brian,
The pensions are part of the remuneration package. Just as The British Airways Chief Executive's bonus of ?700,000 is.
One person I know always says to people "If you think that job is so easy, why don't you do it?"
On the latter point, it was easy; I did do it; the reason I don't do it anymore is that the lack of performance from a significant proportion of colleagues was too depressing.
On the former, how does that now stand when average public sector salary is reportedly now higher than the average private sector salary, after Gordon's program of state expansion?