Current Issues - 2000
September 2000
BRIEFING PAPER
VOLUNTARY SEVERANCE ARRANGEMENTS
Members may be aware of an article which appeared in the Belfast Telegraph, 19th September 2000, relating to a letter forwarded to the Secretary of State, expressing concern at the interpretation being placed on parts of the severance arrangement and demanding an urgent meeting in order that accurate advice can be given to members, particularly those considering taking the scheme in Phase one.
The letter has been forwarded to all representatives for the information of members, but now that it has been reproduced in the press it is important that members are aware of its full content at the earliest opportunity.
The full text is reproduced below. Members will be advised when a meeting is arranged and of its outcome. A meeting with the Chief Constable has been arranged for 26th September 2000.
Dear Sir
ROYAL ULSTER CONSTABULARY VOLUNTARY SEVERANCE SCHEME
Throughout the negotiations with your staff, culminating in meetings with the Prime Minister and yourself, the Staff Associations consistently warned you and your officials of inadequacies in the scheme that we feared unless addressed would not deliver the requisite numbers. However, following the final meeting with yourself when you advised that you were bringing the discussions to an end and circulating the scheme to the membership, we recognised that some would wish to avail of the scheme and we adopted a position of leaving it to the individual to decide following appropriate advice.
You will be aware through the media of the anger of many of our members regarding the inadequacies of the scheme and indeed the Staff Associations position.
The booklet published in your name accurately recorded the position within the discussions when they were brought to an end. The difficulty which the Staff Associations must address with you is the interpretation placed on the scheme in the booklet entitled "A guide to the Estimate of Pension, Commutation and Lump Sum Awards under The Voluntary Severance Package" in the name of RUC Pensions Branch.
Additionally the Staff Association has asked me to express their deepest concern as to the lack of consultation on this booklet.
I am sure it will come as a shock to you to know that despite numerous requests the first time the Association saw the document was the day it was circulated to the membership.
This document, - on which members are to base life changing decisions, contains blatant inaccuracies which we will legally challenge at an appropriate time. More importantly, this ambiguous document seeks to place an interpretation on the capping mechanism.
You will recall at the final meeting the depth of feeling you expressed at our response to the Prime Minister's offer of a months pay to address the four major areas we had raised being described by our members as derisory. The interpretation of the capping mechanism means that for the majority of our members the offer of one months salary is totally wasted as the capping mechanism prevents them from obtaining it. Equally, in the calculation of potential earnings, issues that were withdrawn during the earliest stages of the discussions such as payment for pension have been re introduced in an underhand and scandalous manner.
In an attempt to provide our members with some clear _guidance on the scheme, although clearly this is the responsibility of others, an early meeting was held with your officials and the following issues was raised:-
- Capping Mechanism
- Limitation of commutation at made up age limit.
- Acting up/Temporary Salary.
- Key Person Protection Scheme.
- Extensions of Service
- Officers under 50 being restricted to 2 112 times salary.
It is now less than two months before officers must make their decisions and without clarification of these issues the financial advisors will not be in a position to advise. To date we have received no formal response.
The Police Association has directed that I seek an urgent meeting of the Police Advisory Board to address these matter. it is abundantly clear that due to the lack of clarity and the capping mechanisms many officers have shunned the scheme as is their right. However, such was the strength of feeling at the Police Association meeting I am further directed to advise that if a meeting is delayed we will have no option but to advise members to reject the package.
Yours faithfully
D A McCLURG - SECRETARY - POLICE ASSOCIATION
COMPRISING POLICE FEDERATION FOR NORTHERN IRELAND,
SUPERINTENDENTS' ASSOCIATION AND ASSOCIATION OF CHIEF POLICE OFFICERS
