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GSD Proposes “Improvements” To Private Sector Employees’ Pensions

The GSD will propose changes to the Private Sector Pensions Bill that the party claims will improve the position of retiring private sector employees. The GSD says it has supported and voted in favour of this Bill throughout “despite Mr Picardo’s spin in his efforts to give a contrary impression.”

The “added benefits” that the GSD will put before Parliament arise from feedback received by it from consultations with Unite the Union, the Chamber of Commerce and the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses (GFSB).

The GSD will propose several improvements at the Committee stage of the Bill today. The party says these changes advantage private sector employees more than the GSLP-Liberal Bill does presently.

The shadow Minister for Public Finance and Small Business, Roy Clinton, said:

“The GSD have always supported the Private Sector Pensions Bill. But the Bill that the GSLP-Liberal Government has put before Parliament does not fully address the main concerns of Unite the Union, the Chamber of Commerce and the GFSB.

“The GSD obtained a short adjournment of the Committee stage to have time to improve the Bill that the GSLP- Liberal Government took to Parliament. The Chief Minister criticised the GSD heavily for doing this. The amendments, that the GSD are now putting forward, show that we have usefully used this time to further consult and identify improvements that will mainly benefit private sector employees and address some concerns of employers.

“The GSD are proposing six groups of amendments to address the main concerns expressed to us by the various bodies mentioned, in what is a delicate balancing act on a very important piece of law.

“Mr Picardo’s irrational views as to how Parliament should go about scrutinising legislation properly are thus again proved to be wrong.”