Strikes me that if you work in the public sector you probably want to keep this perk of the job and if you are in the private sector you are more likely object to having to work more and be taxed more to pay for it. Both are rational positions so no point in arguing about it. The fact is though, at a time of recession, we have to look at costs to the economy and try to save money. The private sector has been shedding jobs like billy-o and cutting pensions over the last 10th years. Both of my employers and those of my family have closed their final salary schemes or changed the conditions. If they didn't take action they know that the liabilities they create would outweigh the assets in the fund, profits would have to go into the fund, not to investors or new investment and the firm would either go bust (as many do) or lose competitiveness and slowly go bust. Either way the current workers lose, so most understand why changes are needed. It is a shame that the public sector unions can't be a little more constructive and acknowledge that there is a problem.