Surrey County UNISON branch

We are pressing for the draft Regulations to be released as soon as possible so that we can respond to them.  The SGE (UNISON's Service Group Executives) meetings will be reconvened once they are received. Civil servants were not prepared to share the contents with us in advance of their release, citing the Official Secrets Act as the reason!

Trade Union Side meets
The Trade Union Side met on 19 December and agreed to send the letter (links at bottom of page) to Phil Woolas, raising our aim of full protection for existing scheme members and the need to maximise ill health retirement benefits for those in the proposed highest benefit tier.

Meeting the employers
The negotiating team has had two further meetings with the employers following Phil Woolas’s statement to Parliament and the release of the DCLG letter outlining the proposed draft Regulations on 23 November. At those meetings we discussed improved protection, ill health retirement, transfer arrangements for existing staff, the calculation period and the 5% manual workers’ contribution rate.

Following those meetings, at which agreement was reached on some issues, the joint letter (links at bottom of page) with the employers has been sent to Phil Woolas.  It makes it clear that both the employers and the Trade Union Side are likely to have additional issues to raise once the draft Regulations are available and that negotiations will continue. It highlights the following issues:

• Protection

The letter makes clear that the unions are seeking full protection for existing staff and draws attention to the different transitional protection arrangements in Scotland, which provides full protection to 2020. It also states that we have pressed for other options that would enhance the position of existing scheme members, such as transfer arrangements of scheme members not covered by protection into the new scheme and the age reduction factors.

• Ill health retirements

The employers accept that the proposed ill health retirement proposals will have a negative impact on those over 51 – the group most likely to need them!! The letter states that “we would want the arrangements for this group to ensure that they are not disadvantaged.”

• Transfer arrangements for existing scheme members

Clarification is being sought on the position of the transfer arrangements for existing scheme members who qualify for protection to 2016, tapered to 2020. While the Minister’s Statement makes it clear that they would transfer to the new scheme, civil servants have cast doubt on this.

• Best three-year average calculation

The Minister’s Statement accepted the trade unions’ proposal that final pension should be based on the average of the best three years’ pay in the last ten. However, there may be practical problems in its implementation which will need to be looked at.

• Manual workers’ contribution rates

We are keen to establish the Government’s intention in relation to this group currently paying 5% contributions. They are not mentioned in the Statement or accompanying DCLG letter.

Special Conference
The Local Government Service Group is proceeding with plans for a Special Conference, following agreement by the Service Group Liaison Group for it to go ahead. The Local Government Standing Orders Committee will meet on 4 January to set a timetable for the conference, which will be made available as soon as possible.

CARRY ON CAMPAIGNING - WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW?

• Make sure that your workmates know the current position, by circulating this Campaign News and attached letter or just telling them!
  
• Keep recruiting non-members so that they can have their say over what happens next.
• If you haven’t lobbied your MP or written to him/her – do it now!! We must keep the pressure up.
  
• Contact lgps@unison.co.uk for more information or help with your local campaign.
  

Supporting letter to Phil Woolas MP
Supporting letter to Phil Woolas MP, Minister of State, from Keith Sonnet (UNISON Deputy General Sec.) regarding the Local Government Pension Scheme (19 December 2006). http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B2949.pdf

Joint letter to Phil Woolas MP
Joint letter to Phil Woolas MP, Minister of State, from trade unions and employers regarding the Local Government Pension Scheme (20 December 2006). http://www.unison.org.uk/acrobat/B2950.pdf