REMEMBERING FRANK COCHRANE

RMTnews :: may 2006 :: www.rmt.org.uk 10 T ransport for London seem determined to force through a dramatic alteration to the balance of power on the ruling Trustee Board of the TfL Pension Fund, writes Pat Sikorski. In what can only be called an attempt at a boardroom coup, employer representatives have been trying to persuade the Directors to appoint a so-called “independent” chair of the Trustee Board. This would upset a balance of power established in 1989, at the time of the merger of the old Wages and Staff pension schemes. A Trustee Board for the new fund numbering eighteen members was created. This comprised of nine representatives of the pension fund members, one each from the four transport unions and the Joint Trades Committee plus four from the Pensions Consultative Council and nine employer representatives. The Chair, who also held a casting vote, was appointed by the principal employer, at that time LRT, and came from among the nine management nominees. This balance of power raised no objections from Judge J Knox in his judgement in the court case of LRT Pension Fund Trustee Company Limited -v- Hatt. Now Transport for London wants to appoint an additional nineteenth director who would be the “independent” chair and who would also have their own vote. In 1992, the fundamental issue that led to the court case was the result of that year’s three yearly actuarial valuation of the pension fund. The real cause of this proposed boardroom coup, is the upcoming three yearly actuarial valuation of the fund – the draft results of which are due at the end of August. But what is potentially much worse for pension fund members this time around, is that while in 1992 there was a massive fund surplus, now the results of the valuation are almost certain to produce a record deficit. In the past under the fund rules this deficit would have been paid off by the individual member paying a maximum of five per cent of their pensionable pay and the government coughing up the rest. But now there is a massive attack on all occupational pension funds whether in the public or private sector. It would assist TfL to push through increased contribution rates from the members and cuts in benefits, if they could change the balance of votes on the Trustee Board. Their “independent” chair would of course be anything but. Management has already conceded that, if appointed, the chair would have to have senior management expertise. As we go to press outraged fund members are sending letters of complaint to the fund secretary as a first step in a campaign that could end up in the courts and be just the opening salvo in an industrial battle to save the TfL Pension Fund and with it our deferred wages. *Pat Sikorski is RMT’s nominee on the TfL Trustee Board and Chair of the union side of TfL’s Joint Pensions Working Group. T he union was shocked by the sudden and untimely death of Frank Cochrane last month at the age of 51 due to a Coronary Thrombosis. F rank had just been elected to serve as General Grades Committee Representative, Scotland. Frank was born on 12 October 1954, into large family of five girls and five boys and was brought up in Govan, Glasgow. In 1977 Frank married his wife Rachel, and in the same year he joined British Rail after serving an apprenticeship as a glazier. Frank immediately joined the National Union of Railwaymen and started to attend his branch, the former Glasgow No 14 branch. Frank became branch secretary until it merged with Glasgow No 13 and Glasgow No 21 branches to form the current Glasgow and District Engineering branch, of which he was the chairperson. After Frank was transferred to First Engineering after privatisation, Frank became RMT company council secretary and always accompanied the regional organiser in negotiations and always sought to improve members’ pay and conditions. Frank always had a dry sense of humour and on one occasion, when the union was in dispute with the company, Frank decided to be a one-man roving picket, principally on a Saturday night. He visited one particular depot in his “unmarked” van and blocked the depot entrance, persuading managers and supervisors not to cross his one-man picket. Senior management were furious and threatened Frank with causing an obstruction he would not budge. Out of desperation, management contacted the BT Police who informed Frank that the vehicle was causing an obstruction and if it was not moved they would prosecute the owner. Frank’s immediate response was: “Go ahead, in fact, I’m off – incidentally the owner of this vehicle is First Engineering”. That vehicle stayed there all night until a senior manager was able to locate a spare set of keys. Frank’s interests included supporting his beloved football team Glasgow Celtic and cooking, his famous recipes include, Lamb Bhuna, Lasagne and Onion and Chicken Pakora. Frank was well respected in the union and employers acknowledged that he was a man of immense honesty and integrity. He was a slick negotiator and a formidable advocate at disciplinary hearings. Over 600 mourners attended Frank’s funeral and Bob Crow gave the eulogy before the “Internationale” was sung. The union has lost another giant of the movement. Phil McGarry Scottish Regional Organiser Boardroom coup at TfL pension fund? Obituary FRANK COCHRANE