Furious ex-mineworkers to miss out on multi-billion pound pension scheme refund

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


FURIOUS former Scottish mineworkers have been told they will miss out on a multi- billion pound pension scheme refund.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last month that ex-miners will get a bonus of £1.5billion, deducted by previous governments, refunded to the Mineworkers Pension Scheme.

However thousands of former Scottish coal board employees are set to lose out.

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Members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS), which provides pensions to former management, technical, administrative, clerical and pit supervisory roles, will receive nothing despite their scheme having a £3.2billion shortfall for the same reason.

Billy Ogg is one of 2000 BCSSS members across the UK who have formed an action group calling for the reimbursement.

-Credit:PA
-Credit:PA

Billy said: ”Every one of us had our pension pots raided.

“Why is it okay to return the money to one and not another? We want to know why the decision by the UK Government to return the pension money to the miners does not apply to our scheme.

“We are looking for parity with the miners and the £3.2billion taken from it by the government paid back. Labour say they are righting a wrong but they are only righting half a wrong

“People in our scheme worked side by side on the coal face with miners. They also took part in the 1984 strike. They were no less miners than those cutting the coal.”

Billy, 70, who lives near Dunfermline, worked for the state- owned National Coal Board for 24 years in its scientific department until 1994. He then worked for private firm Scottish Coal until 2007 in the same role.

Some BCSSS pensioners were part of mine rescue teams sent into the pits. Others were electricians and engineers. There are 41,000 members in the BCSSS and 120,000 in the miners’ scheme.

The missing billions were taken out of the two schemes as a preventative shortfall buffer but never returned.

The Chancellor announced the entirety of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, previously held in reserve, would be handed over to ex-coalminers and their families.

The change will transfer about £1.5billion into pension pots of 112,000 ex coalminers and their families. It means rises of about 32 per cent – around £29 a week.

Former South Lanarkshire ­councillor and National Coal Board worker George Greenshields, 73, has also joined the action group.

George, from Coalburn, Lanarkshire, worked for the NCB for seven years as a supervisor, and has a £5000 annual pension. It would rise to £6500 if the £3.2bn is returned.

He said: “This wrong has to be righted. If the Government pays out on one scheme they must pay out on the other.”

The UK Government said: “The BCSSS operates in a different way to the Mineworkers Pension Scheme. We must consider them separately and are open to considering any proposals for changes the Trustees make.”

The two mineworkers pensions are the responsibility of the UK Governments Energy Security and Net Zero department.

A spokesperson said:”The British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme operates in a different way to the Mineworkers Pension Scheme.

“We must consider the two schemes separately and are open to considering any proposals for changes that the Trustees wish to make.”

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