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UNISON has written to all branches and called on all members to fight back and campaign for sustainable pensions, after employers in local government announced last week they wanted to reduce benefits and increase employee contributions. The changes would apply to members in local government, police , higher education, further education, probation, meat hygiene, housing associations, passenger transport executives, the Environment Agency, the voluntary and private sector.
UNISON will pull out all the stops to change the employers minds and organise industrail action if we can't make them see sense. It is working with members and activists and their friends and families, to pressure the government and employers to listen, by spreading certain key messages:
- The average pensions in Local Government is only £3,800.
- Many members without long service and on low pay get even less!
- There are very few pension fat cats in the LGPS
The employers propose to:
Remove the 85 Rule from 1st April 2006. They say this is necessary under the Age Discrimination legislation Offer NO protection to existing members of the scheme. Increase employee contributions by 1% from 1st April 2006 and 2007 and review it in 2008 Increase the age at which benefits can be taken from 50 to 55 from 1st April 2006, four years ahead of the date necessary under the 2004 Finance Act.
They also want to be concluded by mid October so that any changes can be reflected in the November local government settlement. This would be an impossible timetable for most local negotiations, let alone on a pension scheme covering more than 2 million workers.
Parallel talks going on via the TUC with Secretary of state for trade and industry Alan Johnson seem likely yo result in very different porposals for other public sector pension schemes.
"It looks as if our members in the LGPS - already the least favourable of all public sector pension schemes, are getting the Cinderella treatment!" said UNISON national secretary Heather Wakefield.
"It could mean that teaching assistants working alongside teachers will have to pay more for an even worse pension"
The two sides will meet again on 7th October 2005.
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