Retired Members’ Association
Since 1985 GMB’s Retired Members Association (RMA) has continued to grow. Retired members and their partners are urged to maintain an active interest in the activities of the RMA such as those below.
The RMA has four key objectives:
- to provide practical assistance in the recruitment, retention and organisational objectives of the GMB wherever and whenever possible
- to campaign on behalf of retired GMB members and thus bring about dignity in retirement
- to work in partnership with like-minded pensioner groups whenever it is appropriate to do so and
- at all times comply with the equal opportunity policies of the GMB.
These aims and objectives are about furthering the interests and aspirations of retired members and their partners, building and maintaining the goals of our 65,000 plus retired members nationally and developing a seamless link with the working membership of the GMB.
You joined the GMB to protect and advance your interests at work and the same criteria apply in retirement. If you are interested, or about to retire, and would like to stay active and involved in GMB activities, please contact either Lita Southam or Graham Benton at GMB Sheffield. (contact details below)
RMA 2011 Annual Trip
The Hotel Benidorm Plaza is in the centre of Benidorm, next to the lively Triangular Square and just 300 metres from the beautiful Levante beach. This four star hotel offers an unusual multi-coloured decor, comfortable guestrooms, a great buffet and ample entertainment suitable for all ages. The Benidorm Plaza’s 226 rooms include twins, doubles and also junior suites. All rooms are fully equipped with en-suite bathroom facilities, satellite television, a balcony or terrace and air conditioning in peak season. The hotel has plenty of facilities to enjoy including a variety of sunbathing terraces - one of which offers an amazing panoramic view of Benidorm, an outdoor adult’s pool which is covered and heated during the winter months, a children’s pool for younger guests, a salon bar, a pool bar and a popular restaurant. There is also a fitness room, a sauna and a Jacuzzi (with extra charge) and finally a comprehensive daily entertainment programme.
The Benidorm Plaza will appeal to couples and families looking for a comfortable, centrally located hotel with a range of onsite facilities. Benidorm’s many wonderful bars, restaurants and clubs are within easy reach as is the superb Levante Beach. The hotel has a swimming pool for adults (which can be covered and heated in winter) and a separate pool for children. Spacious terraces surround the pool providing ample space to relax in the sun.
All rooms have - bathroom/shower - WC - hairdryer - telephone - satellite TV - balcony/terrace – air conditioning from June to September – safe and minibar to hire - (certain amenities may be payable locally) The hotel’s buffet style restaurant serves a variety of different cuisines every night and you can get refreshments from the salon bar and the pool bar.
Interested? Fly from Manchester Airport 29th March 2011 at 8:10am, arriving Alicante 12.00pm returning from Alicante Airport 12th April 2011 at 21:10pm, arriving Manchester 23:00.
The cost for 14 nights full board is £576.24 per person and the luggage allowance is 20kg (44lbs)
We do have rooms available, but these will be offered on a strictly first come first served basis. A deposit of £250.00 per person will be payable as soon as possible (cheques please made out to GMB) with the remainder due in November 2010. You will have to have your own insurance and make your own way to Manchester airport.
Further details from Lita Southam at GMB Sheffield on 0114 2527571.
GMB Pensions News - May 2010
NEW CON/DEM GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES
The coalition government published a list of priority policies, in which there were a number of pension issues covered. As readers will know our analysis of manifestos revealed a worrying number of similar pension policies between the Lib Dems and Tories, most of which will make for tough reading for GMB members. Here are the main pensions policies that the coalition Government hopes to progress (starting with the nicest and getting progressively worse):
- From April 2011, the basic state pension will increase by the better of earnings inflation, RPI price inflation or 2.5%
- The Default Retirement Age (of 65) is to be phased out
- Support automatic enrolment of employees into pension schemes
- Explore the possibility of allowing people greater flexibility in accessing their pension savings early
- Stop the requirement for people who have a defined contribution pension to take an annuity by the age of 75 (thereby making pension savings income tax exempt at the point of saving and potentially inheritance tax exempt on death for those who don’t need to rely on their pension pot for income)
- Simplify the rules and regulations relating to pensions to help reinvigorate occupational pensions, encouraging companies to offer high quality employees to all employees. (On the face of it this may look positive, but it may be precede a veiled attack on many valuable protections that are built into occupational pensions and put more focus on employer discretions.)
