From Bob Crow, General Secretary ...

Dear Colleague,

I am pleased to be able to advise members that the issue of ill-health pensions payable from the TfL Pension Fund has been resolved.

Our London Transport members will recall that in 2006 RMT started fighting a lone rear-guard action against management’s attempts to undermine the very valuable ill-health arrangements offered by the TfL Pension fund. Management wanted to turn the qualification for an ill-health pension from an ‘own job’ test to an ‘all work test.’

The changes proposed would have resulted in anyone leaving employment owing to ill-health being unable to obtain access to an ill health pension if they were able to do any other work for another employer. RMT stood out against this fundamental change at the Pensions Working Group and through our nominee on the Trustee Board.

Last August I wrote advising that management’s attempts to change the Ill-health arrangements had been defeated. Since then, following discussions at the latter end of last year, the TfLPF Trustees have accepted revised guidelines to assist in dealing with ill-health cases. These were presented to the Unions at a Pensions Joint Working Group where agreement was reached.

Since that agreement, Guidelines to be used by the Fund Office to implement the revised arrangements have been formulated and agreed.

A short version of the ‘Guidelines’ has been agreed for the use of representatives and a copy is attached hereto for information.

I am sure members will appreciate that but for the strong and resolute stance taken in negotiations by RMT’s representatives, TfL Pension Fund members who suffer from a decline in their health would be considerably worse off. Our success in rebutting management’s objectives highlights once again the importance of a strong trade union presence in all negotiations.

Yours sincerely,

R. Crow General Secretary