The NEU teaching union “will not hesitate” to take industrial action if necessary where members’ Teachers’ Pension Scheme status is at risk, its general secretary has said.
At the union’s annual conference in Harrogate, members voted for a motion calling for the defence of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) in all schools and opposition to any attempts to leave the scheme.
“The NEU will not hesitate to defend our members where their TPS status is at risk, including industrial action if necessary,” general secretary Daniel Kebede said.
Teachers at the conference also supported an amendment to a motion that called United Learning’s plan for an alternative pension scheme “dangerous”.
Against alternative teacher pensions
The biggest academy trust’s plan would allow teachers to opt out of the TPS for a scheme that allows them to receive more take-home pay in exchange for lower pension benefits.
The amendment said the move to offer an alternative pension scheme “could fundamentally disturb sector-wide terms and conditions and undermine current pay scales”.
It also called for NEU branches to hold meetings with members in United Learning schools, recruit reps and hold ballots for industrial action to ensure that all state schools remain within the TPS.
Sir Jon Coles, chief executive of United Learning, has emphasised that teachers at the trust will continue to be offered TPS under its plan.
“Likewise, we agree that teachers currently in TPS shouldn’t move into an alternative scheme without being well informed, which is why we are offering any teacher considering a change access to free independent financial advice,” he added.
“However, one in 10 of our teachers under 40 has opted out of TPS without any alternative available.”
The alternative plan has been mooted as a way of addressing the teacher recruitment and retention crisis. Sir Jon has further suggested that teachers should be able to choose how much of their compensation to take as salary and pension.
In a letter to the NASUWT teaching union last week, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said she is concerned that alternative pension schemes could lead to younger teachers making financial decisions without realising the impact on their retirement.
She added that a proposal for a different pension scheme would need to be approved by the Department for Education after the submission of a business case, and added that no such case has been submitted.
It was reported previously that the government has opposed United Learning’s plan, which Sir Jon criticised.
NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach urged the trust to withdraw its pension proposal.
The plan has also been also criticised by the NAHT school leaders’ union and the Association of School and College Leaders.
The motion voted for by NEU members today also calls for the encouragement of all teachers to join and retain TPS membership.
‘Personal choice’
Sir Jon said all United Learning schools are still within the TPS and are staying there.
“The even better news is that we’re offering NEU members a personal choice as to whether to stay in TPS or to take their compensation in a different way - with more pay now and lower pension contributions.
“That doesn’t affect any other scheme member, whose future pension is guaranteed by the taxpayer.”
The minimum employer contribution teachers could receive under ULT’s alternative pension offer is 10 per cent. ULT added the alternative scheme and TPS have the same costs to the employer.
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