Pension scheme concerns spark probe

THE country’s largest single pension scheme is to be reviewed by the Pensions Board following concerns that thousands of construction firms are flouting the law, depriving workers of death and sickness benefits.

Although all construction firms have a legal obligation to register their employees in the Construction Federation Operatives Pension Scheme (CFOPS), it is believed that up to 50,000 workers have not been registered.

Instead, non-compliant firms pocket the weekly contributions, doing widows and relatives out of benefits when a worker dies.