Union threat of action in pension row

Thursday 10th April 2008, 12:00AM BST.

A WAR of words has broken out over the pension rights of manual workers employed by the parish of St Helier.

The parish has been given a deadline of 30 April to comply with a ruling made earlier this week by the Manual Workers Joint Council to employ staff currently working on short-term contracts permanently.

The row hinges on pension rights – staff members on short-term contracts are not eligible to join the States pension scheme, but permanently-employed manual workers have traditionally become members of the generous defined benefits scheme.

The Island’s biggest union, T & G Unite, is now threatening to take industrial action if the parish does not meet the deadline at the end of the month.

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