Dear Brother/Sister
RDS Employment Tribunal Pension Claims
(Matthews and others v Kent and Medway Towns Fire Authority and others)
The previous All Members Circular 2021HOC0445MR 23 August 2021 provided an update on the negotiations taking place with the Home Office and the FRAs nationally to bring final settlement to the pensions’ aspects of the Employment Tribunal claims brought on behalf of RDS members under the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 (‘PTWR’).
Those negotiations are continuing and the FBU remains hopeful that a favourable outcome, as previously described, will be achieved.
Consideration continues to be given in the negotiations to an issue relating (in the main) to transfers from RDS to wholetime employment. This issue will need to be accommodated in any agreement.
Otherwise, it remains the case that there is expected to be a ‘second options’ exercise, as explained previously, which will take place via statutory instrument amending the NFPS. The Home Office will commit to introducing the legislation ‘as soon as reasonably practicable’. The second options exercise will start as soon as reasonably practicable after the legislation comes into force.
RDS firefighters who decide to take up the offer of membership under the second options exercise will be required to pay relevant employee contributions.
The union expects to be issuing a further more detailed circular shortly concerning the RDS/wholetime transfer issue under consideration and what members will need to do.
Yours in Unity,
Mark Rowe
National Officer
Circular ref
2021HOC0609MR
