SIPTU members held a rally outside Leinster House on Wednesday (7th November), to demand that the Government protect the real value of the State Pension in Budget 2013. The protest highlighted the fact that the majority of retired people depend on the State Pension to keep them out of poverty and that any cut to its levels would have a devastating impact on older peoples’ lives.

The rally demanded that changes, which came into effect on 1st September 2012 for new claimants of the State Pension and which make it harder for workers with interrupted PRSI records (due, for instance, to time spent in the home caring for children or the Marriage Bar) to meet new requirements regarding yearly average social insurance contributions, are reversed.

SIPTU Retired Members Section National Committee member, John Walsh, said: “Many occupational pension schemes are in difficulty due to poor returns on investment and illogical accounting standards. As more workers will rely on social welfare for their retirement income, we must protect State Pensions, not cut them.

“We worked hard all our lives and paid our PRSI contributions for our State Pensions. We've paid for our pensions. We are demanding that the Government protects the pensions we have already paid for.”

SIPTU member, Tim O’Reagan, said: “My family is directly affected by the changes to the State Pension that were introduced in September. My wife, Carmel, worked in Aer Lingus and was forced to leave because of the Marriage Bar. She cannot receive a full pension even though she played a vital role in the Irish economy by supporting our family.”

Several TDs including Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, Sandra McLellan and Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Independent, John Halligan and the ULA’s Richard Boyd Barrett attended the rally, along with SIPTU Vice President, Patricia King.