Gas strike wins some pension concessions

A nationwide strike last month by British Gas engineers won some concessions on their pension arrangements from employer Centrica.

The engineers, members of the GMB general union, voted for action in November in protest at plans by the company to close the CEPS final-salary pension scheme to new starters. The union argued that Centrica was going back on an agreement signed only two years before.

The ACAS arbitration service helped broker a deal agreed on 19 December which was being put to GMB members as Labour Research went to press.

Although closure of the scheme hasn't been avoided it has been delayed to 31 March and around 1,700 engineers who are not currently members will have the chance to join.

The company has also agreed to pay an additional £35 million into the scheme as part of its commitment to future funding.

New recruits will be able to join the Centrica Engineers Retirement Income Section which the GMB says has been independently assessed as "one of the best available."

National secretary Brian Strutton praised the "tremendous show of strength by GMB members". He added that although "very disappointed that Centrica has refused to reconsider its decision to close the scheme to new starters", he was pleased about the extra funding and the possibility of getting more existing employees to join up.