Public-sector scroungers

Ross Clark on the workers who milk the rest of us by retiring early as a result of ‘ill health’

The next few months may well see the political death of Tony Blair. But whether he will get buried is another matter. In an echo of the public-sector bolshieness 27 winters ago that eventually brought down the Callaghan government, public-sector unions have renewed their threat to stage a national strike over proposals to raise their normal retirement age from 60 to 65. A month ago Alan Johnson, the trade secretary, appeared to buy off a strike by agreeing with the unions to exempt all existing public-sector employees, even newly recruited 18-year-old postmen, from the need to work until 65. But it now seems that Gordon Brown, who has spent much of his time in office hosing money at public servants, has balked at the consequences of such a deal when life expectancy is rising so quickly.