Council workers will vote over strikes against pension cuts

More than 1.5 million council workers could go on strike over planned cuts to their pension schemes, it emerged today.

Nine unions representing the local government workers, which includes social workers, agreed to ballot those workers for industrial action.

“This dispute is the biggest issue UNISON has faced for decades,” said Dave Prentis, general secretary of the public sector union. “It affects the rights of one million of our members who have paid six per cent of their salaries into their pension scheme for decades to save for their retirement and are now being told that the deal is off.”

The Local Government Association wants to cut pension rights and talks with the LGA, government, local government employers and unions have been taking place for a year.

The nine unions are: UNISON, AMICUS, TGWU, GMB, UCATT, CYWU, Napo, NUT and FBU.