GMB members at Police Federation face closure of final salary pension scheme

1 April 2010

This action by PFEW on pensions for their own staff is in stark contrast to their position on pensions for their own members says GMB.

55 staff, members of GMB, employed by The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) at new headquarters in Leatherhead, face closure of their final salary pension scheme and transfer to a cheaper stakeholder scheme with a substantially reduced employer contribution. This will lead to halving of pensions entitlements when staff retire. Consultation begun in January 2010 and only lasted for 60 days. The new scheme is due to start on 1st May 2010 if GMB pleas for the PFEW re-think is rejected.

As an example of the cut in pension entitlement, an employee under the final salary scheme with 15 years service earning £30,000 per year would receive a pension of £7,500pa at normal retirement age. That person will now only be in a position to purchase an annuity worth approximately £3,600 under the proposed stakeholder scheme.

This action by PFEW for their own staff is in stark contrast to their position for their own members. These PFEW staff have supported the campaigns of PFEW, including the well publicised dispute in 2007 with the Home Office.

Vince Maple GMB organizer said “Although a formal consultation period was set up, it was clear to staff from the outset that the General Secretary was not prepared to enter into transparent and meaningful consultation with staff, in particular not allowing them access to certain key documents to assist the process. It would appear it was a done deal as the General Secretary seemed to have arrived at his decision before the consultation period even started. He was determined to implement the change come what may.

Staff are extremely angry and frustrated at the way this matter has been handled. They want PFEW to do the same for staff as they seek their own members.

GMB members have already made a large number of individual representations to the Pensions Regulator about the employer’s failure to engage in the spirit of co-operation which the Pensions Regulator demands.

The staff side of the Employee Works Council has also made separate representation to the Regulator on behalf of all staff.

The staff want a delay to the implementation of the changes, so as to allow the GMB union to enter into genuine and meaningful consultation on their behalf to put forward alternative proposals.

GMB members are realistic in recognising that there may need to be changes to the scheme. They feel the employer is attempting to press ahead with the changes, which is a step too far. Members want to engage in meaningful discussions about alternative proposals.”

---

Press releases, papers and documents published on this page are the intellectual property of an organisation unrelated to ePolitix.com. We promote their parliamentary and political campaigning activities as they are subscribers to the ePolitix.com service.

As such, ePolitix.com does not edit, endorse, or attempt to balance the opinions expressed on this page. The content of press releases and other such types of content are the responsibility of the originating organisation.