Merchant Navy Rating Pension Fund Members to Take Part in the Election of Their Fund Trustees

14th October 2015                            My Ref: MRP 23/1

         Circular No.NP/198/15
To: The Secretary
Regional Councils, All Shipping Branches

Dear Colleague,

Merchant Navy Rating Pension Fund Members to Take Part in the Election of Their Fund Trustees

The following resolution has been received from the North East Shipping Branch:

 “The North East Shipping Branch calls on the General Secretary, National Secretary, and the Shipping /Offshore Committee to open up a dialog with the MNRPF with the purpose of opening up the election process of the funds Trustees to include the funds members

As a proud and democratic organisation it would be a natural progression for this union to give the pensions stakeholders a say in the running of their fund bearing in mind the vast majority were our own members.

As less and less serving shipping members are members of the fund the justification for carrying on with the present arrangements has become untenable and for the future the pensioners need to be included and have an input in their pension’s administration.”

In consideration the Shipping & Offshore Grades Committee of the Council of Executives on 9th September 2015 made the following report:

 “That we note the resolution from North East Shipping Branch.

RMT has already written to the Chair of the MNRPF stating that we would fully welcome and support an independent governance review, including number of trustees and also the issue of remuneration.

 We agree that our members as stakeholders should have more say in the running of the fund and this was why in 2011 we undertook a consultation with all Shipping Branches which changed the way we elected trustees and no longer had them appointed by RMT.

We fully appreciate that those retired members should also have a greater say in the running of the fund, and this was the rationale behind the pensioner trustee being added to the board of trustees in 2011 after the consultation.”

I will keep you informed of developments.

Yours sincerely,


 

Mick Cash
General Secretary