helpdesk: 0800 328 2673 (freephone) ... option to opt in to have any salary
Matt Barrow Network Rail Team Walkden House, 10 Melton Street, London NW1 2EJ email:
[email protected] helpdesk: 0800 328 2673 (freephone) www.tssa.org.uk
Circular 341/15 | 10 December 2015 circulation to: NR Members direct, EC, Branches, SOGs
NR Reps Recommend Fresh RPS Proposal Our Area Council Reps and Pension Champions recommend that you vote to accept Network Rail’s RPS revised proposals in our online referendum, which opens on Wednesday 9 December and closes on Wednesday 23 December. Complete the survey online via https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DecRPS The latest offer, which would be implemented from 6 April 2016, follows our union’s rejection of the company’s original proposal after over 2,200 of you voted in our last referendum, with almost 90% backing a ballot for strike action if the proposal was not withdrawn and two thirds in favour of paying a higher contribution rate to preserve benefits. For background details see http://eepurl.com/bHfMIH
New proposal on the table The strength of our mandate forced Network Rail to offer members an option to pay a larger contribution in order that any normal salary increases above RPI in future years would be pensionable for future service only. Secondly, in response to our opposition to the one-off opportunity to join RPS at 5 years’ service, all employees who have served more than 5 years will have a six month opportunity to join the scheme. Members who did not join at the time of their 5 year anniversary due to financial constraints or not understanding the benefits will have the opportunity to take independent financial advice and join the scheme if they wish. We could not have achieved this without the clear mandate that you, our members gave us to take back to the bargaining table. The proposal would mean a default cap on pensionable pay at RPI as set out in the company’s August letter (http://bit.ly/RPS-August15). Normal salary increases up to RPI would be fully pensionable for past and future service. Members who wished to pay a higher contribution rate would have a one off option to opt in to have any salary increases above RPI pensionable for future service only, as with a pensionable restructuring premium (PRP). Members would remain within the same section. The rates would be as follows: Contributions of RPS 60 members who opt in increase from 9.36% to 11.14% Contributions of RPS 65 members who opt in increase from 7.0% to 8.78%
Your pension, your say! Members are invited to vote for or against the proposals using our online referendum, which closes at noon on 23 December. Our Reps encourage members to vote to accept the proposals, which we believe are the best available through negotiation This follows the mandate which over 2,000 of you gave us from the previous referendum. If we reject the proposals we face a risk of NR using their statutory override powers to fund additional National Insurance costs by targeting non-protected RPS members without negotiation. We believe that industrial action would be our only defence against this - if you wish to reject the proposal as recommend by our reps please make sure you also vote to support a ballot for strike action.
Get involved! Members who want to get more involved in our union as a Pensions Champion or any other Reps role can find further information in the survey. Please also indicate if you are willing to help, by holding workplace meetings, posting information on noticeboards or simply passing on information to colleagues
If you are not a TSSA member you have no say! If you are not a TSSA member yet, you can take part in the survey and join us online via www.tssa.org.uk/join Once you join us, your vote will count.
If you need any further information speak to your TSSA Rep or contact TSSA Helpdesk on 0800 328 2673.
