Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
August/September 2021
Maritime Pensions Campaign RMT believe that our rating members occupational pension entitlement is one of the most important elements of their terms and conditions.
While some of our members, employed by companies such as the RFA and Calmac Ferries, are contributing to Defined Benefit (DB) occupational arrangements, which offer a promise of a certain level of pension at retirement, most of our members will be in Defined Contribution (DC) pension schemes
which offer no such promise and are reliant on contributions and investment returns to produce decent outcome at retirement. As previously reported in two RMT journals, the Seafarer and RMT News, as a result of a pension survey
Simply put, pensions are deferred pay. So if you want to retire at a respectful age where you can enjoy a long and healthy retirement, we need to ensure that our members are firstly in their employers’ pension scheme and secondly, our members are saving enough for their retirement. DorSteffen / Shutterstock.com
Focus on Maritime Pensions
Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
Concerning findings of survey...
16% ARE NOT almost 13% have opted OUT CONTRIBUTING
58%
didn’t know what pension arrangements they had
Almost half
do not know how much they are contributing
59% 54%
didn’t know how much their employer was contributing
don’t know if they have
DEATH IN SERVICE protection
August/September 2021
conducted by this union amongst ratings, we discovered that many of our members were either not saving enough for their retirement or indeed were not in their employers’ occupational pension scheme.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has somewhat slowed down the progress of the campaign we have still been able to meet members to discuss their occupational pension benefits by using technology available.
As a reminder the key finding were: • Just under 16% of members were not contributing to their employers’ occupational pension scheme • Almost 13% of members had opted out of their employers’ pension scheme • 58% did not know which type of pension arrangement they were members of • Almost half of responses did not know what level of contribution they were paying into their pension scheme with almost 59% not knowing how much their employer was contributing • 54% did not know if they had death in service (life cover) protection
During the first seven months of 2021 our representatives have been able to hold two online pension presentations with our members’ at Northlink Ferries, one with Stena Line and one with PNTL. Also in attendance at all four of these meeting was Rock Pensions who are the administrators of the Ensign Pension Plan. They presented an overview of this particular pension arrangement which is offered to ratings employed by these employers.
As a result of these concerning results, RMT began a Maritimes Pension Campaign with the aim of educating our representatives and members in respect of pensions, supporting our members with their occupational pension choices and also engaging with maritime employers.
It is our intention to continue to hold these presentations over the coming months and it is hoped that we will be able to meet our members face to face to discuss this important issue. While we believe we can bring pensions to the forefront of the negotiating agenda, it is clear that we not only need to engage with ratings, but we also need to ensure maritime employers are playing their part by making decent contributions into our members’ pension pots.
We will keep you updated on developments.
PENSION FACT As a general rule of thumb, if total contributions of 16% per annum are paid into a DC arrangement over a 40-year period then the individual might expect to get around 50% of their salary as an annual income.
Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
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Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
August/September 2021
Public Sector Pension Schemes – McCloud and Sargeant Court Case In 2015 the Government made fundamental changes to Public Sector pension schemes which resulted in members of these arrangements being told that would have to work longer, contribute more and receive lower benefits in retirement. Our rating members employed by the RFA and Orkney Ferries who contribute to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (PCSPS) and the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) respectively were forced to accept these changes despite them taking industrial action in defence of their pension. The changes which were made to Public Sector pension schemes were simply to make them cheaper for the Government’s at the expense of Public Sector workers. However, following two recent court cases, McCloud and Sargeant, it has turned out that some of the changes which were made by the Government were agediscriminatory and as a result the Government will have to take corrective action.
The reason that members will be given a choice is because in some cases the new scheme, which is a Career Average Revalued Earnings (CARE) arrangement, is more generous depending on the individual. As an example if you are someone who has had little career progression the CARE scheme may offer you greater retirement benefits.
pensionable service which will be presented in terms of size of the pension and lump sum. While the choice will be reasonable easy members will still have to consider death in retirement benefits and partner’s pensions that apply in both packages as it may be that you receive a higher pension with one option but dependant benefits are lower.
So at the point of retirement members built up pension will be calculated in three parts: 1. Pension built up until 31 March 2015 2. The pension built up between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022 3. And the pension built up on and after 1 April 2022.
Members will also be given a pension statement each year showing the different level of benefit built up so far to assist them with their retirement decision, as an example early retirement.
The choice they will be offered will apply to the second section of
There is currently a Public Service Bill going through Parliament which will contain much of the details in respect of this issue. I will keep you informed of developments.
