June 2023 – CBRE pay deal worth a minimum of 8% overwhelmingly accepted.
Members in CBRE have voted by almost nine-to-one to accept a pay deal which delivers a minimum rise of 8% for engineers, fabric technicians, grounds maintenance staff, helpdesk advisers and multi-skilled hosts working on the outsourced facilities services provider’s BT contract.
An impressive 89% of those participating in a consultative ballot, which closed yesterday (Wednesday), supported the CWU-brokered settlement which links an across-the-board 8% base pay increase with an uplift in the minimum salary on CBRE’s BT account from £22,000 to £24,100 (FTE) – an increase of just over 9.55% – with CWU-represented grade employees receiving whichever is greater for them.
In addition, as a direct outcome of a clause negotiated by the CWU in last year’s pay agreement, a review has taken place of engineering salaries – with the company agreeing to introduce a minimum salary for reach role, with any members currently sitting below this amount being immediately uplifted.
“This will reduce the wide ranges in salary currently seen, and will also ensure that those members who are at the bottom of the pay scale are uplifted to a salary that is closer to the average rate and also the external market,” explains CWU national officer Tracey Fussey.
“As a result, 77 employees will receive an uplift in basic salary of between 1% and 15% before the 8% increase is even applied – with the majority receiving between 3% and 9% on top of the 2023 pay deal as a result of this welcome hangover from last year’s pay settlement.”
Full details of the intricate deal and ballot result are contained in CBRE Members’ Bulletin No.119/2023, but other highlights include an immediate increase in engineering standby payments from £135 a week to £155 per week, with a further increase to £160 a week from December 2023.
“Importantly CBRE has confirmed its commitment to review this payment along with benchmarking data on salaries on an annual basis,” Tracey continues.
“The company has also confirmed it is committed to ongoing discussions with the CWU with regard to the introduction of an additional allowance for colleagues who act as Authorised Person or Senior Authorised Person in relation to their specific role and skillset. We will continue to discuss the detail of how this will be implemented and what the remuneration will be for members who take on this role.”
Thanking all those who participated in the ballot, Tracey concludes: “The CWU National Team has no doubt whatsoever that CBRE’s final offer stacked up well against the prevailing level of pay settlements across the UK economy, and that it was certainly the very best that could be achieved by negotiation.
“As such we’re delighted that members heeded our ‘vote YES’ recommendation by such a wide margin.”
Members in CBRE are urged to share this story with any of their colleagues who are not currently members of the union. Any team member employee can easily and quickly join the CWU by clicking here.
22nd May 2023 – ISS Pay Claim 2023.
The CWU National Team are pleased to advise that following negotiations regarding the 2023 Pay Review, we are now in a position to recommend acceptance of the full and final offer from ISS. The 2022 pay deal saw ISS bring forward the annual pay review date from June to May 2023, creating an 11 month review period.
The offer is as follows:
- Current rate of pay £10.05 will move to the Real Living Wage of £10.90 which is an increase of 8.45%.
(ISS have already uplifted from the £10.05 to £10.42 to comply with National Living Wage legislation).
- The monetary pay differential for all supervisor grades above the baseline for all front line employees will be maintained.
- Pay will be uplifted from 17th April 2023 resulting in 2 weeks extra back pay if the deal is accepted.
- ISS has agreed to bring forward the 2024 pay review date to 1 April 2024 resulting in a further 11 month review.
The CWU believe this final offer is the very best that can be achieved through negotiation and recommend acceptance. An electronic consultative pay ballot will commence on Tuesday 23 May 2023 for a period of 2 weeks closing on 6 June 2023.
We would like to thank all members for their patience and support through the negotiations.
11th April 2023 – ISS UK – 2016 Pension Scheme Changes.
ISS UK has been in contact with regard to changes to the 2016 Pension Scheme.
Letters and accompanying information has been sent to employees who are members of the ISS UK 2016 (DC) Pension Scheme arrangements.
The proposed changes would take effect from June 2023, following consultation.
These have been considered as part of a thorough review of ISS UK pension provision, seeking to enhance retirement support and help to deliver improved retirement outcomes for employees.
Under pension’s law, where a company proposes a “listed change” to its pension arrangements, it must provide information to and consult with appropriate representatives about the proposal. ISS UK Limited (“the Company”) is therefore consulting with all affected employees on the proposal set out below.
