PEOPLE who keep Wyre Forest streets clean, look after our children and elderly, provide school meals, look after the vulnerable and keep our neighbourhoods safe, are now being told, after years of service, that their pensions may be cut.

The Local Government Association, of which Worcestershire County Council is a member, is considering reducing the pension for all these workers who, day in day out, provide these services. They are trying to move the goalposts after a contract has been signed.

Is this any way to thank them for the years of dedication and hard work in our towns and communities?

Local authority workers don't take the job for the money or the perks because there aren't any. But what they were promised was a fair pension at the end of their working lives.

We are not talking about massive amounts of money. The average local council worker will have a pension of £3,695 a year. For women, the amount is a staggeringly low £1,616.

It cannot be right to reduce their pensions further to make them pay for the investment mistakes made by some councils.

And your council workers have been singled out for worse treatment than other public sector workers. Health workers, civil servants and teachers have had their pensions protected. That is all we want for local government workers - equality and fairness.

The Local Government Association is not treating these dedicated employees with the respect and fairness they deserve for their service. We hope that in our continued talks we can change the mind of all the local authorities and make them see how unfair their changes are.

We also ask the public to support those people who have dedicated their whole working lives to serving their communities.

TERRY CLARK

Branch secretary

UNISON Wyre Forest