Highland MSP David Stewart lodges complaint in plumbers pensions battle
A politician battling for a small group of plumbers being chased for enormous sums of cash by the industry’s £2 billion pension scheme, believes the row has become a human rights issue.
Regional MSP David Stewart is lodging a complaint with the UK parliamentary ombudsman and raising the matter with the Scottish Human Rights Commission this week.
The move comes after Mr Stewart’s appeal to UK pensions minister MP Guy Opperman to use the Covid-19 emergency powers to put in place a moratorium on the enforcement of the debts was rejected.
Inverness plumber Murray Menzies (73) has been hit with a shock estimated debt demand of £1.2 million from the multi-employer Plumbing & Mechanical Services (UK) Industry Pensions Scheme.
He and another 28 retired plumbers have been told they owe astronomical sums that could cost them their homes, businesses and life savings.
Mr Stewart said: “Mr Opperman said all stones had been turned to help these people, but no easements could be found. That’s just not on. I have written back to him asking for another attempt to be made.”
Mr Menzies said he had all but given up hope of the pensions minister releasing him and the other plumbers from their debts.
He said: “In his rejection letter, Mr Opperman said we should have been on top of the legislation. Does he not understand that most plumbers are just hard-working tradesmen, not lawyers?
“It’s soul destroying to realise that we all have to lose our homes and assets, everything we spent our whole lives working for, in order to pay the pensions of people we never even employed.”
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