EPSU Pensions Working Group
1 June 2006, 9.00 - 17.00,
Jean Monnet Building, Room Glesener, Luxembourg
Governments and other public service employers continue to make significant changes to pension schemes across Europe. They argue that they are responding to demographic changes and the need to control pension costs. The result is often a shift to higher retirement ages and lower benefits.
But even while facing these major challenges, EPSU affiliates also have to respond on other issues - gender equality, portability of pension rights, control over pension schemes and collective bargaining as well as trying to make pension fund investment more socially responsible. These were all highlighted in the pensions resolution agreed at the EPSU Congress in June 2004.
The aim of this working group will be to provide some direction to EPSU’s work on pensions. It should help establish some immediate priorities for work in the second half of the year in the lead up to the collective bargaining conference on 30 November-1 December. From there we can look to drafting a specific policy proposal for the Executive Committee to consider in early 2007.
Beyond that the working group should give an indication of what other potential work on pensions should be undertaken in the remainder of the current Congress period up to 2009.
Speakers will include Henri Lourdelle of the ETUC, who will be setting out the ETUC’s position on portability of pension rights, and David Boys of PSI, who will introduce the discussion on socially responsible investment.
Practical details
The working group is open to all affiliated unions and is targeted at colleagues who are involved in and have responsibility for pensions.
We would particularly encourage affiliates to bear in mind EPSU policy on achieving gender balance in our activities by nominating women delegates.
Interpretation has been requested to and from English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish. We have also requested that you may speak but not listen to: Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Dutch and Portuguese
The working group will take place in Luxembourg, at the Jean Monnet Building, Room M3, rue Albert Wehrer, Plateau du Kirchberg, starting at 9:00am on Thursday 1 June 2006 and ending at 5:00pm.
A hotel list offering preferential tariffs to EPSU / ETUC is attached.
It may be possible to reimburse the travel and accommodation costs of a small number of participants.
Please return the enclosed participation form to the EPSU Secretariat by 15 May 2006 at the latest. Thank you.
Participation form
Draft programme
pensions resolution agreed at the EPSU Congress in June 2004
List of hotels and map
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