The C.A.A. RETIRED STAFF ASSOCIATION,
for retired staff from the following organisations:
Civil Aviation Authority
NATS Ltd.
You are eligible to join the RSA if you have retired, or anticipate retirement, within two years.
The spouse / partner of an eligible member may participate in any RSA activities as an associate member. He/she may join the RSA in their own right and as such will be able to be a member of the various committees and have a vote at meetings.
The Retired Staff Association aims to represent members in the following areas:
1. Pension Matters
2. Social Activities
3. Welfare Issues
Why should you belong?
The RSA is the only organization which independently represents the pensioners in negotiations. Prior to the breaking up of CAA and the privatisation of NATS, it was involved in extensive discussions to ensure that members were not adversely affected by the changes, and it will continue to do so should further re-organisation be contemplated in the future. The protection of pensions is the main priority of our committee, and in order to have maximum impact, it is important that we should be seen as the genuine representatives of the pensioners. For this reason alone, it is as important for you as for the RSA that all retiring staff should become members.
The RSA is member of the Occupational Pensioners' Alliance, a democratic, non-political organisation of occupational pensioners' associations in the UK. OPA was formed in October 2003 from a merger of the Confederation of Occupational Pensioners' Associations (COPAS) and the Alliance of Occupational Pensioners (AoP).
As a single organisation, the OPA represents almost 1 million occupational pensioners from across the country and beyond. Speaking with one voice enables us more powerfully to engage with Government and Parliament on behalf of our members.
On the Social side, there are now 12 branches throughout the country, following the creation of the new Solent Branch, some of which are more active than others. An annual re-union is held each autumn in London, and the AGM is held in a different part of the country each year so that over a period of years all members have the opportunity of attending a get-together which should be within a reasonable distance of their home.
The CAA-RSA is actively involved in welfare issues affecting the interests of pensioners. It acts as an interface between the Civil Service Benevolent Fund and pensioners, and manages a Hardship Fund, on behalf of NATS Ltd., for NATS pensioners using funds which are allocated on an annual basis.
Contact with members is maintained both through the RSA news letter "CONTRAIL" and by means of the RSA web site. Additionally, some branches also have their own news letters.
Help us to protect your pension
Take part in the social events
Click HERE for a copy of the RSA Constitution, Revised 2010.
Click HERE for information about the Association's Health and Safety policy and report form.
The Following is a statement from Tony Cowell, RSA Vice-Chairman, regarding recognition
Following the publication of the Draft Code of Practice associated with the Pensions Act 2004 it became apparent that the Trustees of Schemes, not the sponsoring employers, will become responsible for recognising, or otherwise, the appropriate 'organisations which adequately represent pensioner members'.
The RSA has responded to a letter from Roger Mountford, Chairman of the Trustees of the CAAPS, inviting our views on the structure and number of Trustees, before the Trustees embark on discussions on the method to nominate, select and appoint Member Nominated Trustees.
Similar letters of invitation were sent to the Chairmen of CAA and NATS, and their respective Trades Unions representatives, who have all responded.
In view of the various opinions expressed, the Trustees agreed, at their March meeting, to await the publication of the final Code of Practice for appointment of MNTs, following which Roger will invite representatives of the RSA and Trades Unions to a meeting to discuss the matter further.
Viewers will be kept informed as further information becomes available.
National Officers and Committee
President: R.
B. Coles
Vice-President: Leslie Priestley
The Central Committee
The management of the RSA is in the hands of the Central Committee, comprising the four Honorary Officers together with an elected committee
The present officers are:
Chairman:
Anne Noonan
Vice Chairman Tony Cowell
Treasurer: Matthew Baines
Pensions Rep. David Hobday
Secretary: Jan Jenkins
The present committee members are:
Eddie Donlan, Bob Connolly (Contrail Editor), Ken Malcolm, Barry Pratt, Norman Rogers, Alex Wilson (Welfare Coordinator), Sheila West, Dave Reeve, Robin Morris, Ted Pillinger and Derek Henry (Webmaster)
The Branches
At present there
are 12 branches which are geographically located to best serve the interests
of the RSA members. The branches are: Cotswold, Downs, Edinburgh, Highlands
& Islands, London, North West, Northern Ireland, Eastern (previously
Stansted), Wessex, Western
Home Counties, Solent and West of Scotland.
Each branch elects a committee to serve its needs, and receives a small grant
from central funds to cover administration. The branches appoint delegates to
attend the RSA Annual General Meeting; it is these delegates who elect the
officers and central committee.
Members may belong to one or two branches; many chose to belong to the branch
appropriate to their last place of work and also to one more appropriate to
their retirement location.