NO INCOME PROTECTION OR SECURITY IN RETIREMENT FOR IASS IRISH RETIREES - FORMER AERLINGUS & DUBLIN AIRPORT EMPLOYEES - 

FROM JANUARY 2015 to DECEMBER 2024

RETIREES'  BASIC MONTHLY PAY REDUCED 

TOTAL TAKEN UNILATERALLY - TO DATE 

c€60m  cumulative

THIS IS THE CUMULATIVE AMOUNT THAT RETIREES' ACTUAL BASIC MONTHLY INCOME IS COMPULSORILY REDUCED BY CUTS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 2015.

THIS IS THE THIRD CUT TO  INCOME IN RETIREMENT - FIRST IN 2008

ONLY GROUP OF IASS OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEME MEMBERS EXCLUDED BY EMPLOYERS/TRUSTEES & STATE FROM MITIGATION BY WAY OF BUY-OUT/TRANSFER VALUE    

DECISIONS TAKEN ABOUT US BY THOSE AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE 

 NO VOICE FOR RETIREES AT THE TABLE OR COMPENSATION!!

December 2024:   Elections took place for four member elected representatives to the Irish Airlines [General Employees] Superannuation Scheme.     RASA Executive Member P Fagan was elected to this committee. 

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November 2024 

Points for IASS Retirees to raise with Candidates in the General Election

RASA has produced a Hand Out for IASS Retirees to use at their front doors or anywhere else that they interact with Candidates in the General Election .    It would be great if you could print it and hand it to any Candidates you meet.

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RETIRED AVIATION STAFF ASSOCIATION

Pensioners at Aer Lingus, DAA, SAA

IASS Pension

POINTS FOR CANDIDATES

-       No Cost-of-Living Increases for years

-       Still Paying Pension Levy

-       Pensions Cut by 10/20%

-       Barred from a Voice at the Table

WE WANT THIS FIXED AND 

TO GET OUR MONEY BACK

HELP US TO END AUSTERITY NOW

The Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment published its detailed scrutiny report on the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021 

Moved to Stage 3. 

Full report available on the Oireachtas Website - Report on the Detail Scrutiny of the Industrial Relations Bill 2021 

This Private Member's Bill - Brid Smith TD , was brought before the Dail as follows:

Dail agreed to move to Stage 3. 

"Brid Smith TD ...That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)(a) and 178(1).

It is with honour, on behalf of the retired workers who have campaigned for more than a decade now and are in the Gallery today, that I move this.

 I am delighted to see the Bill move to Committee Stage. I thank the committee"

Question put and agreed to.

                                                                                                  October 23 2024. 

*SEPTEMBER 2024 UPDATE TO MEMBERS: RASA Request to Government re IASS Pension – Redress Fund and Case Review

RASA ASKS GOVERNMENT TO SET UP A 'REDRESS FUND' AND A CASE REVIEW OF IASS DEFINED BENEFIT OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEME FOR DAA/SAA/AER LINGUS PENSIONERS.

As you are aware from ongoing RASA updates in XEI Newsletters and on RASA website, RASA representatives have both written to and met with various Government Ministers, Elected Local Representatives, Trustees, Employers and others to outline and remind them of the negative outcome of their decisions on RASA pensioners in receipt of their pensions that was set at date of retirement as a Defined Benefit. The decisions of Government Ministers/Trustees/Employers and others in January 2015 for instance cut IASS Irish pensioners in receipt of their pension by 10%/20%.  These cuts to IASS 2015 pensioners' annual income were on top of no 'cost of living increase' from 2008 and from 2011 a Government Pension Levy deduction for their lifetime.

As a reminder, these decisions, approved and imposed by Government/Employers/Trustees and others to reduce their pensions in payment were introduced during 'the period of austerity' and also involved the restructuring of their Defined Benefit Occupational Pension Scheme. RASA pensioners had no 'voice at the table' during the restructuring of their Defined Benefit Occupational Pension scheme and were excluded from mitigation/compensation for the restructuring of their pension benefit that reduced their monthly income in payment. Those on pension were considered not to have any 'rights, and not to be 'stakeholders' in their own Defined Benefit Occupational Schemes by Government and Sponsoring Employers.     

The cuts and the restructuring of pensioners' income paved the way for the sale by the State of one of the sponsoring employers, Aer Lingus. The State received c€350m from this sale and has also received significant annual dividends from DAA - the other main sponsoring employers. On top of these funds the State has also received funds from the Pension Levy which is being recovered from these pensioners who are in receipt of their pensions.

