New Survey Reveals That Votes can be Won or Lost on Pensions

LONDON, June 2/PRNewswire/ --

Unite, Britain's biggest union is urging the government to act to make
pension schemes compulsory, as a survey of voters in key marginal seats
reveals that action on pensions will influence their voting preferences in
the next general election.

In a survey of constituents in the twenty most marginal Labour seats in
the UK, conducted on behalf of Unite, half of those surveyed stated that
action by a political party to protect occupational pension schemes would
influence their voting intentions. 34% of voters in these critical
constituencies have yet to decide which party best represents their
interests.

The survey also revealed that 83% of respondents said they would support
Government action to increase the spread of occupational pensions and 78%
believed that pensions have not been high enough on the government's agenda.

65% believed that striking to protect their pension was justified and 55%
reported that they would be prepared to take strike action to protect their
own pension. 78% considered pensions to be an essential part of wages. The
survey was conducted immediately following the high profile dispute with
Ineos over pensions. The results of the survey indicates that the majority of
the general public believed the action of Ineos workers was justifiable.

Derek Simpson, Unite Joint General secretary says,

"Pensions are an electoral issue and votes can be won or lost depending
if Labour chooses to act or not to act. This survey reveals that Labour can
win the next general election but only if they work hard to re-connect with
working people's real concerns. In key marginal seats, voters say that
protection and extension of occupational pensions would be an electoral
asset. The CBI don't want it but they don't vote Labour anyway."

"Recently 1,200 workers at Ineos' petro-chemical site in Scotland took
strike action over plans to end the final salary pension scheme for new
entrants. Encouragingly voters overwhelmingly support workers taking action
to protect their pension scheme and the majority are prepared to take strike
action themselves. This is a clear indication that the public believed the
action the Ineos workers took to protect their pension scheme was
justifiable."

The survey also revealed that a significant 40% of respondents did not
have an occupational pension scheme but 76% believed that employees should
receive a defined benefit pension scheme.

Notes to editors

Vision Twentyone were commissioned to undertake a telephone
survey of 1,100 members of the public who were of working age (sixteen to
sixty-five), not self-employed and not a company director. The survey was
based on a questionnaire and was equally distributed across the twenty most
marginal Labour-held seats throughout the UK.

Source: Unite the Union

For more information contact: Ciaran Naidoo on +44(0)7768-931-315

2008-06-01 19:03:03 0374182 PRNEWSWIRE