Unionised employers might soon be faced with well-informed negotiation partners when it comes to pensions, as consultancy Broadstone is launching a specialist advice service for trade unions. 

The firm said its offering will aim to help working people achieve better retirement outcomes, using its specialist pensions expertise to support unions. This will range from helping them manage their own pension arrangements to representing their members’ interests with technical input, and responding to significant changes across the UK pensions landscape.  

“The UK pensions system is continuing to evolve with significant policy changes intended to improve outcomes for working people. Trade unions have been at the forefront of these debates in championing collective solutions and advocating for better retirement security, while also facing many of the same challenges as other employers in delivering value for members,” said Broadstone’s head of policy, David Brooks.  
 

Broadstone stressed that while unions face similar challenges to other employers, they also play “a distinctive and influential role in collective bargaining, pension scheme governance and wider policy. Their decisions and advocacy affect the retirement security of millions of working people.” 
 

The launch comes ahead of defined benefit surplus flexibilities expected to become available in April 2027. While many schemes might not share surplus at all or repay the employer only, depending on the rules, members could also stake a claim. Pensioner lobbying during the passage of the Pension Schemes Act 2026 focused on pre-1997 accrual, with union Unite backing pre-97 uplifts in the Pension Protection Fund. A limited version of this has since been legislated for and will take effect from next year.
 

   

Broadstone’s new offer includes:  

  

Unions have historically often focused on fighting the demise of defined benefit schemes, rather than improving provision. Notable exceptions are the CWU’s work to innovate through collective DC together with Royal Mail, and GMB’s engagement for gig workers, including agreements with ride-hailing app Uber and delivery service Evri to offer auto-enrolment.  
      

With DB having all but vanished from the private sector, unions’ pension efforts are now largely found in the public or quasi-public sector. The University and College Union has been active in pension disputes with post-92 universities, many of which created private sector subsidiaries to allow them to provide less generous pensions. Similar tactics have been employed by NHS trusts, with the GMB union staging strikes and, in some cases, scoring wins for workers. The Public and Commercial Services union has been campaigning for members in the troubled Civil Service Pension Scheme, lobbying ministers for bringing the administration contract in-house.  

Unions have also backed 1950s-born women campaigning for compensation for the government’s delay in informing them about a higher state pension age.