RASA now considers that it is time for the Government, who were involved in these decisions, approved the cuts to those IASS pensioners receiving their monthly income and excluded them from the mitigation/compensation at the time of restructuring of their pension, to address this unfinished business from the 2015 Restructuring of their IASS Defined Benefit Occupational Pension Scheme.  

In recent months RASA has written again to Government Ministers with a resolution to this situation. 

This resolution asks for the immediate set up of a 'Redress Fund for IASS pensioners' and a case review.

We await a reply. 

RASA PENSION SUB COMMITTEE - SEPTEMBER 27 2024.

May 28 2024- RASA – Pensioners’ Rights Briefing Session:

Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021 organised by Irish Senior Citizens Parliament and the Collective Network of Retired Workers

RASA would like to thank all IASS pensioners who came along to this event, especially those who travelled from outside of Dublin.   The event attracted a large number of pensioner members from all Pensioner Association members of the Collective Network and the room was full to capacity.  CEO, Pat Mellon, Irish Senior Citizens Parliament spoke to the meeting and said that they are making this a priority for the ISCP.  

There were a number of speakers at the event including two RASA representatives.    

Brid Smith, TD, who is the sponsor of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021 outlined the progress of the Bill thus far and the next steps.    Dr Nat O’Connor, who is the Senior Public Affairs & Policy Specialist, with Age Action, outlined Pension & Pension Poverty in retirement and the research carried out by Age Action.   As we know there is significant impact of inflation and additional cuts to pensions in payment is fuelling pension poverty i.e. retiring into poverty!!.   

The stark reality of this was brought home to attendees when a 'Nominal and Real Income' graph was displayed.   This showed graphically the downward trend of former DAA/Aer Lingus IASS pensioners' pension income over 17 years, 2007-2024. 

Members of the Collective Network of Retired Workers outlined their lived experience of the outcome of exclusion from the negotiations and not having a voice at the table where Decisions are made about us without us.   The lived experience included examples of cuts to pension in payment since 2007 of former Aer Rianta/Daa and Aer Lingus employees, of up to 22.53% without mitigation.  

The current Industrial Relations legislation excludes pensioners’ representative associations from being at the table where deals/agreements & negotiations are taking place that have immediate impact of pensioners’ pensions in retirement.  This legislation has not been updated and amended to reflect the practice and experience of occupational pensioners.

The Bill before the Oireachtas proposes amendment to the current legislation - it is very simple and clear and will provide for a voice at the table.

March 2024  - Meeting with Minister of State for Transport, Jack Chambers.

Members of the RASA Pension Sub-Committee met with the Minister of State for Transport Jack Chambers to discuss the concerns and issues of RASA Irish Airlines General Employees Superannuation Scheme (IASS) pensioners' pensions in payment.

The issues include, amongst others, the deductions and reductions to monthly pensions in payment. These range from Noonan Stamp Duty Pension Levy deductions (commenced in 2011) and further reductions to basic pension in payment effective from January 2015 of up to 22.53% cut in benefits.      These reductions in basic monthly pension for those in receipt of pension at the time are ongoing.    

The reductions were the outcome of involvement in discussions and negotiations between a number of parties including Government Departments, Trustees, Pension Authority, Pension Industry and Aer Lingus/Daa/SAA Employers & Trade Unions.   Older members on pension were not allowed to be involved in these negotiations.    Pensioners were not considered to be stakeholders.   

This small group of older pre-2015 pensioner members of IASS Pension Scheme were deliberately isolated and targeted for exclusion from the Industrial Relations Negotiations, Communication Roadshows and buy out/transfer values agreed between these parties for these benefit reductions to their basic pension.    This basic pension was set at the time of retirement as an annuity for life.     This was unilaterally reduced.   

Other issues in relation to the absence of IASS structures such as the Member Trustee Director and General Employees Superannuation Scheme Members Committee, which provides for four elected members, and the status of the Private Member TD Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill, 2021 were also discussed.  

January 2024 - Update on Industrial Relations Bill.     

Departmental Officials from the Department of Social Protection & Department of Enterprise Trade & Employment have liaised with each other regarding this bill.    

The Minister for Social Protection has informed  the Minister for State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade & Employment that these Department Officials have advised her that the collective view of both Departments is that the Government SHOULD NOT SUPPORT THIS INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS BILL. 

                                   ONGOING DEDUCTIONS OF PENSION LEVY 

In January 2024 RASA is waiting for replies to our correspondence from Ministers, Employers and others regarding the restoration of these deductions.    

Two  Parliamentary Questions PQ 232 and PQ 233 were raised in the Dail on the above.

Replies from the Minister For Finance.     Go to the  Oireachtas Debates Questions or click on the following 

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-01-24/232/#pq_232

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2023-01-24/233/#pq_233