LOSS OF PENSION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 120, 17 November 1931, Page 7

LOSS OF PENSION

ME. J. H. THOMAS

DISOBEYED ORDERS

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, Bth October. An interesting document has been issued by Mr. C. T. Cramp, the industrial general secretary of the National Union of Eailwaymen, relating to the retirement of the Bight Hon. J. H. Thomas, the political general secretary of the union. Mr. Thomas appealed against the executive's decision that upon resignation ho was not entitled to a pension.

It is distinctly stated in the docu- . ment that tho executive ' committee ~ "instructed" the members of Parliament on the N.U.E. panel to go into ' opposition against the National Govern- •' ment. In some quarters, the fact of . this instruction has been denied, and •» Mr. Charleton, M.P. for South Leeds, , has stated both in the House of Com- ~, mons a*id in a letter to "The Times'* that he received no instructions from the executive with regard to his voting. The executive committee says, in the," first place, that the rules' of the union require the Parliamentary general ' secretary to obey the orders and to ba ; under the control of the executive, and '' that all Parliamentary candidates and members of Parliament who are " financially supported by the union, in- . eluding Mr. Thomas, must accept th'a conditions of the National - Labour Party and be subject to its Whips. ' » The statement continues: "On 31st . August a special meeting of the execu- : tive committee was called, at which ' meeting all the members ■ of Parlia-.-ment on the N.U.B. panel, including Mr. Thomas, were present, to consider the new political situation. At this meeting the executive committee noted' '. and approved the decisions of the Trades Union Congress and the.Labour Party to oppose the new Government, ■ and the decision of the Parliamentary . Party to constitute itself the official Parliamentary ' Opposition. Accord- • ingly they instructed those members'on the N.U.B. panel to act in accordance with the decisions of the organised trade union and labour movement.

It is pointed out that Mr. Thomas's resignation was a voluntary acton hia. part. "Mr. Thomas," the statement * proceeds, "is asking the N.TT.B. to pro-" vide. him. with a pension- for-services rendered. He apparently recognises that under the rules of the employees* superannuation fund he is not entitled - to a pension from that fund. He is only, ■ entitled to a return of the contributions actually paid by him to the fund, ' having regard to the. fact that he voluntarily resigned his.position before reaching the age at which, according to - the rules, he must retire. The 'executive committee, were not entitled .to , give Mr. Thomas preferential treatment, neither would the rules of the! employees' superannuation fund permit • this to be done. ' -

"Mr. Thomas alludes ia his circulate to pensions being granted to.other persons who, from time to' time, have left; the service of the union. In the par* ' ' ticular cases mentioned the persona cos* cerned were in a totally different posi« tion from. Mr. Thomas. - According to the rules, they were not eligible for membership of the employees' superannuation fund. Furthermore, ' they; were compelled to retire from the union's service by a decision of the governing body of the union, which fixed an age limit for its officers. Conse,-' quently, a special pension fund was set * up, and it is from this fund, which is in no way connected with the employees' superannuation fund, that the ' pensions referred to by Mr.- Thomas are "' being paid. ■ The position is . perfectly, - simple, and is definitely covered by the - rules of the union.' The executive committee's decisions have been strictly ia accordance with the said rules and the constitution of the union.".

Mr. Thomas's appeal will come before a general meeting of the union on 29th October. .

[Note. —A cablegram recently ' advised that the N.U.E. had refused to alter its decision.]