Pay cuts and pension levy

Sir,– The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will shortly engage with public sector unions to discuss reversal of pay cuts and pension levy. Ministers are eerily silent on the fact that the private sector pension levy has contributed €2.1 billion to State coffers. As the assets of these pension schemes have been permanently reduced as a consequence of the levy, the impact will last forever, resulting in members’ pensions being significantly reduced. It should also be noted that the levy was imposed irrespective of whether schemes were in deficit or not.

Members of such schemes do not enjoy direct access to the Government as public sector unions do. However, they do have a vote and, in the absence of any “restoration” talks planned by Government for members of these plans, they will I expect send a message to the Government through the ballot box. – Yours, etc,

DONAL O’SULLIVAN,

Blackrock,

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Co Dublin.