A LOCAL MP has vowed to support former pit workers who are calling for ‘justice’ over their pension scheme.
A demonstration was held at Barnsley South MP Stephanie Peacock’s Hoyland headquarters on King Street by ex-workers last Friday.
The location was chosen due to her work on both the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme (MPS) and the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS).
Following years of campaigning, Labour delivered justice on the MPS last year by returning the £1bn investment reserve fund to members.
Eligible ex-miners received an immediate uplift to their pensions, with increased payments worth an average of £29 a week.
Minister Sarah Jones confirmed that she had also met the BCSSS trustees and has committed to talking to the Treasury about their proposals.
The MPS has about 120,000 pensioner and deferred members, while the BCSSS has roughly 41,000.
Previous governments are believed to have taken £4.8bn out of the MPS fund, and £3.2bn out of BCSSS, so therefore those on that scheme were also owed money.
Gerald O’Brien, 68, from Hoyland, has called for more to be done to support those former pit workers who are owed money.
He told the Chronicle: “We’re all members of the BCSSS.
“There’s a pot of money that’s been taken from the pension, or put aside from the scheme, that we want back.
“We’re all older men and every year, the people that are due that money are passing on.
“That’s not fair.
“We’re here to protest about it.
“There are MPs that have brought it to the table and it’s supposedly going to be sorted out.
“But it’s not quick enough.”
He added that although the MPS has been approved - and rightly so - there should be more pressure on government to ensure those not under that scheme are also given the money they are owed.
“The MPS has been settled, they’ve got their money and their members are benefiting from that greatly which is fantastic,” he added.
“We want the same.
“We want that money put back in our pension scheme so it enhances our pensions, especially in this day and age with everything going up and up.
“We want more pressure.
“We need an answer on when it’s going to happen, and how quickly.”
The BCSSS trustees have called on its members to write to MP Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury or the Minister for Industry Sarah Jones.
The trustees have confirmed that their position is that the £2.3bn BCSSS investment reserve should be transferred to members as soon as possible, and that the government should commit to review how any future surplus in the BCSSS is shared between members and the government.
John Musgrave, also of Hoyland, helped lead the demonstration last Friday morning.
He added: “We want to get justice.
“If mineworkers have got their justice, then we should have ours.
“I blame our leaders of our pension scheme.
“They should have been in when the mineworkers’ gaffers put their claim in for it.
“They’ve sat back while everyone else was getting theirs.”
Ms Peacock told the Chronicle that she met with Minister Jones last week.
She added: “A number of people have been in touch regarding the BCSSS and the similarities with some of the injustices in the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme which Labour delivered on a few months ago.
“I have met with the BCSSS Trustees both in my constituency office and in Parliament.
“I’ve spoken to the Minister responsible Sarah Jones, a number of times, most recently last week.
“I am pleased that the Minister has met with the Trustees’ to hear their concerns, and their proposals for reform, and had agreed to take them to the Treasury.”
