ‘pin money’. Even Trade Unions worked against us (women made the tea and kept quiet).
When we were in our prime, we were clobbered by the Poll Tax. We’ve lived like nomads in the private rented sector (40 years in my case). We’ve saved the tax-payer billions by being unpaid carers for elderly relatives, disabled relatives and children and were rewarded by lost workplace pension ‘rights’ for having ‘not worked’.
We must be the most exploited sector of society and it still goes on – with gusto.
So what apprenticeship do they imagine that a 77 year old pensioner should apply for after paying into the fund for her state pension until 2006?
Honestly!!
Women’s retirement age has risen incrementally from 60 to 66 in recent years – with little warning and no consent.
Heard an interview on Womans Hour yesterday – apparently the law was passed in 1995 but no-one told the women that it would affect. Surely someone in authority is going to accept that this is political cowardice and lying of the first order? We must keep the pressure on. Maybe John Major should be questioned?
You do just wonder how the hell these people got their positions….