More votes favour pension changes

Members of UNISON and Unite who work in local government have voted to accept changes to their pension schemes, following negotiations between the unions and the employers involved.

In ballots carried out on the latest proposals for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), 90% of eligible UNISON members voted in favour of the plans.

Heather Wakefield, head of local government at UNISON, said: “With a focus on the majority of members who earn less than £21,000 a year, we have ensured that current LGPS members can afford to remain in the scheme and those who could not afford to do so to date can now join via the 50/50 option.

“This is vital for many of our members who have suffered a decline in earnings as a result of the Coalition’s pay freeze policies.”

Meanwhile, 84% of Unite members voted in favour of the plans. Unite national officer Peter Allenson said it was a “positive step forward”.

 “Our members took strike action and, as a result they got a better deal,” Allenson said.” However, the strike action was followed by constructive negotiations which we are pleased ended in an agreement acceptable to our members.”

As reported in last week’s Fact Service, the GMB general union and UCATT construction union have also voted to accept the changes.

www.personneltoday.com/Articles/24/08/2012/58759/Unions-back-changes-to-local-government-pensions.htm

www.unison.org.uk/asppresspack/pressrelease_view.asp?id=2795

www.unitetheunion.org/news__events/latest_news/unite_local_government_members.aspx