Europe

SCOTLAND - Scottish papermaker Tullis Russell is to plunge a fifth of its pre-tax profits into its final salary pension scheme.

UK - Key members of the department for work and pensions have met to discuss the future role of the pensions ombudsman, David Laverick.

ITALY - Exclusive: Italy can expect national strikes similar to those which crippled France should Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi "insist" on controversial proposals to raise the retirement age.

UK - Mercer has joined the chorus of critics over OPRA's new guidelines on winding up pension schemes and the handling of GMP equalisation.

UK - Career average revalued earnings schemes have been dismissed as "disastrous" by trade unions while consultants are split over whether they could replace final salary plans.

UK - Law firm Wragge is to hold a seminar on the implications of the Agco ruling on early retirement rules.

UK - Black holes in pension schemes have forced the Confederation of British Industry to scale back its forecasts for economic growth.

EUROPE/UK - Law firm CMS Cameron McKenna has developed a toolkit for pan-European employers wanting to know the specific pensions tax regimes of member states.

WALES - Workers are threatening to escalate strike action at a small trailer-making firm in North Wales unless it increases its pension contributions.

UK/US - Barclays Global Investors has appointed Aananth Madhavan to the new role of managing director and global head of trading, research.