UNISON members vote to accept changes

UNISON members vote to accept changes to Local Government Pension Scheme

I am writing to you because UNISON members across England and Wales have voted 90.2% in favour of accepting the proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

We led the negotiations, which resulted in proposals to maintain the current contribution levels for 90% of LGPS members, introduce a 50/50 'low cost' scheme for the low paid, and move from a final salary to a career average scheme.

I want to thank you for the hard work you have put in throughout the negotiations. Together we've managed to ensure that current LGPS members can afford to stay in the scheme and those who could not afford to join it can now do so via the 50/50 option.

This is vital for many of our members whose earnings have gone down as a result of the coalition's pay freeze policies. Contributions are now on a fairer progressive basis.

We will continue to campaign with all of the union, through the TUC, against the proposals to increase the state retirement age.

UNISON will now move into the next stage of discussions on improving the governance of the new scheme which is due to come into effect in 2014.


Yours sincerely