The proposal and timescales
Close the ISS UK 2016 Pension Scheme (the “Scheme”) to new members and future contributions for all active members with effect from 31 May 2023 and move members into the ISS section of the Smart Pension Master Trust (“Smart Pension”) for future benefit build-up with effect on and from 1 June 2023.
The section of Smart Pension you would be a member of is called the ISS UK Pension Plan (the “New Scheme”). The New Scheme provides the same high-quality benefits and offers a range of added advantages including lower charges for the default investment strategy, improved online access to your retirement account and superior retirement support.
It is proposed that contribution rates would continue to be the same as under the Scheme ISS and confirmed that automatic uplift is being made to effect this change.
Before making any final decisions in relation to the proposal, ISS are following a formal process and consulting with affected employees (being all current and prospective members of the Scheme) for a minimum of 60 days in accordance with pension’s legislation. This announcement marks the start of the consultation period which will run from 17 March 2023 to 19 May 2023. During this time, members are encouraged to ask questions and give views on the proposal which will be considered carefully before making any final decisions.
Why the proposal to make this change now
In 2019, the Company and the ISS Scheme Trustee undertook a review of the pension services provided to deferred members of the Scheme. As a result of this review and following advice from the Trustee’s advisers, the Trustee decided to transfer deferred member accounts to Smart Pension. The Company chose Smart Pension because they were (and are) an award-winning Master Trust, which is a pension scheme for current and former employees of many different employers. Smart Pension has over 70,000 employers participating in their Master Trust with over 1.1 million members.
It is overseen by the Pensions Regulator and looked after by a board of professional independent trustees, the Smart Pension Trustee, who make sure it is run properly.
Following a further review, with current employees in mind, the Company believes Smart Pension would offer greater choice, support and flexibility in relation to your retirement savings. In addition, members would have access to a wider range of retirement benefit options that are not currently available under the Scheme. There are no additional charges for transferring your existing savings from the Scheme to Smart Pension.
Please visit www.smartpension.co.uk/members for more general information on Smart Pension.
Key features of the proposed New Scheme
✓ Same level of pension contributions payable by you and the Company.
✓ Same pensionable salary used.
✓ Slightly lower member charge for the default investment strategy than the charge for the Scheme’s default.
✓ Access to a default fund with an ESG focus aimed at providing additional positive benefits for the people and the planet.
✓ Similar range of investment options with competitive costs for comparable funds.
✓ Improved online access as well as the option to use a mobile app to obtain information about your retirement account straight away as well as make changes to your account.
✓ More information and tools to help you save and plan effectively for retirement.
✓ Easier access to flexible retirement options with improved decision-making support.
✓ Excellent scheme governance by an independent trustee board.
These features are explained in more detail in the attached document – ISS UK Pension Plan (the “New Scheme”) Key Features.
What the change would mean for you
• If you are an active member of the ISS UK 2016 Pension Scheme
Your retirement account in the current Scheme would close to future contributions on 31 May 2023, and from 1 June 2023 you and the Company would start to make pension contributions to your new pension account in the New Scheme. Page 3.
In addition, the Company proposes that it would ask the Scheme Trustee to agree to transfer the existing retirement savings you’ve built up in your current Scheme to the New Scheme. If agreed by the Trustee, this transfer would most likely take place in quarter 4 2023.
• If you are eligible to be a member of the ISS UK 2016 Pension Scheme (or may become eligible)
Some employees are eligible to be a member of the ISS UK 2016 Pension Scheme but have opted not to become a member and/or may become eligible in the future. The proposed change would mean that, if you decide to opt-into an ISS pension arrangement or are enrolled into one in the future whilst working for ISS you would join the New Scheme and not the ISS UK 2016 Pension Scheme.
The consultation process
Consultation is between ISS and employees. The proposed changes have also been discussed with the Scheme Trustee who they will continue to update throughout the process.
FAQs are attached which will hopefully answer most questions that you may have.
Feedback and questions may be shared via: ISSUKPensions@uk.issworld.com by 19 May 2023.
What happens next
You don’t need to make any decisions or choices about the proposed changes yet. Over the consultation period you will be asked to consider the proposal, ask questions and provide feedback, if you wish to do so.
