| UNISON City of Edinburgh Branch |
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Pensions
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Date: Sat 5 April 2008 UNISON members vote 25 to 1 for new pension schemeScotland's largest local government union - UNISON, today announced that its membership conditioned to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) had voted overwhelmingly for a new scheme in a ballot. The union said that over 95% of LGPS members had voted to accept Scottish Government proposals for a new scheme announced in February. Mike Kirby, UNISON's Scottish Convenor announcing the result at a meeting of the union's Scottish Council in Glasgow today (Saturday) said "We welcome this comprehensive vote of confidence in the new scheme that UNISON has been instrumental in delivering. It is clear from the improvements that have been achieved, that it is possible to maintain, and improve a decent final salary scheme, which is fair to both employers and employees, provides a decent level of pension and is sustainable in overall cost. "It is an object lesson to those directors in the private sector who shout about the need to cut staff pensions whilst maintaining their own gold-plated pensions, that with fair contributions from both employees and employers, it IS still possible to offer decent pension options, pensions that can be an incentive to attract the valuable staff required to deliver quality public services." The new scheme retains its final salary element, and improves the accrual rate of members' pensions. Workers' pension contributions increase overall, but a new system means that the lower paid will end up paying less. The details were negotiated over some months between the trade unions, the employers (represented by CoSLA) and the Scottish Government. Notes 1) The LGPS in Scotland covers over 220,000 working staff across a large variety of employers. In addition to Local Councils, many members work for colleges, universities, the police and fire services, Scottish Water, Careers Scotland, and the community and voluntary sector. 2) The scheme will be introduced across Scotland in April 2009. Key features of the new scheme are: * retention of a normal retirement age of 65 but with flexibility to work less hours over 65 while taking part pension * employee contributions increased to an average of 6.3 per cent, but tiered so lower paid staff pay less * the new LGPS will mirror other schemes in providing 1/60th of final salary for each year in service * modernised partners' pensions - lump sum death in service grants increase from two to three times final pay and cohabiting partners now able to receive benefits 3) UNISON members voted by 25,008 to 1,121 in a 25% turn out to accept the new scheme. Branch calls for Yes vote in pensions ballotThe Branch AGM on 18 Feb called for a Yes vote in the pensions ballot from 3 March 2008. "The new pensions deal has been delivered by the solid support for industrial action UNISON members showed in 2006 and by the professional expertise of the union in leading the negotiations for the new scheme", said Branch President John Stevenson. "While each member should look at what the new scheme delivers for them, overall this deal meets all of the demands we made when we went on strike in 2006", said John ....more> Pensions ballot: Ballot papers will be dispatched to members on 3 March 2008 and the ballot will close on 21 March 2008. If a UNISON member has not received a ballot paper, or members have lost their paper, please contact the ballot helpline by 18 March 2008. Either phone 0131 226 0096 or email membershipteamscotland@unison.co.uk. Evidence of UNISON membership will be required. Also enclosed with the ballot paper will be a 'recruit a friend' leaflet . At a time when quality pension schemes are under attack from employers there can be few better examples of the benefits of UNISON membership.
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