Pensions

This conference welcomes the late intervention of the Minister for Work and Pensions Alan Johnson MP on 21 March 2005 to convene a high level meeting of the public sector unions and ministers to discuss the Government's proposed reforms to public sector pensions and his statement that "all aspects of the Government's proposals will be open to discussion and negotiation." However, Conference is concerned that the Minister reaffirmed that the Government was wedded to its proposed reforms to public sector pension schemes. Conference notes that the proposals have been put forward as part of a wide- ranging attack against public sector pensions and come against a backdrop of a crisis in company schemes as well as a failure by successive UK governments to tackle the poverty-level state pension. Changes to the FPS, as with other public sector schemes, have been on the cards since the early 1980s on the back of tightening public spending and tax cuts. Conference congratulates the TUC for its efforts at co-ordinating the campaign by public sector unions, which included the lobbies of MPs in November 2004 and February 2005, and a TUC-co-ordinated day of action on 18 February 2005, and congratulates FBU members and officials for participating. Conference notes that the campaign has helped bring about the Government's current position of committing to serious negotiations with unions over its proposals, rather than its original haphazard and unprofessional attempt at seeking to impose them. Conference reaffirms its commitment to protect and improve FBU members' pensions and calls on the Union to continue its vigorous campaign. In welcoming the proposed admission of retained firefighters to the FPS, Conference also seeks a further change that would allow firefighters (control) to join the FPS. In addition, Conference welcomes the proposal to provide survivors' benefits to unmarried partners in the future but also seeks for this to be extended to current members' unmarried partners. Whilst Conference accepts there may be difficulties in organising common action because the timetable for talks will be different for each group of public sector workers, Conference recognises the need to continue to work with other unions through the TUC and to assist in co-ordinating a united campaign and action against the proposals. Conference agrees that the Executive Council engages in serious discussions and negotiations with the Government to protect and improve FBU members' pensions. Members will be kept fully informed of those negotiations and if there are detrimental changes proposed at the outcome of negotiations Conference will be recalled.