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Isle of Man Government
Consultation on Public Sector Pension Reform
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On 30 November 2009 the Isle of Man Government briefed trade union representatives on their response to the consultation on public sector pension reform. Their proposals are contained in a Council of Ministers' Report and were outlined in a note to members by Neil Walsh, Prospect's Pension Officer. The timeframe for replying to the latest proposals is quite short and Prospect must understand members' views of the latest developments in order to respond appropriately. We are therefore asking you to complete this survey in order to help Prospect in taking the next steps on this vital issue.
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The main changes to the Government's proposals since the end of the consultation period are:
i) The two tier system of "core" and "supplementary" benefits has been replaced by a single tier with a member contribution of 5% and a normal pension age of 65 (though members can pay more to retain their existing benefits, this is estimated to be an extra 2.5 - 4%.
ii) Contribution rate increases will be phased in over a maximum of 7 year period.
iii) Members aged 53 or above when the proposals are implemented will maintain the same benefits as currently, however their contribution will rise to 5%.
iv) Risk-sharing mechanism will see overall cost shared 1/3 : 2/3 between members and employers in the long term.
v) (For completeness) all pension accrued before implementation date remains protected.
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There have been concessions by the Isle of Man Government following the consultation that take into account of some of the responses from Prospect members. Some aspects of the Government's proposals are not controversial and are even necessary for the schemes to be put on a sustainable footing. However, overall, the latest proposals involve significant changes that are detrimental to members' pension arrangements. It is important that members ensure their opinions on these new proposals are heard.
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We are all aware that there are other significant issues relating to the economic position of the Isle of Man and the terms and conditions of Prospect members, but it is important to view proposals affecting long-term pension arrangements on their merits and in their long-term context. Prospect needs to know what members' attitudes to the latest proposals are in order to plan an effective response. We will continue to engage positively with the Isle of Man Government, the consultants and others in order to achieve the best possible outcome for our members and the Isle of Man overall.
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You will need your Prospect membership number to complete the survey, this is on your membership card. We need your membership number to ensure that ONLY Prospect members take part in the survey and that we maintain the integrity of the survey responses. All replies will be treated in confidence. The data is collected by Prospect's survey team from the Prospect web server. Responses will be aggregated to safeguard the anonymity of respondents. If you do not know your membership number you can request this by emailing goa2@manx.net
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The survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete. To orientate through the survey answer as many questions as you are able and use the buttons at the bottom of the page, not the back button on the browser. To move forward click the 'next' button, to return to a question click 'back', to change your answers on that page click 'refresh' and click 'submit' on the final page to complete the survey.
The survey will close on Friday 22 January 2010. Thank you for taking the time to give us your views.
Angela Moffatt
Prospect Negotiations Officer
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Prospect Membership Number
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To help us analyse the survey results can we request that you complete the following questions.
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Of which pension scheme are you a member? (To carry on with the survey you must answer this question)
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IoM Government's latest pension proposals
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On balance, are you satisfied for a single unified public sector pension scheme, as outlined in the latest proposals, to be implemented?
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Could you be satisfied with the latest proposals for a single unified public sector pension scheme IF there were further concessions that provided more transitional protections to existing members but left the main thrust of the proposals broadly unchanged?
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Would you ONLY be satisfied with reforms that applied solely to new entrants and left all existing members unaffected?
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Consultation on Pension Proposals
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Are you satisfied with the way the Isle of Man Government has responded to the concerns and views expressed by members and their representatives during the latest consultation period?
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Are you satisfied with the way Prospect has handled the proposed changes to the public sector schemes to date?
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Is the issue of public sector pension reform, and your MHK's voting record on it, likely to influence how you vote in the next election?
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Consultation on Pension Proposals
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Prospect will continue to contribute positively to discussions over public sector pension reform and is hopeful of arriving at an outcome that is acceptable to our members and meets the Government's aims. However, in the event that pension proposals that are not acceptable to our members being unilaterally imposed by the Isle of Man Government would you consider industrial action: (This is NOT an industrial action ballot, it will give us an indication of the strength of feeling on this issue.)
a) Taking industrial action, short of strike action, in order to defend your pension entitlement?
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b) Taking industrial action, possibly including strike action, in order to defend your pension entitlement?
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Thank you for completing the survey
To feedback more detailed views email goa2@manx.net
Please remember to email your MHK(s) with your views on this process.
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