- Consult on moving away from a final salary pension scheme for MPs (fine if you’re not an MP, but a worrying precedent for other public sector workers)
- Establish an independent commission to review the long term affordability of public sector pensions, while protecting accrued rights. (The protection is a legal requirement. We would welcome a truly independent commission that is interested in the facts rather than a narrow-viewed body with a pre-conceived remit to make cuts.)
- Will hold a review into bringing forward the planned increase to the State Pension Age to age 66; from 2026 to 2016 for men and 2020 for women. (Unfair, and probably illegal as it contravenes the European requirement to equalise pension ages between the sexes.)
CHANGES TO THE STATE PENSION FROM 6 APRIL 2010
Several important reforms to the state pension are set to take effect from this date:
• An increase in the age from which women can receive their state pension. Currently this is a woman’s 60th birthday, but from 6 April, this will start to gradually rise until it is equalised with a man’s state pension age (65) by April 2020. GMB’s guide to state pension ages can be downloaded for more information. Recent legislation will also mean that state pension ages will increase further starting in 2024 with the intention of increasing the state pension age for all to 68 by 2046. The Tories have announced an intention to bring forward this further increase to state pension age.
• A reduction in the criteria needed to qualify for a basic state pension. The current National Insurance requirement is that a man must have paid National Insurance for 44 years, and a woman for 39 years, in order to receive a full basic state pension (currently £95.25 per week). This is set to reduce to 30 years for all for those who reach state pension age on or after 6 April 2010. For each year of National Insurance paid (or credited) individuals would receive 1/30th of the full basic state pension.
• The system of crediting National Insurance to carers of children under 12, or a sick or disable person is set to be simplified meaning that these credits will be applied more regularly and should be automatically credited for parents receiving Child Benefit or Carers receiving Income Support. More can be seen at the Government’s website.
STATE PENSION INCREASES FOR EX-PATS
The Basic State Pension tends to increase in line with price inflation each year, although there is a commitment to improve the level of increases to earnings related by the end of the next parliament. Pensioners living abroad may also receive increases to their state pension depending on where they live – the UK has agreements in place that means that pensioners living in some countries (e.g. EU countries) but not others (e.g. Australia or Canada) will receive annual increases to their pension. A recent legal challenge to this arrangement has been defeated, meaning that this practice will continue. More on state pensions for ex-pats can be seen at the Government website.
GMB RMA Members’ Annual Outing Leeds/Bradford to Whitby
Thursday, 2nd September 2010
Two coaches will leave Leeds Parish Church arriving in time for lunch at 12:00. This will be two course lunch with a steak and mushroom as the main course at the Royal Hotel. (Please notify any dietary requests). After lunch is free time.
09:30am - Depart Leeds Parish Church
11:30am - Arrive Whitby - Royal Hotel
12:00 - Lunch
1:30pm - Free Time
4:30pm - Light tea
6:00pm - Leave for home
Arrive back at Leeds - 8:00pm (approx)
Sale of tickets = GMB Office in Sheffield
Price : £12 ( no refund) - Cheques payable to GMB.
Any queries can be directed to - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or mob 07762 101426 or GMB Offices on 0845 337 7777.
GMB RMA Members’ Annual Outing From York to Whitby
Wednesday, 1st September 2010
Two coaches have been booked routed via Pickering arriving in time for lunch at 12 noon with a two course lunch with a steak and mushroom pie as the main option at the Royal Hotel. (Please notify of any dietary requirements)
10am - Depart Memorial Gardens, Leeman Road
11.30am - Arrive Royal Hotel, Whitby
12.00 - Lunch
1.30pm - free time
4.30pm - Light tea
6pm - Leave for home
7.30pm - arrive back York (approx)
Sale of tickets; GMB York, Gillygate any day except Friday from 12th July 2010. Price £12 (no refund) Cheques payable to ‘GMB’.