Please be advised that this issue only effects those ratings who were in service on 31 March 2012 and were still in service on 1 April 2015. This also includes individuals who have since retired but fall into this category. We can report that while the majority of effected Public Sector pension scheme members will be entered into the new schemes from 1st April 2022 members will also be given the opportunity at retirement to decide which level of pension benefit to choose, this is known as the “deferred choice underpin”, so they are treated fairly and are no worse off in retirement.
Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
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Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
August/September 2021
colftcl / Shutterstock.com
Life Cover and Employer Contributions
In general, most occupational pension schemes offer contributing members some form of life cover so that in the event of their death a monetary payments will be made to their dependants. As already reported the Maritime Pensions Survey revealed that 54% of ratings who responded to the survey did not know if they had life cover. What this means is that in the event of an individual’s death whilst employed if they were not members of their employers’ pension scheme their dependants would not receive any death in service payment. While this is clearly concerning, we can report that what we have also discovered following the survey is that the level of cover can also depend on which pension scheme you are a contributing to, please see below. This lack of understanding also applies to the level of contributions going into an individual’s pension pot. As mentioned above the survey revealed 59% of ratings did not know how much their employer was paying into the pension account. If this is the case than how can members of these occupational pension schemes make informed choices about their retirement if they don’t know what
level of pension savings they are building up. It is not always the case that employers don’t want their employees to join the best arrangement they offer as the example below will illustrate. If you employed by Northlink Ferries and you are contributing to the Merchant Navy Rating Group Pension Plan (MNRGPP) the employer will make contributions of 4% and you will be covered for two times your basic salary. However, if you are contributing to the Ensign Retirement Plan you will not only receive employer contributions of 6% you will also receive three-time basic salary life cover. This employer while offering both schemes and an Auto Enrolment vehicle is keen for its employees to join the better scheme but ultimately its down to individuals to make that decision. Based on the above example we would urge all ratings to check with their employer what pensions arrangements they offer as its important that you receive the highest contributions and best life cover available.
Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
RMT Maritime Pensions Course As stated at the beginning of this Newsletter, RMT are determined to put the spotlight on pensions but we know this can only be done by engaging with our representatives and members. It is therefore planned before the end of 2021 to hold a three-day pensions course at the Bob Crow Education Centre in Doncaster to purely focuse on Maritime Pensions. If you would like to show some interest in attending the course please contact the RMT Pensions Officer, Paul Norris, at p.norris@rmt.org.uk or on 020 7529 8806
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Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
August/September 2021
Failure to Auto Enrol Since 2012 it has been a legal obligation on all employers to auto enrol seafarers into a qualifying pension scheme. The UK Government have previously confirmed that factors such as the flag register of the vessel, nationality and country of residence do not determine whether the seafarer is eligible for auto enrolment. What is key is the ‘ordinarily working in Great Britain’ test, which all seafarers working on merchant vessels plying regular (and timetabled) trade from UK ports would meet. While there can be some complexity in respect of the terminology of who is ordinary working in Great Britain, it is a
fact that some shipping employers are exploiting the intricacies of this criteria and indeed more importantly the seafarers who are in the main non-UK ratings when it comes to enrolling them into their occupational pension arrangement.
employers are, in our view, breaching UK statutory pension legislation. Our intention is simple any rating who meets the ordinary working in the Great Britain test should be auto enrolled into an occupational pension scheme.
It is not good enough that this injustice exists where one seafarer is treated completely different to enough. By not allowing non-UK seafarers pension rights, this directly undercuts UK seafarers making it cheaper to employer and exploit these ratings.
It is important that this union is aware of these breaches. So if you are aware of any seafarer, regardless of nationality, who is not being enrolled into their employers’ pension scheme you should pass this information onto RMT. All information will be treated in the absolute confidence.
RMT are currently investigating a number of examples where shipping
AlanMorris / Shutterstock.com
Expression of Wish Form Over the last year the many pension schemes have sadly experienced an increase in the number of deaths of contributing members of pension schemes due to the pandemic. When such deaths happen there is a lump sum death benefit payable from pension schemes and the Trustees or scheme administrators have to take into account a members wishes when deciding who the lump sum should be paid to. Therefore, its crucial that members
complete and keep up to date their Expression of Wish Form to ensure that the lump sum payment goes to the correct beneficiary. Not having a completed or up to date an Expression of Wish form can lead to delays of the lump sum being paid and there is also a risk that the lump sum is not paid to the correct person. If you are a current member of a scheme or have a deferred (frozen)
Focus on Maritime Pensions Newsletter
pension with another fund, please take the time to complete an Expression of Wish form. You should either contact your local HR or Pensions Department or scheme administrator. If you are unsure who to contact, please contact the RMT Pensions Officer, Paul Norris, at p.norris@rmt.org.uk or telephone 020 7529 8806
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