Plaid Cymru demands end to ‘shameful’ pensions justice

Senedd members called out the “shameful”, long-standing pensions injustice faced by thousands of women born in the 1950s, coal miners, and steelworkers.

Plaid Cymru’s Heledd Fychan backed the 1950s Women of Wales group’s campaign for justice for women affected by changes to the pension age.

Millions of women saw their retirement plans plunged into chaos after they were given little to no notice of the change, causing financial hardship for many.

Ms Fychan also raised the plight of former miners under the British Coal pension who are calling for the same justice afforded to members of the miners’ pension scheme in autumn.

And the politician highlighted that former workers of Allied Steel and Wire (ASW) have seen their pensions “erode” for decades due to a failure to uprate them with inflation.

‘Disgrace’

“These three groups have one thing in common,” she said. “The members of the campaigns are all individuals who have worked hard throughout their lives and who deserve the basic right of stability in their retirement.

“They did nothing wrong and it is a disgrace that in their retirement they have to campaign for something that they should be entitled to.”

Leading a debate on May 21, Ms Fychan stressed: “Let no-one forget that political decisions are responsible for these injustices and that political decisions can also provide redress.”

Plaid Cymru’s shadow finance secretary accused first minister Eluned Morgan and Welsh secretary Jo Stevens of saying one thing in opposition and doing another when in power.

Her Conservative counterpart Sam Rowlands, whose mother has been affected by pension changes, similarly accused Labour of “quite remarkable” hypocrisy.

‘Shameful’

Mr Rowlands said: “Eluned Morgan confidently stated that a Labour government at Westminster would ‘put this right’. But, as we see now, it’s complete rubbish. Labour happily said one thing in opposition before doing a screeching 180 and reneging on their promises.”

He warned that Plaid Cymru’s pursuit of Welsh independence, which “relies on fantasy economics”, would “blow a hole” in pension protections.

Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams said the failure to rectify pensions injustice for 1950s women was “another example of gender-based discrimination and shameful unfairness”.

Highlighting the human impact, she said some women had to continue working, sell their homes, sleep in their cars or “sofa surf” until their local council could rehouse them.

She told the Senedd that, on average, women have to work 19 years longer than men to accumulate the same level of pension wealth, according to a report on the gender gap.

‘Unbelieveable’

Rhys ab Owen, who sits as an independent representing South Wales Central, focused on ACW steelworkers’ fight for justice over the past quarter of a century.

His father Owen John Thomas, a former Plaid Cymru politician who represented the same region in the then-Assembly, was involved in the steelworkers’ campaign from the outset.

Mr ab Owen quoted campaigner John Benson, who was watching from the public gallery, as saying: “All I want is what I paid for, my pension.”

He warned campaigners have been ignored and insulted – “told off by politicians for the tone of their emails, told off by people who have no idea of the hardship they have lived”.

Mr ab Owen said: “It’s absolutely unbelievable. The injustice is obvious. Everybody I talk to about this clearly sees the injustice but it remains.”

‘Not a penny’

Adam Price focused on pensions set up when British Coal was privatised in 1994.

“Here are the cold, hard facts,” said the former Plaid Cymru leader. “Since then, the Treasury has taken £3.1bn from the British Coal staff superannuation scheme. They plan to take another £1.9bn by 2033. And how much have they put in? Not a single penny.”

Jack Sargeant, for the Welsh Government, cautioned that Labour cannot fix the legacy left by the former Conservative UK Government within 10 months of a general election.

Pointing to progress on miners’ pensions, he said: “We have consistently raised concerns about pensions injustices with successive UK Governments and we will continue to do so.”

Mr Sargeant, whose responsibilities include fair work in Wales, stressed that pensions are not devolved, so Welsh ministers do not have the powers to provide redress.

Plaid Cymru’s motion was voted down, 24-11 with 12 abstaining, before Labour’s amendment was narrowly agreed, 24-23.