UNISON voted today to defend public-sector pensions from “political meddling” and fight for the future of defined-benefit rather than defined-contribution schemes.

Camden Unison’s Liz Wheatley slammed the Tory bid to stop pension funds pursuing ethical investment policies if these conflict with government policy, a crackdown aimed at the Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions movement of solidarity with Palestine.

“It’s our money,” she said of pension funds, “both the money we pay in directly and the deferred wages our employers pay, but a proper pension shouldn’t come at any cost. We shouldn’t have pensions invested in death, destruction and occupation.”