Received from: TUC Black Workers Conference
Congress is concerned that Black workers face discrimination in the labour market, due to disadvantage in getting decent and well-paid jobs, destitution in retirement caused by low pay, an ethnic and racial pay gap and lack of access to good occupational pensions.
Annual increases in state pension should not be based on the country where a British person resides when they retire but on the fact that they have paid national insurance contributions to the British state.
The reciprocal pension arrangements impact disproportionately against people who are Black, retiring and from predominantly Commonwealth countries.
Citizens of 30 European Economic Area (EEA) countries, like Gibraltar and Switzerland, will keep their entitlement and receive a state pension increase every year. If you live in any of the 47 Commonwealth countries (except Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica and Mauritius) your pension is frozen at the rate and date of your retirement if you live outside of the EU or EEA countries.
Congress calls on the General Council to:
i. work with TU affiliates to raise awareness of this issue
ii. lobby the government to end this discriminatory application of the state pensions increases between people choosing to retire in EU, EEA and Commonwealth countries.
TUC Black Workers Conference