Maritime Pensions Campaign - Northlink Ferries Pension Meetings

My Ref: MRP 23/1                                                                                     
 
18th March 2021
 
Circular Num: NP/086/21
 
To: The Secretary All Shipping Branches & Regional Councils
Dear Colleagues,
MARITIME PENSIONS CAMPAIGN
NORTHLINK FERRIES PENSION MEETINGS
 
You will be aware in 2019 the RMT began a Maritime Pensions Campaign and carried out a survey across all ratings to find out more about the retirement provisions of our members. The results of this survey which not only highlighted the problem that many ratings were not saving enough for their retirement but also that many ratings were not aware which company pension scheme they were a member of. Perhaps more significantly many ratings were not even members of any type of occupational pension scheme and as a result had no life cover to protect their loved ones in the event of their death.
 
It is clear that as a result of the ever-increasing rise in the State Pension Age it has never been more important for workers to plan for their retirement by ensuring that they are members of some form of occupational pension scheme but also that they are contributing an adequate amount of money into their pension account. This includes more crucially that they are receiving decent contributions from their employer because with these its unlikely in many cases ratings will reach their retirement expectations.
 
It is clear from the results of the survey mentioned above that as a union we need to put pensions as one of our top priorities when it comes to negotiating wages and conditions with employers, but we also need to educate our members so they have a better understanding of their own retirement provisions.
 
Therefore, as part of the Maritime Pensions Campaign we are going to be holding several meetings across many different maritime employers starting with NorthLink Ferries. The purpose of the meetings is to give members and non-members a chance to understand a little more about their company pension scheme and why its important that they are members of such an arrangement in the first place. 
These meetings will also give our members the opportunity to ask questions and give their views on pensions in general.
 
The first meeting with NorthLink Ferries will be held on Tuesday 30 th  March starting at 10:30. The second meeting will be held on Tuesday 12 th  April starting at 10:30. Due to the pandemic both meetings will be held remotely via Zoom, please see details below.
In attendance at both meetings will be Darren Procter (RMT National Secretary), Jake Molloy (RMT Regional Organiser) and Paul Norris (RMT Pensions Officer). Also, in attendance will be Ivan Laws who is a Director at Rock Pensions who administer the Ensign Retirement Plan which is one of the pension arrangement used at NorthLink Ferries.
 
While the purpose of the meetings is not to give ratings financial advice or to promote any one pension scheme over another, we believe that it’s important that members need to know the facts when it comes to their pension provision. 
 
Therefore, we would urge all ratings employed by NorthLink Ferries who have an interest in pensions or just want to know more about pensions in general to join either of the meetings advertised above and below.
 
We look forward to seeing you.  
 
Yours sincerely,
 
 
 
Mick Cash 
General Secretary
 
NorthLink Ferries Pension Meeting One, Tuesday 30th March starting at 10:30
 
To join click on link below:
 
or
Dial in using the following details:
 
0208 080 6591
Meeting ID: 963 3922 1697
Passcode: 567473
 
NorthLink Ferries Pension Meeting Two, Tuesday 13th April starting at 10:30
To join click on link below:
or
Dial in using the following details:
 
0208 080 6592 United Kingdom
Meeting ID: 972 7202 0178
Passcode: 393211