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Article: NUS Pension Fund

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    NUS Pension Fund

    16 Comments by David mullins Published on 12th March 2022 08:21 AM
    The following has been bugging me for some time, and I知 not sure if I知 100% right. So I would be most grateful if anyone has any solid information re the info below.

    When I first went to sea as a 16 year old deck boy back in 1956, it was mandatory to be a member of the NUS (national union of seamen) and as such a monthly subscription was deducted from my wages.
    If I知 not mistaken, a proportion of this subscription went into the union pension fund.
    several years after retirement and looking through some old pay off slips I noticed the NUS deductions and being somewhat older and maybe a little wiser, I contacted the ministry of pensions enquiring about the pension which I had paid into for many years. I was informed that when the NUS was taken over by the TGWU the pension scheme was not transferred and was subsequently wound up.
    Surely I must have something wrong here!
    ***************

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    Default Re: NUS Pension Fund

    [QUOTE=David mullins;397294]The following has been bugging me for some time, and I’m not sure if I’m 100% right. So I would be most grateful if anyone has any solid information re the info below.

    When I first went to sea as a 16 year old deck boy back in 1956, it was mandatory to be a member of the NUS (national union of seamen) and as such a monthly subscription was deducted from my wages.
    If I’m not mistaken, a proportion of this subscription went into the union pension fund.
    several years after retirement and looking through some old pay off slips I noticed the NUS deductions and being somewhat older and maybe a little wiser, I contacted the ministry of pensions enquiring about the pension which I had paid into for many years. I was informed that when the NUS was taken over by the TGWU the pension scheme was not transferred and was subsequently wound up.
    Surely I must have something wrong here!
    ***************[/Q
    just look at slater and co .....driving round in jaguars .....fancy flats in london .......promised me personally and others in bars in shields 200 quid a week when a rating was on 28 quid a month......only prob no profit on return forshipowners ......plus containers etc ......no ships ...dont know ofofficers or ratings or anyone sept union organisers got any pensions meybe some others know better.....but one union has taken the maritime under its wing ....dont know which .....but no doubt there bleedin staff are all pensionised.....beyond belief ......lol cappy R683532

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    The MNOPF was a different set up. Most federated ships were party to it. 5% of your earnings were deducted at source and if remember correctly the shipowner put in 7.5%. I wasn’t always with companies who were members, so my pension is nothing to write home about. However when I was 52 years of age the work was almost non existent and I took what was there , this supplemented to a small degree the wages I was receiving in the likes of the stand by boats , which wouldn’t have survived otherwise. However if I ever went back into a company which paid into the fund the pension would have ceased. I never did so this pension is still only coppers and nowhere near what it would have been if had stayed in federated ships. Which to the best of my knowledge are and have been for a long time non existent.Some British companiies like BP think they had their own private funds and their pensions were very good I have been told. Australia was very similar to Britain as regards pensions but instead of a pension you received a fixed sum of money. And claimed the OAP which is reasonable . For the 11 years I worked here , and some of these years I didn’t pay into the scheme as was elsewhere received a total lump sum of about $180,000 Australian. Have seen ABs walking away with over $500,000 for 25 years service , this was due to the seaman’s union out here. That however was 20 years ago , and there have been a few liberal governments in since then. The few seaman I see out here from my past all say, things ain’t what they used ter be. Cheers JS

    PS I get frequent letters from the MNOPF to see if I’m still alive as have been getting for 33 years . Still the same as it was years ago the same as the O.A.P. JS.
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 12th March 2022 at 10:27 AM.
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    Default Re: NUS Pension Fund

    I receive a small but welcome monthly pension from my contributions to the old NUS.
    The NUS was amalgamated into the Rail & Maritime Union when our industry collapsed due to flagging out and foreign crews.
    The fund is administrated by Merchant Navy Ratings Pension Fund. If you google this name for the address, I can't find the paper work at the moment.
    Interesting information, P&O Ferries which is owned by the Dubai Wealth Fund owes the union millions of pounds which it is refusing to pay to former seamen. There is an ongoing court case to try and settle this.

