Dear Editor:
During the current federal election campaign, retirees across Canada are asking Members of Parliament and candidates – and all Canadians – to make sure the next federal government honour its promises and commitments to retirees and to all Canadians on retirement income security.
The vast majority of employees across our great country played by the rules. They served their employers with honour and dedication during their careers.
An employer that has benefitted from the services provided by retired employees should not be allowed to go back on the promises and commitments made to those pensioners.
Retirees do not have the ability to bargain in retirement. They do not have the leverage that employees have and many do not have the option to earn other income.
Their retirement income security cannot be left to the whims of employers and policy makers.
A pension is a promise and a commitment. Employees provide their service and employers compensate them. That compensation includes pensions.
Pensioners trust their employers to keep their side of the agreement and to honour their promise.
Canadian retirees deserve retirement income security.
The best security we can give them is legislation to ensure that no employer, public or private, can go back on the pension promises made to people once they are retired.
I urge citizens to ask candidates during this federal election campaign to take a stand on the issue of pensions and support retirees in our communities.
Lynn Jackson
President, National Association of Federal Retirees, South Okanagan Branch
Okanagan Falls, B.C.
