Lobby of Tower Hamlets Pension Committee over Clarion & Riverside breaking promises

This evening I went to make a submission to Tower Hamlets Council Pension Committee with a UNISON colleague, Julie. Both of us use to work for Tower Hamlets Council as housing officers. Julie worked in the Isle of Dogs and I worked in Bow.  In 2005 Julie and her colleagues were tupe transferred into what is now called Riverside Housing Group. 

I was tupe transferred  in 2007 into what is now called Clarion Housing Group. At the time of transfer all of us was promised by our new employers, that we could keep our entitlement to a Council Pension scheme. I am the only one left in Clarion who use to work in Tower Hamlets and Julie is only one of 5 left in Riverside from these transfers. Other Clarion UNISON members are in the London Merton fund, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Kent and Surrey.

Now, Clarion have decided to go back on its promises to around 60 of its staff and similar promises to keep a decent pension scheme for another 220 staff. They are planning to enforce this by "Fire & Rehire" dismissal process on 1 December 2023. 

Riverside have only just started a "consultation process" but it is clear from the paperwork I have seen that they boast they have got rid of similar pension promises before and no doubt they fully intend to do the same again.

We pointed out that if organisations break their promises to their staff, then Councils will be concerned that they will also break promises to residents, planning committees and strategic partners. 

We were allowed to make a short verbal submission and leave a briefing note. Many thanks to the Chair of the Committee, Cllr Kabir for allowing us to speak. Also to all the Councillors present, who make it clear their dissatisfaction with what is going on and that they have other serious concerns about Clarion and Riverside as landlords. 

In particular, Cllr Rachel Blake and Cllr Abdal Ullah, who pointed out that there are also long standing concerns about Clarion breaking past promises and they moved that Council officers should investigate this issue and the Committee should write to Clarion and Riverside. 

Julie made by far the most important submission by pointing out she had 37 years of service (I have only 30) to residents and she had been planning to retire in 3 years time. If this proposal goes ahead it will wreak her pension plans and due to her age she will have no time to make up the loss. 

West Ham Votes for Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson

A little late but last Thursday West Ham CLP narrowly nominated, Jeremy Corbyn, as Labour leader ahead of Liz Kendall, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper. Tom Watson, was nominated as Deputy leader beating Caroline Flint, Stella Creasy, Angela Eagle and Ben Bradshaw. Local boy Unmesh Desai was also comfortably nominated as the City & East GLA candidate ahead of Murad Qureshi, Howard Dawber, Abdal Ullah, Ashton McGregor & Feryal Demirci.

It was one of the largest West Ham meetings (122 members) I have attended and took place in the Vicarage Lane Community centre in my ward. All members were invited to give speeches and make nominations. I think probably a fifth of those present spoke including young and new members. The speeches were often quite passionate and waiting for the results was tense and rather exciting.  Everyone behaved themselves (even Red Tel) and  I think we did our CLP proud.

As a Party member I nominated Andy Burnham for leader and spoke in favour of Stella Creasy for Deputy. As a UNISON delegate I nominated Murad Qureshi for the GLA seat who has the support of Greater London UNISON.

Afterwards there was food and the traditional Labour Party raffle. When everything was cleared up a few die-hards went down to the Black Lion to further analyse in detail the results and debate the merits (or otherwise) of candidates.

Tower Hamlets Labour Councillors Iftar with the Community.

I had been invited on Tuesday evening by Labour Group leader (and long standing Unison member) Cllr Sirajul Islam to their Iftar at the
Waterlily function rooms at Mile End.

Ifter is the evening meal that Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. I have worked in Tower Hamlets for 20 years but this was the first formal Ifter I have ever attended.

It was a marvelous event with hundreds of guests and overflowing tables. I was somewhat surprised to see my old comrade, the Branch secretary of Unison Tower Hamlets Local Government branch present at this Labour Party event.  I wondered after all the trails and tribulations of his current Party if he is considering coming home to Labour?

Even more surprising was to see controversial Tower Hamlets blogger, a Sunday Express Editor and fellow North Wales Gog, Ted Jeory, with his lovely wife Alberta, who was brought up locally in Whitechapel. I just had to sit next to him and ask if he had felt any sharp pains in his back since he had been in the hall?

There were a number of speeches including by local Poplar & Limehouse MP Jim Fitzpatrick, who gave a rousing endorsement of Labour Tower Hamlets Mayor candidate, John Biggs, partly in Sylheti (apparently with a slight Scottish accent). While Bethnal Green and Bow MP, Rushanara Ali, claimed that Jim's Sylheti was better than hers! She introduced the star attraction, East London Labour Assembly Member and Mayor Candidate, John Biggs.
 
Also multi-faith contributions and prayers from Christian and Muslim preachers. Cllr Abdal Ullah was the main compere who kept things running smoothly and to time.

I think that you must have tremendous respect for British Muslims, for fasting from drawn to dusk in high summer. It cannot be easy at any time of the year but non Muslims I come across simply cannot believe that they are not able to drink water as well as eat no food during the current super hot and humid conditions. Many also pray early and late into the night which means they have to endure a lack of sleep as well.

Iftar is obviously a religious event but I most impressed with the courtesy and respect shown to guests such as myself. The fast finished that night at 9.10pm. I am not at all sure that I will have been so polite and well mannered if I had no food or drink for the previous 18 hours.

Hat tip pictures in collage to Sami Photography.

Update: Check out Hope Not Hate "The Big Iftar"  and "Dine at Mine" if you have never been to a Iftar.

Tower Hamlets Pension Committee 14 June 2012

I'm back this evening from the Pension Committee meeting at the Town Hall, Mulberry Place which started at 7.30pm. The usual Pension Investment Panel beforehand had been postponed. I met the new Committee Chair, Councillor Zenith Rahman for the first time, introduced by Councillor Abdal Ullah.

The pension fund performance in the last year has been slightly below benchmark for the 3 months and the year, but for 3 and 5 years has been over the benchmark.

The fund value is currently £830.8 million (up by £35.7 million) over the quarter.  The fund currently has 8 different fund managers. I did ask a question about how we make sure that the Absolute Return manager, Ruffer Total Return Fund, complied with our Statement of Investment Principles. I was assured that the investment panel monitors their compliance. I have must admit that Ruffer is a relatively new manager and I have missed a few of the last meetings due to clashes. I need to check on the Baillie Gifford Absolute Return fund as well.

In response to concern about the performance of certain fund managers I offered the thought that while I believe it is our role to make the highly paid managers of our funds are fully accountable for their performance (and beat them up from time to time if they under perform) we should be mindful that we are here for the long term and we should not pay too much attention to short term swings.

I can't believe that I have been a member of the Tower Hamlets pension scheme since 1993 and sat on the Investment panel since 1996! How time flies when you are enjoying yourself etc etc.

The Pension Committee meetings of your local administrating authority is open to the public although there may be closed parts of the meeting if there is sensitive and confidential information being discussed.