ESB - Retired Staff Association - ESB
HEAD OFFICE BRANCH – NEWSLETTER NO. 23 – OCTOBER 2008.
The Committee resumed activities with a meeting on 16th Sept. 2008.
AGM 2008
The Committee elected at the AGM on the 13TH May 2008 for 2008/9 was as follows :-
Chairman – Joe Casey; Secretary – Mary Kenny; Treasurer – Frank Farrelly.
Committee Members – Séamus O’Donohoe, (also a Trustee),
Billy Kelly, (also a Trustee), Paddy MacRory, Derek Hackett and
Finbarr Lynch.
The Secretary’s and Treasurer’s Reports were adopted and E.S.B. Group Internal Auditors were re-appointed as Auditors.
A prize draw was held for those in attendance.
Joe La Cumbre, who is now on VSS and is a Trustee of the Superannuation Fund, gave a rousing talk on what he thought the priorities of the Association should be and left nobody in any doubt that the loss of the indexation of our pensions to the salaries of serving staff is the core issue. He suggested that we should seek observer status at the negotiations currently taking place between the E.S.B. and the Group of Unions. To that end a meeting with Davy Naughton, Secretary of the Group of Unions, should be sought. A meeting should also be sought with the C.E.O. of the E.S.B. to express our concerns about the change in the terms of our pension contract and the lack of consultation with pensioners. This view was strongly endorsed by the meeting and it was agreed that the H.O. Branch would write to our National Executive Committee, (NEC), to try to persuade them to take action along these lines.
Since then, Davy Naughton has attended the AGM of the NEC on the 10th July 2008 where he listened to the views of pensioners and made his own comments. He didn’t agree to give us observer status at the current negotiations, (which he described as no more than a sort of “window shopping”), but has undertaken to attend future meetings of the NEC to keep us informed. This isn’t quite the outcome we had hoped for but can be regarded as a step in the right direction.
The NEC has requested a meeting with the C.E.O. of the E.S.B. but so far no response has been received.
PENSION SCHEME REPORT
You will have seen from the Annual report for 2007 that the value of the Fund increased by €49,000 to €3,853 million and that, although the growth in the Fund was small, the Actuary was reasonably satisfied that the Scheme was on track to meet the Minimum Funding Standard of the Pensions Board by 2013. It remains to be seen how the turmoil in the world financial markets during 2008 has affected the Fund. It will test the skills of the Trustees and the Investment Advisers to ride out this storm. But a way has to found to restore equilibrium.
THE BUDGET (see also www.superann2u2.wordpress.com)
As things stand it’s a double whammy for over 70’s. If you have not already done so, write down how this budget affects you, write to your constituency TD’s and let them know how you feel. You don’t need to give personal specifics – just indicate how you are affected and how you feel about it. Every letter or email counts.
NATIONAL PAY AGREEMENT
The Draft was published in the press on 18th Sept. 2008. There is a pay pause of three months, (eleven months in the public service), and then 3.5% increase for the next 6 months followed by 2.5% for the next 12 months. It has now to be voted on by the Social Partners. Since the increases are well below the inflation rate, there will be a reduction of purchasing power. No doubt this is part of the “pain” recently mentioned by the government.
RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN
The H.O. Branch took the initiative in this campaign which was long overdue. As you know, an insertion in the “Electric Mail” was used so that every pensioner would be given the opportunity to reply. Over 1,300 pensioners did so and as a result every Branch of the Association has gained new members. Our own Branch gained nearly 200 and is now at its highest membership ever – approaching 800 including VSS members. Dublin Region Branch gained 250 and must now be on a par with H.O. Branch. The total new membership is just under 800 countrywide and applications are still arriving. Also, many existing members sent in their Email addresses and several expressed their views and concerns. This gives the Association a stronger Mandate to pursue the interests of pensioners in every way we can. We intend to continue the recruitment campaign using regular advertisements in the “Electric Mail”, because there are still many more pensioners who could join and give us an even stronger voice.
We would like to express our thanks to Bernie Healy, Editor of the “Electric Mail”, to Marie Collins and the staff of Pensions Office, for their great help with the campaign; to Dublin Region Branch for meeting half the costs and to Larry McSweeney and the staff of Payroll Office for undertaking the considerable chore of sorting and inputting the large volume of applications. Our sincere thanks to all.
SOCIAL EVENT
Our very first Social Event was organised by Mary Kenny in May 2008. A day trip to Belfast was arranged. Up to twenty members travelled on the morning “Enterprise”. Nothing formal was planned except that Mary had listed various options which were published with the notice of the event. So everyone found their own pastime for five or six enjoyable hours before returning on the evening train. It’s a small beginning. Your suggestions would be welcome. Another event will be organised about the same time in 2009.
CONCLUSION
We would appeal to all existing members to act as recruitment agents by appealing to any pensioners you know who haven’t joined to do so.
Deduction-at-Source Mandate Forms can be obtained from :-
Frank Farrelly, 46 Granville Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
Tel.: 01-2854627 ; Email : francisjfarrelly@eircom.net
Please refer also to our Blog site, www.superann2u2.wordpress.com from which further information can be gleaned. You will also find there up-to-date news and views. Your comments are invited through the Blog. Don’t leave it to the other person.
Finally, a hearty welcome to our new members – tá fáilte romhaibh.
Many thanks also to those who advised their email addresses. We will send out a test mail at an early date to acknowledge receipt and to test the transcription.
On behalf of the Committee.
JOE CASEY, Chairman.
