The vast majority of manufacturers are opposed to government plans which would legally require half of trustees to be member-nominated, an exclusive EEF poll reveals.

Electrocomponents has appointed HamishWilson as consultant to a number of its pension related projects.

NETHERLANDS - Pensioenfonds Zorg en Welzijn (PFZW), the second largest Dutch pension fund, will have to submit a recovery plan to the regulator after its coverage ratio dropped below 96% at the end of November.

NETHERLANDS - Royal Dutch Shell has confirmed the funding ratio for its pension scheme slumped to 85% at the end of November but stressed there would be no changes to existing pension provision.

GLOBAL - Irish pension funds were hit by the worst investment returns of the OECD area in the period from January to October 2008, with a -30% loss in nominal terms, figures released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)...

US - The New Jersey Senate budget committee approved a bill permitting the state's 566 towns and cities to delay US$540m in payments into public pension funds to avoid tax increases.

US - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has finalised settlements with Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., UBS Securities LLC and UBS Financial Services, Inc. that will provide nearly $30bn to investors who bought auction rate securities (ARS) before...

NEW ZEALAND - The New Zealand Superannuation Fund is to divest NZ$37m from companies associated with the manufacture of cluster munitions or involved in the simulated testing of nuclear explosive devices, following the government's signing of an international...

UK - Administrators for failed high street retailer Woolworths have notified the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) of its collapse and expect member benefits will be rescued.

US - Eastman Kodak has announced it will not match its US employee's 401(k) contributions next year in response to the firm's financial problems.