Set in a splendid converted warehouse in Borough’s warehouse yesterday this Trade Union Pensions Insight Conference was packed to the last available chair and there were people standing at the back. No surprise when Trade Unions have recovered their pension confidence both in leading a drive to collective CDC pensions and in the management of their own staff pensions. Many larger pensions still have an open DB pension and most are in a healthy state. We heard from several at this event and what a refreshing tone the unions are bringing to the debate.

Can I highlight three panel sessions that will particularly stick in my mind?

The first featured Alex Ryan of Unite and Nick Walker of Usdaw, talking about running their own DB schemes , the struggles of the past and the challenges gong forward.

The second a debate between Jack Jones of the TUC and Craig Moran , an old colleague of mine when I worked for First Actuarial.

Finally, an exuberant discussion about tackling pension adequacy;

• Chris Brooks of Age UK coming at it through the Pension Commission’s report;
• The effervescent Catherine Lockyer reminding us that this Monday kicks off Pension Awareness Week ;
• Finally Andrew Dobbie of Unison explaining how CDCs  can provide the 19,000 companies employing carers , an opportunity to give them a proper pension.

The unions who have kept the faith and still provide DB can rightly point to maintaining a gold standard for their staff. No one in the conference room disputed that CDC could provide the security of DB.

But all the conversations that I had in break out sessions were about how collective pensions could be reintroduced through CDC. It was great to hear speakers excited about pensions (again) and questions coming in , left – right and centre about how unions can play a part on behalf of the millions of member’s interest they represent.

I had been in Unite in the morning , exploring how they can work with schemes like Pensions Mutual to ensure just this and the balance of John Neal in the morning talking CDC and Alex Ryan in the afternoon , talking about DB was a particular pleasure. It was  especially touching to discover that the two Unite pension leaders had known each other since they were one year old!

First Actuarial have brought union pension people together for many years. They are now owned by Gallagher who I have praised for their recent work on what large employers want. I hope that First Actuarial’s relationships with unions will continue.  I hope the work in their Manchester office to find the numbers and the words to make these new collective pensions happen for employers will flower!

Thanks to my old Mancunian friend Natalie Ogden for making this event happen and to the many from up north who brought a fresh vitality to a sunburnt London! I cannot comment on some sessions as I was delayed having my computer repaired up the City Road but I’m sure Stewardship and Voting  and the introduction from David Piltz and Natalie rivalled what I saw!