RMT welcomes railway pensions commission

Publication Date: September 21 2006

BRITAIN’S BIGGEST rail union today welcomed the setting up of the rail pensions commission and said it would participate actively with the aim of safeguarding rail workers’ pension rights.

"This commission has come into being thanks to the resolve of TSSA and RMT members who balloted for industrial action to defend their pension rights," RMT general secretary Bob Crow said today.

"Until then the employers had refused to speak to us collectively because there was no industry-wide forum through which to do so.

"Our remit remains as it has been throughout, to keep pension contributions affordable, maintain benefit levels, keep the railway pension scheme open to all and to streamline it in a sensible industry-wide structure, and on that basis we will be making our submission," Bob Crow said.