Attitude to hoodies ‘is politics of fear’

The leader of the country’s largest trade union has accused the
government of playing on the “dark politics of fear” in relation to
young people since its re-election.

General secretary Dave Prentis told Unison’s annual conference in
Glasgow last week that the government was tarnishing young people
by targeting those wearing hooded tops and suggesting  young
offenders wear “work gang jackets”.

He also renewed the union’s threat to call out its members on
strike to defend public sector pensions.

Prentis said: “We will fight for pensions that give dignity and
security to all our members in retirement.”

Deputy prime minister John Prescott avoided a 24-hour national
strike by council staff by promising to revoke proposed reforms
that would increase the minimum pension age from 50 to 55 and the
normal retirement age from 60 to 65.

Unison expects the changes to be revoked soon, but it has insisted
that it would not enter negotiations with the government over the
scheme until this happened.