Talks on the future of local government pensions will resume tomorrow with unions across the public sector threatening industrial action over government plans to increase contributions, delay retirement and reduce the value of pensions paid.
GMB national secretary for public services Brian Strutton said the union was proceeding with a ballot for industrial action that would take in care staff and social workers.
"Already more than one in four local government workers are priced out of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) yet government and council leaders are seeking to reduce benefits and increase member contributions to ensure quality pension saving becomes the exclusive preserve of the few," he said. "There is still time for a negotiated solution but we cannot delay the ballot process any longer."
Council leaders are sympathetic to the risk that increased contributions will lead to lower take-up of pensions, making them less viable in the long-term; meanwhile the government has recognised that there may be potential to limit extra contributions for council staff because the LGPS is a "funded scheme" (i.e it has built up assets to meet its liabilities), as opposed to the unfunded schemes in much of the civil service.
So perhaps there may be room for a settlement for social workers that means they and council colleagues won't be joining mandarins, teachers and others on the picket lines.
GMB national secretary for public services Brian Strutton said the union was proceeding with a ballot for industrial action that would take in care staff and social workers.
"Already more than one in four local government workers are priced out of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) yet government and council leaders are seeking to reduce benefits and increase member contributions to ensure quality pension saving becomes the exclusive preserve of the few," he said. "There is still time for a negotiated solution but we cannot delay the ballot process any longer."
Council leaders are sympathetic to the risk that increased contributions will lead to lower take-up of pensions, making them less viable in the long-term; meanwhile the government has recognised that there may be potential to limit extra contributions for council staff because the LGPS is a "funded scheme" (i.e it has built up assets to meet its liabilities), as opposed to the unfunded schemes in much of the civil service.
So perhaps there may be room for a settlement for social workers that means they and council colleagues won't be joining mandarins, teachers and others on the picket lines.
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