After the consultation period, the Company will consider all questions and feedback received in order to reach a final decision. They will then send you another communication confirming the outcome during May. If the proposal goes ahead, they will provide further details about the New Scheme.
30th January 2023 – CBRE – Pension Changes.
The National Team met with Mark Beach, Benefits Manager EMEA, Global Workplace Solutions CBRE who entered into consultation with regards to proposed changes to the pension scheme provider for CBRE.
A 60-day consultation has commenced with all employees. Employee presentations with Q&A responses have been collated and considered. The target implementation date is January 2023.
The presentation outlined the rationale for change which is very much focused around a simplified process moving from x6 Defined Contribution (DC) pension schemes, with 2 main providers to one.
The Company outlined their desire to simplify the administration process and work with a unified provider irrespective of grade. The new provider offered an improved financial education offering to employees with the ability to potentially add workplace savings.
A tender process has been carried out resulting in AON being the recommended provider with the highest score across multi-team scorecards.
The following were highlighted as key areas for selection:
- Automated administration process
- Enhanced member communications and education
- Reduction in charges between 0.16 and 0.37% per annum
- Administration platform run by Aegon
- Automated Re-hire process
- Employee App with added extras
Costs to the business
There are no explicit costs to CBRE with the new pension scheme, just a redirection of where existing contributions are paid. There are no cost savings to the business however a return on investment from improved financial wellness activities are expected. The Company advised that improved governance reduces business risk and that improved internal processes reduce risk and offer a potential time and therefore cost reduction. The ability to consider rolling out Salary Sacrifice to all employees offers increased tax mitigation savings to the business. Further benefit packages are expected shortly.
When the consultation period ends, if no changes are to be made, contributions will be paid to the new provider from 01 January 2023.
Employees will be given the opportunity to transfer fund from existing pension with no cost or charges.
There is a microsite available which also talks about the pension scheme welcometoamt – CBRE (aon.com)
User name is CBRE password is CBRE.
The text of the Company comms is reproduced below.
Tracey Fussey
National Officer. CWU Telecoms & Financial Services
A MESSAGE FROM GWS UK BENEFITS TEAM
Proposed changes to your pension provider – JANUARY 19, 2023
Following a review of the current pension arrangements for the CBRE GWS UK business, we are proposing to change the current pension provider to Aon Master Trust. Please note, this will not impact the contribution rates paid by you or the company into the new scheme.
Benefits of the new arrangement include:
– Automated administrative process to make it easier to access and manage your pension
– Enhanced member communications and education
– Reduction in charges between 0.16 and 0.37% per annum
– Administration platform run by Aegon
– Employee App with added extras including Financial Education for all employees
Proposal summary
From 31 March 2023, the current scheme will close to future contributions from CBRE. Your contributions into the current scheme will cease on and from 01 April 2023. Effective 01 April, you will be enrolled into the CBRE GWS section of Aon Master Trust and your contributions will be paid into the new scheme going forward.
From 01 April, you will have direct access to your account/pension plan via the member app and online.
It is also proposed that you will have the option to transfer funds held within the current scheme with no cost or penalties during July 2023.
Providing feedback
A 60-day consultation period will run from 19 January 2023 and close on 23 March 2023. This is an opportunity to provide feedback and/or raise any queries you may have. Any questions or comments should be sent to Benefits@cbre.com
At the end of the consultation period, we will consider the feedback received and communicate the outcome of the consultation by 30 March 2023.
Further information
Click here to access the Aon website which provides access to useful documents and videos to help you understand more about your plan. Username: CBRE | Password: CBRE
We will also be holding webinars for all employees with details to follow shortly.
Financial Advice
Please note that we’re unable to provide you with any financial advice in respect of your pension benefits. If you feel that you would benefit from financial advice, the Financial Conduct Authority website provides information in relation to finding a financial adviser.
Kind regards,
GWS UK Benefits team
Distribution: GWS UK employees.
This communication does not impact UK Advisory PJM colleagues.
28th June 2022 – CBRE Pay 2022 (Operative Date 1st June 2022) – Ballot Result
Further to Telecoms Bulletin 84/2022 members in CBRE have been balloted on the pay offer for this year conducted electronically and closed today Tuesday 28th June 2022. The results are as follows:
In Favour: 76%
Against: 24%
Therefore, the pay increase has been agreed.
