The Scottish Parliament witnessed a fiery debate on the public sector pension cuts behind Wednesday’s strike despite a boycott from Labour.
The SNP administration attacked the Westminster Government for the planned reforms, but insisted it is a politician’s duty to attend parliament under such circumstances.
Addressing a chamber with empty Labour benches, Finance Secretary John Swinney insisted the cuts are not about affordability, but rather ”suiting” the UK Government’s deficit reduction plans.
In contrast to Prime Minister David Cameron’s comment at Westminster that the strike appeared to be a ”damp squib”, he said the strength of feeling was clear.
He added: ”The Scottish Government’s concern is that the short-term cash grab by the UK Government has undermined the opportunity to secure agreement around affordable, sustainable and fair public sector pensions.”
However, Tory MSP Gavin Brown said the reforms were required to make public sector pensions more sustainable.
”The heart of the matter is that we’re living longer,” he said. ”Most adults will spend 40% of their lives in retirement, and it is clear that this has to be paid for.
”For decades funding this gap has fallen on the taxpayer, and the UK Government is now adjusting the balance to be fairer on the taxpayer and workers.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie also defended the Tory/Lib Dem coalition in Westminster.
But despite the conflict in the chamber over the pensions issue, all three parties agreed that Labour MSPs were wrong to boycott the parliament.
Mr Swinney, the Perthshire North MSP, said: ”It is on such days that this parliament has the responsibility to make its voice heard. We also have a duty to ensure that we make Scotland’s case to Westminster.
”That is why we have gathered today as a parliament representing the people of Scotland we have a duty to make our voice heard loud and clear.”
Labour MSPs were boycotting the parliament despite the fact the party’s MPs attended Westminster as usual. Labour leader Iain Gray defended the move, saying the MSPs were showing ”solidarity” with the striking workers.
”Scottish Labour MSPs have supported the day of action by visiting picket lines and attending the various rallies that were held around Scotland,” he said. ”We decided we should not spend the day in the Scottish Parliament but instead stand with teachers, nurses and council workers who are defending their pension rights.”
Green MSP Patrick Harvie, who also stayed away from Holyrood to man a picket line, said: ”Union members don’t lightly vote to strike, but when ministers are this intransigent and this unwilling to talk, they were left with no alternative.”
The debate came as around 5,000 strikers took their protest to Holyrood. Among the crowd was Fife woman Sharon Edgar, who said she thought her pension and retirement deal had been agreed when she started work.
Ms Edgar (37), from Rosyth, is an A&E staff nurse at St John’s Hospital in Livingston, West Lothian. She took her eight-year-old daughter Bea on the rally.
She said: ”My little girl wants to be a nurse too. If we don’t stand up now, what kind of deal will she get?
”I thought long and hard about this strike. Working in A&E, you don’t want to impact on care for patients, but I want to do this job for the rest of my life. How can I do that in my mid to late 60s?
”I hope this attracts the attention of the UK Government.”
The Scottish Parliament said about half of its employees were absent due to the strike.
Photo by Andrew Milligan/PA Wire