Date set for indexation High Court appeal

The union-led appeals against the government’s indexation switch will go ahead later this month and coincide with a protest against the changes outside the court.

The two separate appeals against a ruling last year backing the decision to use the Consumer Prices Index rather than the Retail Prices Index to uprate pension benefits (PP Online, 2 December 2011) will be heard together on 20 February.

Prospect, the FDA, GMB and National Union of Teachers, together with the Civil Service Pensioner's Alliance, and a group of six unions including Unite lodged the appeals last month (PP Online, 13 January).

The initial calls for a judicial review, which were rejected by the High Court, were grouped together and the appeals will also now be heard in one session.

Unite said it would be organising a demonstration outside the court on the morning of the hearing, in a bid to raise awareness of the appeal.

GMB national secretary for public services Brian Strutton: said "GMB consider that the High Court was wrong in fact and in law regarding this change to long standing employment contracts which cuts pensions in payment by 15% and more.

"That is the reason GMB, with the other unions, is mounting this robust legal challenge to that decision".