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Older Women What do women pensioners want? 1. We want a pension adequate to our needs. That means enough to house us, feed us, clothe us and provide occasional entertainment. £200 per week for singles and £300 per week for couples would be adequate at this time. 2. We want free health care of the best kind available. No stinting, no degrading, no charging our state pension for hospital care. No distinction between health care and social care. 3. We want free travel nationally, unlimited by hours or class of vehicle. And this isn't all!!! All our adult lives (and some of us a bit earlier) we work hard whether we get paid or not. When we start a family, our working day gets longer. If we have waged work, we have two jobs (including the unwaged one) and our hours can extend to the full 24. Our work is measured not only in hours, nor in fatigue of brain or muscle, but also by the most intimate physical use that sometimes amounts to exploitation: sexual service, pregnancy, breast feeding, constant concern and attention to others' needs Yet because we pay no NI contributions in our caring job (because we get no wages) many of us have no pension - only the means-tested benefit that goes to all the needy. And many others, whose wages were too small or who earned intermittently because of caring responsibilities, have an inadequate pension. After a lifetime's work we deserve much more. So we add to the demands above:
If you agree with us, let us know. The NPC, the GLPA, and local groups of pensioners support these demands. We will come together in our regular meetings and conferences for an open discussion of how to advance them. We will be happy to hear from you so drop us a line. Please tell us your name, organization or group and address. Crossroads Women's Centre,
230A Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2AB SENIORS
WIN ROUND AT CITY HALL ON PGW (GAS) DISCOUNT! Read more about the current activities and organizing of this older women & others for the Global Women's Strike at www.globalwomenstrike.net |