Vote now to mobilise the power of your pension fund

Pension fund democracy has begun. Since last week, more than 1,200 people have gone online to register a protest with their pension fund about BP's and Shell's involvement in exploiting Canadian tar sands. The tar sands campaign is being run by lobby group Fair Pensions and its supporters include the Co-operative, trade union Unison, and a number of faith groups. It is adding to the pressure on the oil companies, and on state-controlled Royal Bank of Scotland, which has lent an estimated $7.5bn over the past three years to firms involved in this kind of activity. This action could just be the start of a broader movement to enfranchise pension fund members over a range of investors' issues from bankers' bonuses to women on the board. If you want to register a protest about tar sands, click onto the web tool at www.countingthecost.org.uk .