Industrial action on cards over attacks on pensions

Company attacks on pension rights have brought varied responses from the unions involved.

Maritime union RMT is planning to ballot for industrial action on the Northern Isles Ferries service as it emerged that SERCO, the preferred bidders for the currently public contract, announced they would renege on existing pension commitments to staff who will transfer over.

SERCO has also announced possible job losses, service cuts and worse terms and conditions.

The RMT has also criticised Scottish ministers for “totally ignoring their duty of care to loyal and committed staff caught in the cross-fire of this privatisation deal”.

Meanwhile the Unite union has expressed outrage at plans by the RBS bank to slash the pensions entitlements of its 48,000 employees. Under the plans, workers would have to work an extra five years before receiving their pensions and pay an extra 5% in contributions, bringing their overall contribution to 20%.

Unite national officer David Fleming says the bank is “attempting to push through these changes without any proper negotiation with the union…we demand that RBS gets around the table and negotiates.”

Howevere, planned strike action over pensions at Associated Press and APTN has been withdrawn by officials of the BECTU and NUJ media unions following an agreement by management to resume talks. Members had voted by huge majorities for two days of strike action over plans to close the final salary pension scheme.