Former Nottinghamshire mineworkers to continue pension fight at Labour party conference

Former mineworkers and widows from the Mineworkers Pension Campaign and the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) Campaign will be joining forces to Lobby MPs and delegates at this year's Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.

The move comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in October last year that the entirety of the Mineworkers' Pension Scheme (MPS) investment reserve would be handed over to ex-coal miners and their families.

However, no date was set by the government to look at a similar surplus in the separate British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS), which campaigners say is unjust.

Mick Newton worked at Thoresby Colliery for 15 years and has been campaigning for a fairer deal for the past decade.

He said: “We will converge on the conference from 10am to 2pm on Monday September the 29th with banners, placards and leaflets to rally support for an end to our pension injustice.

“At last years Conference Ed Miliband announced official recognition to our Injustice, and while we have regained our Investment Reserve Fund ( £1.5 Billion ) the unjust 50/50 surplus share arrangements still remain.

“Thousands of former Mineworkers have passed away over the past year and urgency is now paramount so we can end this fight and continue our retirement in peace and financial security.”

Mr Newton said he hoped this would be the last rally by former mineworkers on this longstanding historic campaign that has been ongoing since 2015.

Speaking about the issue at a public meeting with residents and British Coal pension trustees earlier this year Mansfield MP Steve Yemm said: "I’ve raised this issue in Parliament, and I will continue to do so. We owe it to those who built our coalfield communities to treat them fairly.”

Campaigners also plan to call on the Government to give CT scans rather than X-rays to mineworkers with suspected lung disease in a bid to facilitate early detection and call for greater acknowledgement of the social, leisure and recreational welfare of mining communities.

Mr Newton added: “The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation (CISWO) currently sits on approximately £30 million of miner's money and many more millions in assets.

“Our communities have little control or influence regarding those funds and have witnessed a great many closures and sell offs of our social welfare assets over the past few decades, this erosion of our communities needs more transparency and accountability.”

In 1994, when British Coal was privatised, it was agreed the Government would get half of any surplus from the pot in return for guaranteeing the value of the pensions would not decrease.

Successive Governments have made £4.8bn from the deal over the last 30 years, however, in October last year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the entirety of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme would be handed over to members – with the pot worth £1.5bn.

A total of 3,950 members in Mansfield, 2,415 in Bassetlaw, 738 in Gedling, 596 in Broxtowe, 514 in Rushcliffe, 227 in Nottingham East & Kimberley, 14 in Nottingham South and 10 in Nottingham North will benefit from the move.