Taking away pension contributions - scary stuff.

[neilfair]

Does anyone remember a story from many years ago when two locomotive drivers were sacked for going drinking in their uniforms ? They'd attended a union meeting after work, it'd been an 11 or 12 hour day and they nipped into the pub for a couple of beers. Some complete snake in the grass must have snitched on them and they were fired. Maybe the senior managers thought they'd both left their trains in the car park and were going to drive home pissed.

Anyway, not content with this completely OTT and vindictive course of action they then stripped the two men of the concessionary part of their pensions. So let's say they were putting in a tenner a week and British Rail £15, they each lost about £750 per annum over a period of twenty odd years. A bit of a disproportionate response I'd have thought for a couple of beers in uniform. Like who would give a monkeys.

I believe the Government of the day got involved and overturned all of the punishments. They pointed out a fine which amounted to about £200,000 for drinking in the wrong clothes was a tad unfair.

I've been told today by a manager that Royal Mail are seriously looking at following a similar course of action with regard to dismissed employees and the concessionary part of their pensions. I have to point out that it was legal to do it to the train drivers, just grotesquely unfair. BUT .............. it's a whole different and harsher climate out there now. You'd think once given the money couldn't be taken away. Has it really been given though or is it just a kind of IOU !?

I'd like to hear what people think on this. It's an unnerving possibility and a really intimidating tool for management. We can all look for another job if sacked from RM but you can't build another pension if you're advanced in years. Let's be honest, we know RM has gone beyond reasonable measures to save money and will now look at ANY measure. This will have been discussed even if only tentatively.

Like I say, grotesque, frightening, massively unfair and over-the-top. But as it's Royal Mail, possible.

[fishtank]

I would have thought that to apply a punishment you would first have to make members aware that the possibility of the punishment exists.
That is the very basic legal position on crime and punishment.
To simply decide on a whim how you will punish members would be unlikely to be upheld by an Employment Tribunal.

[Wessex]

I thought RM already could withdraw the company contribution to the pension after gross conduct such as theft which I would have thought would be a deterrent against petty stealing...

[Carp]

Rules for some and rules for others:Sir Fred Goodman ex top dog for Royal Bank Of Scotland steals our tax paying money into his banks,and steals it for his own golden pension and bonuses.So whatdoes he gets for troubles? a knighthood lol :dcfo