NHS staff to have their say on changes to pensions
All NHS staff are being asked for their views on changing
their defined-benefits pension scheme. Management and staff side representatives have been unable to reach agreement on a common position for staff consultation.
Key changes proposed are raising the minimum retirement age to 65 years
and changing the scheme from a final salary scheme to a career-average
salary scheme. Staff representatives are opposed to raising the retirement
age and have not been convinced by arguments for an average salary scheme.
Staff in the existing scheme will have their current pension rights protected
until 2013. After that, pensions will be calculated on whatever new basis
is determined.
The Government has made it clear that change must happen because the
current scheme is no longer viable. It wants the retirement age of all
public sector employees to rise to 65 years. It has also said that there
is no prospect of any additional funding to bolster NHS pensions.
The NHS pension scheme differs from most private sector defined benefits
schemes where pension contributions are paid into a fund from which pensions
are paid. The NHS scheme relies on current contributions to meet its
pension commitments.
Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists president Tony West said that the matter
will be considered at the next meeting of the guild’s terms and
conditions committee in February.
The consultation is open to individual staff members, but they are expected
to have their say via their trade unions or employers. |
The
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