Thursday 20 June 2013
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RCM ‘reluctantly’ accepts NHS pension offer
RCM ‘reluctantly’ accepts NHS pension offer
The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has “reluctantly” accepted the government’s final NHS pension offer.
In what has been described as a “pragmatic decision”, 71.8% of college members voted to accept the offer with 28.2% rejecting the government’s proposal for pension reform.
However, only 20% of RCM members responded to the consultation.
Jon Skewes, Director of Employment Relations at the RCM, said the college is “disappointed” over the government’s reluctance to compromise on the rising of NHS workers’ retirement age to 68.
“It is very clear that RCM members have made a pragmatic decision, albeit it with a heavy heart, to accept the offer following the Government’s threats to impose a worse scheme which could have resulted in losing the protection for those closest to their retirement age,” he said.
A similar low turnout at trade union Unison’s ballot over NHS pension reform also gave no mandate for strike action.
