Surrey County UNISON branch

The Local Government, Transport, Police, Higher Education and Water and Transport Service Groups and the Service Group Liaison Committee (SGLC) all met on 8 May to discuss the LGPS Benefit Regulations, which contain the new scheme benefits from 1 April 2008. [See LGPS Campaign Newsletter 57]

The Service Groups held lively discussions on the new scheme and discussed a provisional timetable for a ballot of all affected members. It was made clear that the Government needs to urgently publish a timetable for consulting on extending full protection under the Rule of 85 from 2016 to 2020. At present, protection is tapered from 2016 to 2020 for those who become 60 during that period and qualify for the 85 Rule.

We have already had a commitment from Local Government Minister Phil Woolas that he intends to consult on extending full protection to 2020. He has told us that he wants to ensure “fairness to scheme members in England and Wales with respect to Scotland”. LGPS members in Scotland have already been offered full protection to 2020 and the same is likely in Northern Ireland.

We are making it clear that this is a crucial issue for UNISON and we are demanding that the timetable for consulting on extending protection is urgently published. The Local Government Service Group and the SGLC have therefore agreed to meet again on 5 June to approve member consultation arrangements on the new look LGPS.

Our aim is to have the consultation timetable in place no later than 5 June.

Members will be given two clear options on which to vote:

1. If they accept the new scheme.
2. If they do not accept the new scheme, whether they are prepared to take sustained and escalating industrial action to secure improvements.

Trade Union Side
The Trade Union Side met on 10 May to discuss its next steps and the ballot of members. The TGWU is intending to go ahead and ballot its members as soon as possible and the GMB has already balloted, with an overwhelming ‘yes’ vote. The other unions may ballot on a similar timetable as UNISON’s.

Updated ‘new LGPS and you’
Following the publication of the LGPS Benefit Regulations, we have updated the ‘New LGPS and You’ guide to take account of the changes in the final Regulations from the draft ones. You can download a copy from the Pensions section of the UNISON website on www.unison.org.uk/pensions

Carry on recruiting
Every public sector pension scheme will be kept under close watch by Government from now on and we cannot rule out attempts to make further changes in the future. You need to make it clear to non-members that UNISON led the negotiations for the improvements to the new scheme and that we will be involved in the Policy Review Group set up by Government to oversee future developments. If they are not members, they need to join to have a say.