Labour Court recommends keeping AnCO pension guarantee for transferred staff

The Labour Court recommended retaining the AnCO scheme’s five-year pension guarantee for employees who belonged to the scheme before transferring to a whole-time position at An Foras Aiseanna Saothair. The recommendation was signed on 15 November 1991. The guarantee provided a lump sum if a pensioner died within five years of retirement. The Services Industrial Professional Technical Union said the Labour Services Act safeguarded transferred employees’ pension benefits and opposed requiring extra contributions to fund the guarantee. Foras Aiseanna Saothair argued that the guarantee duplicated benefits under its spouses’ and children’s scheme and offered to retain it if members paid an additional contribution. The Court said changes to transferred employees’ conditions should follow negotiation and agreement, and recommended keeping the guarantee for the qualifying employees.