For clarity the detail of the offer is reproduced below:
- CBRE will introduce a minimum salary of £22,000 effective 1st June 2022 based on 40 hours Full Time Equivalent (FTE), pro-rated for Part Time
- CBRE will ensure that the minimum increase members receive will be 4% of annual salary, or £1500 (FTE) or an increase to £22,000 (FTE), whichever is the greater
- CBRE will commit to review the range of engineer salaries in 2022/23
- CBRE will commit to reviewing the on-call allowance in 2022/23
The increase and % impact upon salary ranges are detailed below:
| Salary Range | % Increase |
| £19,305 – £20,000 | 10% – 14% |
| £20,318 – £20,287 | 8% – 9.9% |
| £21,549 – £20,500 | 7% – 7.9% |
| £25,183 – £21,622 | 6% – 6.9% |
| £30,286 – £25,454 | 5% – 5.9% |
| £30,408 – £44,000 | 4% – 4.9% |
The operative date is 1st June 2022 and this includes arrears, overtime and other pay related elements.
The increase will be backdated and is expected to be included in the July salaries.
Thank you to all our members who took the time to participate in the ballot.
25th April 2022 – ISS Security – SIA Upskilling and Licences – Update
Further to Telecoms Bulletin 24/2022, The CWU have been in continuing talks with ISS with regard to their approach to upskilling and the suspension process when no license is held.
ISS has continued to review their original position and have had a full review of both the SIA upskilling process and the suspension process for ISS. The National Team are pleased to advise that ISS has confirmed that members will now be suspended on full pay and that our members are being supported as well as the course being fully funded by ISS.
The process guidance that ISS has confirmed they will now be following when dealing with the likely scenarios that will crop up as part of the upskilling courses is as follows:
Scenario 1 – We have been unable to book a course for an individual due to their geographical location:
- In instances similar to this, the individual should be suspended on full pay or redeployed at the same hourly rate, or employed doing amended duties, until they are able to complete the course and we receive their SIA renewal details.
- If the individual has failed this course and subsequently, their SIA license has now expired revert to the investigation point in scenario 2 and follow the next steps.
Scenario 2 – Failure of SIA Upskilling Course and Expired SIA License:
- Consider redeployment opportunities – must be on the same rate of pay, or amended duties which do not require a SIA license.
- If we are unable to identify redeployment opportunities or amend duties which do not require a SIA license the employee should be placed on suspension with full pay.
- Review the amount of course(s) completed and failed by the individual and invite them to an investigation hearing as soon as possible and follow the investigation process to understand why or hear any mitigation points as to why the course was failed. (We need to be aware of any potential disabilities or learning difficulties, or any other reason which may have caused the failure of the course).
- Once the investigation manager hears and reviews all of the necessary information, they need to determine whether there is a case to answer.
- If there is a case to answer to the individual will then be required to attend a disciplinary hearing, if an individual is dismissed the termination of employment reason would be some other substantial reason.
- We anticipate this is not to be a prolonged process.
Scenario 3 – Failure to Attend the Course:
- Consider redeployment opportunities – must be on the same rate of pay, or amended duties which do not require a SIA licence.
- If we are unable to identify redeployment opportunities or amend duties which do not require a SIA licence the employee should be placed on suspension with full pay.
- If employee has failed to attend course twice with no good reason revert to Scenario 2.
- Failure to attend once – rebook the course as soon as possible.
- If failed on rebooked course revert to Scenario 2 process.
Any Mitigation as to why the course was missed or failed should be carefully considered.
Please note, that suspension is the last resort and we should be looking to redeploy and amend duties which do not require a SIA license in the first instance.
The CWU National Team are extremely pleased with this new position and is hugely positive in supporting members through their careers/development.
13th December 2021 – CBRE National Team Election 2021
Following TB 208/2021 detailing the CBRE National Team Election 2021, the following nominations have been received:
| Name | Branch |
| Anthony Faulkner | North Wales & Chester Combined |
| Adam Lingard | Lincolnshire & South Yorks |
| Kate Murphy | Northern Ireland Telecoms |
| Jim Thompson | South East Central |
| Clive Stringer | Midland No 1 |
The Chair of the Team is a member of, and determined by, the Telecoms and Financial Services Executive.
