National Pension plan, a trade unionist has charged.

Bermuda Union of Teachers general secretary Michael Charles, who last month was elected as general secretary of the Trade Union Congress -- an umbrella body of seven trade unions -- said the TUC would be campaigning on pensions and dental insurance.

"We are looking at the National Pension,'' Mr. Charles said. "We hope to get somebody on the National Pension Board.

"We have reservations about how it affects some older people. It doesn't do what it is supposed to do for them.

"We don't think it gives as much of a pension as it should and you might wind up putting more in than you eventually get out of it.'' However, he added that there was still scope to alter the scheme as it had yet to be finalised.

"We will be looking at it more closely,'' Mr. Charles said. "Hopefully there can be some more tweaking.'' But Pension Commission chairman Roger Titterton denied pensioners would be ripped off.

He said: "The only way pensioners can put in more than they get out is if the investment goes down. People don't seem to understand that concept.'' When asked if the new pension would be enough for older workers starting now, Mr. Titterton said: "It takes a whole lifetime to save for a pension.'' Asked what incentive pensioners would have in joining the new pension, he said: "They have to. It's the law. But whatever they put in, it's still better than nothing.'' Mr. Charles also said the TUC would be pushing Government to include all civil servants in the dental scheme.

He said: "Police and prison officers have it already, but they promised to put everybody else into this by April. This is something we will actively pursue.

"It's very important. I know when I go the dentist it is prohibitively expensive.'' Mr. Charles said he was excited the TUC was finally up and running after a gestation period that stretched back to the early 1980s.

"It's been a long time coming,'' he added.

He said he was still hoping the Bermuda Industrial Union would join the 5,000-strong organisation after talks had broken down between it and the other unions in September.

He said: "In a world that is getting smaller it is only prudent that unions come together and work together for the common worker. Only by pooling resources we'll be able to do that. "But unions will still have autonomy.

To ensure that no single union dominated the congress, Mr. Charles explained that the post of president would be rotated yearly between three officers.

The Bermuda Public Service Association's president Betty Christopher has it now with first vice president Maynard Dill, from the Electrical Supply Workers Union, set to step into her shoes.

He would then be followed by second vice president Anthony Wolffe of the BUT.

Charles Pearman, from the Fire Service Association, was elected treasurer while Lynn Hall, of the Prison Officers Association, landed the assistant treasurer's post.