Queries to 01904 605658 on Tuesdays from 9.30am - 11.30am or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or GMB York on 0845 337 7777.
Regional RMA Committee
The latest meeting of the Regional Retired Members’ Association Committee was held at Grove Hall, Wakefield at 10.30am on 15th June 2010(download the minutes of the meeting below) and the next will be on Tuesday, 12th October 2010, also at Grove Hall starting at 10.30am.
RMA Minutes 17th June 08.pdf
RMA Minutes 7th October 08.doc
RMA Minutes 19th February 09.doc
RMA Minutes 19th June 2009.pdf
RMA Minutes 6th October 2009.pdf
RMA Minutes 26th February 2010.pdf
RMA Minutes 15th June 2010.pdf
Your committee members are Bernard Barron, Stan Bradbury, Dick Hazel, Billy Hinsliffe, Neil Moore, Barry Christopherson, Marjorie Jones and George Tutill. If any of our retired members have issues for the agenda that you wish the committee to discuss please forward them to Lita Southam at GMB Sheffield.
Pictured at the RMA committee meeting in Grove Hall on Tuesday, 17th June 2008 discussing Congress ‘08 with the Regional Secretary are from left to right, Ralph Baxter, Dick Hazel, Neil Moore, George Tutill, Tim Roache, Bill Hinsliffe and Barry Christopherson.
S99 South Yorkshire RMA Branch Meeting Dates for 2010
The branch meets regularly in the GMB Sheffield office at 188-190 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1SY, tel: 0845 337 7777 and all are welcome for a 10.30am start.
Business: September 9th; October 14th; November 4th and December 9th.
Social: August 26th; September 23rd; October 28th and November 25th.
Please check on 0845 337 7777 before setting off!
National Pensioners Convention
Declaration: “This Convention declares that every pensioner has the right to choice, dignity, independence and security as an integral and valued member of society. These rights require an adequate state pension linked to average earnings, comprehensive free health care and concessionary travel on public transport.”
- for further details click here
Your regional RMA contacts are:
Lita Southam, Secretary, GMB Sheffield, tel 0845 337 7777 or email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
and
Graham Benton, Senior Organiser/Regional RMA Coordinator, GMB Sheffield, tel: 0845 337 7777 or email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
*Remember - retire from work but not from the union!*
GMB Pensions Policy
To ensure all GMB members have the ability to live with dignity and security in work and in retirement.
Occupational Pensions
*All employers should contribute a reasonable amount to their employees’ retirement through good occupational pension schemes
*Pensions should be a standard feature of all collective bargaining agreements reflecting the importance of this part of the remuneration package
*Better protection for pensions when a company’s ownership changes so that no employee is disadvantaged in terms of pension provision as a result of the change of ownership of their employer
*The Pension Protection Fund should incorporate provision for the terminally ill to access a lump sum benefit from the fund
*Consultation on pension changes should involved meaningful discussion of options and be approached with a genuine intention to reach agreement
*All pension schemes should have 50% member representation on their governance boards
State Pensions
*Immediate restoration of the earnings linked indexation of the basic state pension when better than RPI linking
*Cash injection to the basic state pension to restore its value since the link was broken
*Abolition of means testing for pension benefits
*Reform of National Insurance to enable more women and carers to build up pension entitlement
*Improved flexibility of the provision for individuals to buy back National Insurance contributions
*Opposition to the increase in the state pension age until there is an equitable distribution of longevity expectations
*Indexation of the Winter Fuel Allowance to cover pensioners’ utility bills
Your Memories Wanted
Your memories are wanted for a new book - Did you work in or around Sheffield in the 1950’s or 60’s? Perhaps you worked in the cities famous steel industry or within one of the many engineering or manufacturing works? If so we’d love to hear your stories and memories from that time. Shop floor up to management, we’re interested in all your industrial tales.