Teachers resolve final salary pension dilemma

Teachers who gained permanent employment after the 2011 election but had previously worked on supply contracts will be included into the Gibraltar Government’s non-contributory final salary pension scheme.

The decision addresses a longstanding grievance held by teachers who had been in the supply pool at the time the final salary scheme was scrapped for new entrants into public service.

Supply work in Gibraltar is seen as a precursor to full-time employment and the teachers had expected to be hired permanently on the terms in place at the time they joined the pool.

Yesterday the Gibraltar Teacher’s Association announced that the GSLP/Liberals had met a pre-election commitment to include these teachers in the final salary scheme.

The move will benefit around 70 teachers, although the final number has yet to be confirmed as the government’s Human Resources department assesses each case individually to determine eligibility.

“We believe that it was the correct decision to deem the teachers who worked consistently for the Department of Education before 1st January 2012, the date after which the final salary scheme was discontinued for new entrants, as being eligible to benefit from the same pension rights as colleagues of theirs also working on supply, but fortunate enough to have been made permanent before that date,” the GTA said in a statement.

“It honours the Gibraltar Government to have rectified the unfair situation that these teachers found themselves in, in such a short period of time since being approached by the Gibraltar Teachers’ Association.”

“We understand that it was not a straightforward exercise and its resolution required the input of various Government departments.”

The union thanked the Human Resources department and the Department of Education, adding that the affected teachers would shortly be included into the final salary scheme. 

The GTA also singled out the government’s union liaison official, Michael Crome, “…for providing effective communication throughout the process and expediting matters when needed.”

It said it would continue to work in partnership with the Gibraltar Government on matter relating to education.