Pension funds may gain exposure to infrastructure assets through a variety of channels, which include regular government bonds, asset-specific government-issued infrastructure bonds or direct ownership of infrastructure assets. Trade union interests and preferences regarding to the desirability of specific infrastructure financing models vary from country to country.

When pension funds consider taking ownership stakes in public-private or private infrastructure assets, there is an opportunity to connect trade-union nominated trustees and trade union representatives. This is to encourage investments - whether in the country where the fund is based or abroad – that are not detrimental to the interests of workers that may be impacted by the specific infrastructure investment. Furthermore, when funds take positions in infrastructure assets, their ownership gives them a powerful voice to press for the social and labour protections of workers to be effectively upheld.

Click here to view the CWC Trustee Guidance Note on Pension Fund Investment in Infrastructure.

unsplash-logoAndrea Boldizsar