The following text is being used for motions to union conference by AWL members in the PCS. It may prove useful in other unions too.
This Conference notes:
a) the attempt by the Government in some parts of the Public Sector to raised the pension retirement age from 60 to 65;
b) that the basic State Pension is losing real value and is projected to continue to do so for the coming years;
c) that women in particular have been disproportionately prevented from gaining a full state pension by the application of rigid contribution rules (which discriminate against those working part time and those who have breaks in employment);
d) that under TUPE staff transferred have no rights to receive an equivalent pension but only a broadly similar one;
e) that some members have been subjected to more than one TUPE transfer therefore further eroding their pension position;
f) the continuing crisis in private pension schemes with the closure of many final salary schemes;
g) that some private sector schemes have collapsed and workers have not received full compensation for this.
This Conference taking all the above into account believes that there must be a radical overhaul of the pension structure in this country.
Therefore this Conference instructs the NEC to campaign to achieve the following goals. Namely that
a) a new General Pension Scheme be constructed which will replace the State Pension Scheme and all occupational schemes;
b) all employers regardless of size to contribute to the new General Pension Scheme;
c) employees will contribute to the General Pension Scheme via their National Insurance contributions;
d) the General Pension Scheme be administered (as is the basic State Pension scheme) by the Civil Service but that it be controlled by a Pension Board ;
e) this Pension Board will made up of three equal constituencies. These being Trade Unions, Employers and directly elected Representatives from those either receiving Pensions from the New Scheme or eligible to receive such a pension;
f) there be a cap on the benefits that can be paid out of this General Pension Scheme so as avoid richer employees from disproportionately draining the scheme of money; this cap to be agreed by the Pension Board;
g) the General Pension Scheme will pay out a sufficient pension to ensure a "decent" standard of living for those in retirement. This level of "decency" payment to be linked to social needs rather than to subsistence existence. Increases in pensions to be linked to wage movements rather than increases in living costs.
