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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, June 30, 2025 — TODAY marks the FINAL DEADLINE for civil servants to REJECT or be AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED in Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew’s controversial new pension scheme—one that slashes pensions by up to 50%, delays payouts until age 62, and forces workers to contribute 3% of their salaries with ZERO government match.

Outrage is brewing across the public sector, as trade unions and civil servants slam the plan as a “betrayal of trust” and a “retirement death sentence” for hardworking employees.

If you don’t opt out, you are locked in. And if you lock in, you lose out—big time.

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THE COLD, HARD NUMBERS: OLD PLAN vs DREW’S NEW PLAN

(Assumes K$40 and K$30 Annual Salaries – Figures in EC$)

Scenario	Plan	Annual Pension	Monthly Pension	Gratuity	Loss Under New Plan
K40 Salary – Retire @ 15 yrs	Old	$25,812	$2,151	$129,060	—
	New	$12,906	$1,075.50	$96,795	-$12,906/year -$1,075.50/month -$32,265 gratuity
K40 Salary – Retire @ 24y11m	Old	$42,860.53	$3,571.71	$214,302.67	—
	New	$21,430.27	$1,785.86	$160,887.86	-$21,430.26/year -$1,785.85/month -$53,414.81 gratuity
K40 Salary – Retire @ 33y4m	Old	$57,360	$4,780	$286,800	—
	New	$28,680	$2,390	$215,100	-$28,680/year -$2,390/month -$71,700 gratuity
K30 Salary – Retire @ 15 yrs	Old	$17,236.80	$1,436.40	$86,184	—
	New	$8,618.40	$718.20	$64,638	-$8,618.40/year -$718.20/month -$21,546 gratuity

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THE SHOCKING FINE PRINT:

• Your benefits drop by HALF.
• You still pay 3% monthly from your salary.
• No matching contribution from Government.
• Pension locked until 62—even if you retire earlier.
• Gratuity slashed by up to $70,000+
• NO transparency, NO consultations, NO choice—unless you opt out today.

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CIVIL SERVANTS SPEAK OUT

“This is economic cruelty disguised as reform. We’re working, paying, and getting robbed of our future at the end.” — Senior Government Worker
“It’s like being forced to jump off a cliff—and they’re calling it ‘retirement planning.’” — Ministry of Education Staffer

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FINAL WARNING:

Civil servants who do not formally opt out by 11:59 p.m. TODAY, June 30, will automatically be enrolled in this crippling new pension trap.

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ANALYSIS:

This is not pension reform. This is pension rollback—a move that disincentivizes public service, weakens financial security in old age, and shifts the retirement burden from the government entirely onto workers.

With cost of living skyrocketing, a pension that once allowed workers to retire in dignity has now been replaced by a plan that offers crumbs and demands gratitude.

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Stay with SKN Times for ongoing coverage of this unfolding pension crisis.