Further pension talks planned

Unions have reacted cautiously to the announcement that talks over contentious public sector pension scheme changes will now take place at individual scheme level, rather than just centrally. The plans provoked the major strike by teachers, lecturers and civil servants on 30 June.

Treasury chief secretary Danny Alexander said scheme-level talks between the government, TUC and individual unions were needed for “a fuller understanding of the implication of the reforms”.

The TUC said that individual unions would be “actively considering” whether to participate and would “reach a judgement on whether agreement is possible or whether more unions will enter into dispute and plan industrial action”. But that did not mean they had “agreed to or accepted” the government’s objectives.

Brian Strutton, national secretary of the GMB general union, said he hoped negotiated outcomes would be found, but the union would continue to prepare for industrial action should negotiations fail. The PCS civil service union reaffirmed its opposition to the government’s approach and was considering further action in the autumn.

Martin Johnson, deputy general secretary of the ATL teaching union, said it was willing to join talks but warned these would achieve nothing unless there were “free negotiations on the whole package including pension contributions and the retirement age”.