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    thats interesting louis ....nice to hear some benefited from the past...... wonder how many other ratings if any at all get a pension from the ex NUS i sadly do not know of one other seaman rating drawing anything.....perhaps if there are any on the site they might confirm it regards cappy

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    I worked for John I Jacobs only for about 3 years but was in their pension fund. They went defunct . When I was 66 I gotta letter from a solicitor saying I was due a small amount of money ,about enough for a night in a pub ,which was what I was due from this fund of 25 years previously, they were honest enough to find me and pay off their debts. I worked later for a well known North Sea company who also went legs up. I was a member of their fund for 8 years , they paid nothing , on the excuse that What I had in the mnopf superseded what I had with them. There is honesty and honesty. I prefer the Australian way that was, give him the money Barney. Apart from JIJ I would say forget the British shipowner. The big tanker company’s were I believe different in the fact they were better manipulated and had foresight . I asked years ago on this site what did Shipping federation employees ashore get in redundancy , there was no reply. I got 1100 pounds and silver for over 30 years service . Cheers JS
    PS In Australia in one firm I got $ 18,000 for 3 years redundancy. whose kidding who. As regards offshore out here there were 3 unions all with their own pension funds or different insurance companies they invested the money with. the best paying one was the Seamans Union, The Guild and the Engineers union were only second best. JS.

    As regards Davids enquiry about monies being deducted from his wages for union fees. Think of it this way, the shipowner was under no obligation to do this, the Union was totally dependent on him to do so. Think of the collusion this could make possible if so required . 2 opposing entities one of whom had to rely on the other . Big Buddies ???? JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 13th March 2022 at 12:58 AM.
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    can only say no one rating i ever new got anything from the seamans union ......perhaps if they were shop stewards.. or whatever they were called in later years did.... but never had a union man on any vessel i was on in the 50s and 60s ..in fact in oz there was a cape vessel... mebbe the cape wrath ...i think it was in adelaide went on strike over some big prob .....the cops came and arrested the ring leaders ...who i believe had threatened the old man ...mate etc ....dont know the outcome as we sailed ....the only folk who got pensions from the NUS i believe were the the union delegates and them sitting on there asses at home themselves ....cappy

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    Nearly all the seafarers I knew out here Cappy with a few exceptions had a British background , and the first few weeks out here and on the VHF to different vessels were all the different accents Scouse, Geordie, Scots, Cockney, Taffs, any you mention , I had to keep reminding myself I wasn稚 back in the North Sea. They probably all remembered the bad smell of the NUS and made sure it wasn稚 going to happen here. It went to the other extreme though in lots of cases , there never was a happy medium. As usual with any argument there were faults on both sides. With 11 years of a working life left , I was quiet happy to receive any goodies that came my way . Had served my penny pinching apprenticeship in the North Sea. No more Oliver Twist for me. Retired happy in my work and got great job satisfaction to boot . Cheers JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 13th March 2022 at 08:58 AM.
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    #4 Louis that ongoing battle will go on until there are no claimants left alive. When I tried to claim for the 8 years pension worked for as part of a contractual agreement , a friend who was a solicitor tried it for me, I wouldn’t of been able to afford legal charges , so as a friend he did it for free. He gave it a year. Then said forget it. Whenever he got close the insurance companies just sold out to someone else.It was one big farce and runabout a time wasting solution they had no intention of paying out. The courts are not there for the common man and his little claims to justice , big business will always have the upper hand. Cheers JS
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    I still have my British Seaman's Union book, looks new.
    On one page is the payments to be made.
    1. Trade benefits during disputes, at the discretion of the Executive Council.
    2 Accident benefit up to 12 pounds
    3 Funeral allowance 10 to 20 pounds Wife 4pounds ten shillings to 7 pounds 10 shillings as provided by clause 4
    4 Compensation for loss of personal affects 3pounds to 9 pounds, according to length of membership.
    5 Sickness and accident, exemption from payment of contribution.
    6 Legal assistance to members in case of accident or Workman's compensation Claims.
    7 Old age and convalescent benefits as provided in rule 15.
    NOTE, they don't provide Rule 15.
    Tom Yates gave his daughter a Roils Royce as a present from the British seamen on her wedding day. He retired to Tasmania, far enough away from British seamen.
    It's why I spent a lifetime in unions on building sites to keep the bastwards honest, not always winning,
    , but I got many blokes what was rightfully theirs, and helped get rid of asbestos.
    Des
    R510868
    Lest We Forget

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