There are 4 elected positions on the CBRE NT. 5 nominations have been received and therefore an election is required.
The ballot will open today, the 13th December and close at noon on the 20th of December.
Results will be declared on 21st December 2021.
Branches with members in CBRE will be eligible to cast their vote based on their CBRE (BT account CBU) membership.
Any enquiries regarding the election should be directed to tfussey@cwu.org
10th December 2021 – ISS National Team Election 2021
Following TB 209/2021 detailing the ISS National Team Election 2021, the following nominations have been received:
| Name | Branch |
| Mohamed Jama | Midland Counties |
| Peter Newcastle | North East |
The above representatives are therefore elected to the ISS National Team in line with the ISS NT Constitution.
Only 2 nominations were received leaving a vacancy on the team.
The Executive member and Chair of the team is Dave Tee.
Any enquiries regarding the election should be directed to tfussey@cwu.org
25th November – Welcome reassurances for ISS members as BT Centre closure looms
Robust intervention by the CWU on behalf of ISS security guards, who’d initially been told they’d have to reapply for their jobs to secure guaranteed employment at BT’s new London HQ when BT Centre closed on December 6, secured a swift management clarification in October.
But it has taken longer to secure similar guarantees of continuity of employment and Ts&Cs for scores of housekeepers and ‘front of house’ staff who faced the upheaval of separate TUPE transfers following the shock announcement that ISS had not been successful in its tenders to replicate those functions at the company’s new ‘One Braham’ headquarters in Aldgate.
Yesterday (Tuesday), however – with BT’s phased exit from its historic Newgate Street head office just two weeks away from its conclusion – intervention by the CWU secured the categorical assurances that impacted members have been craving for.
CWU national officer Tracey Fussey said: “It’s regrettable it took a determined final push by the CWU to achieve confirmation that every single one of the protections for transferring staff contained in TUPE law had been followed through in full – but I’m pleased to say that the seamless transfer of the previously outsourced BT Facilities Services members to their new employers is now finalised.
“The housekeepers involved now form a recognised bargaining unit in the Peartree contact cleaning company – which we look forward to working with in the future – while the ‘front of house’ staff join our existing bargaining unit in CBRE, with only the security guards at One Braham remaining with ISS.
“All have transferred to their new place of employment with their terms and conditions entirely unchanged .
“Crucially this includes the guarantee that the Real Living Wage will remain the baseline pay for everyone on the BT contract, and that the compensatory payments the CWU secured for those who lost free BT Broadband – as a result of their disputed outsourcing by BT Facilities Services – will continue to be paid.”
5th August 2021 – Big ‘yes’ vote for hard-negotiated ISS pay rise.
ISS members working on the BT contract have voted by more than four to one to accept a CWU-brokered pay settlement for 2021 that will see nearly three quarters of employees receive a consolidated rise of 2.15%.
Crucially, ISS’s final offer – which emerged at the culmination of protracted talks – maintains the Real Living Wage as the absolute minimum hourly pay rate for housekeeping and security members who were outsourced by BT in April 2019.
As such, the deal, which was placed before members in a consultative postal ballot that commenced last month, involves a baseline 20p per hour rise from £9.30 to £9.50.
The 2.15% pay increase also extends to a small number of employees whose hourly rate currently sits just above £9.50. Higher paid staff, meanwhile, will receive 1.75% – with the fully consolidated increases all flowing through to overtime and other pay-related elements.
Commending the company’s final offer to members just prior to the ballot opening, the union’s ISS National Team chair Dave Tee had pointed out that, in an area where the lower National Living Wage pay rate of £8.72 an hour is commonplace, the importance of the union’s success in ensuring Real Living Wage pay rates were carried over in the BTFS outsourcing agreement had once again been underlined.
Thanking members for demonstrating their unequivocal support of the deal, newly elected CWU national officer for ISS, Tracey Fussey, concludes: “While we accept that the Covid pandemic has presented many challenges to ISS – just as it has to many other companies – it was hugely important to the CWU that, as agreed in the TUPE transfer, the Real Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation remains the minimum wage rate on the BT contract.
“This deal delivers that objective, but our aspirations don’t stop there and we hope that next year we can build on that.”