Government revokes extension to local authority retirement age

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has revoked the parliamentary
regulations that would have increased the retirement age for local
government workers from 60 to 65, writes Maria
Ahmed.

The decision followed threats of strike action from thousands of
workers when the regulations were first announced in March.
 
UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis said he was pleased the
government had kept its pledge to withdraw the regulations.
 
“We had a massive vote for strike action in local government,
with other unions prepared to join the action, which forced the
government to think again. We suspended our action with the promise
that the regulations would be withdrawn,” he said.
 
“We can now get into talks about securing the future of the
local government pension scheme with nothing ruled in and nothing
ruled out – a fresh start.”
 
The order to revoke the regulations is backdated to April 1 so that
anyone caught by the changes will be recompensed.