Sunday, June 21, 2009

UNISON NDC 09: Capital Stewardship Motion 63

This motion was just missed out being debated on the Friday afternoon. This is a first draft. I can't find the final hand written version. It is pretty much the same.

"Conference I am a UNISON member nominated representative on a Local Government scheme investment pension panel and pension committee for the last 16 years. In London I convene a regional network of pension reps and have been a member of the national UNISON Capital Stewardship forum.

Let me share some of experiences I have come across that has gone on Pension schemes during this time and explain why it is so important that we have more UNISON trained and supported reps on all our pension committees and trustee boards.

Firstly it is absolutely essential that we push for fair balance of trade union reps on the LGPS who have full membership of the committee - with voting rights. In the past many of us were called “observers” on these pensions’ schemes. This mean that in some schemes trade unions reps were literally only allowed to observe meetings, not allowed to raise questions, see documents or ask enquires about how their own money, their deferred pay is being managed.

A number of Treasurer and Council leaders in the past have told trade unionists trying to negotiate representation that – quote - “it would be over my dead body that I will allow a trade union rep on my pension committee”. Often these have been the schemes that had taken pensions holidays in the past or invested your money unchallenged and unquestioned in Icelandic Banks and Lehman brothers.

Also many of you would have had the company Fidelity as your fund manager. Fidelity is one of the leading contributors to the Conservative Party funds despite not declaring this conflict when they tout your schemes for business. This means that profits from your pension contributions, your deferred pay, are being funneled back into the hands of David Cameron who is ideological opposed to secure pensions and of course is planning to dismantle all public sector pensions.

Finally conference you need to be a pension rep to be a champion of human rights. Many of you will attend lobbies, go on demos, buy fair trade products or write letters in support of the environment, free trade unions and anti-poverty campaigns. Why then not be a pension rep and learn from your Union how to challenge your fund managers and make sure they take your members concerns on board with the companies that you own.

Conference – please support this motion and please get local reps to start looking after their own money.

(photo of some early UNISON pension activists preparing to do battle to save our LGPS scheme)

2 comments:

Charlie Marks said...

Great shame you weren't able to make this speech, John, and that there wasn't time for the motion to be debated. This is a very important issue for working people and your work on this subject is admirable.

John Gray said...

Cheers Charlie!