The regulatory authority for stakeholder pensions will rely on "whistle-blowing by employees, trade unions and trade organisations" as it looks to weed out firms that have failed to offer a scheme to staff (PrintWeek, 28 September).

The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA) said it would start with "a light touch" to monitor the scheme, which required companies to have stakeholder pensions in place by last Monday (8 October).

A spokesman for the GPMU said the union was not aware of companies that had failed to register, but added: "We would be more than happy to blow the whistle on anyone not having a scheme in place by the deadline."

But BPIF director of corporate affairs Mike Hopkins said: "OPRA wont be relying on this trade organisation to be a whistle blower.

"I feel it is inappropriate at this stage to have the dagger behind the back. The line should be encourage, encourage, encourage."

Around a third of the 350,000 firms that come under the new regulations were set to miss the deadline, according to industry estimates. Around 550 companies have taken up the Printing Industry Pension Scheme endorsed by the GPMU and BPIF.

Companies that failed to adopt a stakeholder scheme face fines of up to 50,000.

Story by Andy Scott