U.K.
Public services union UNISON will be consulting its members over the latest proposals for changes to the local government pension scheme. The proposals include a change from a final-salary to a career-average salary but with a higher accrual rate. Lower paid workers will keep the same level of contributions and outsourced workers will be able to stay in the scheme.
Read more at > Unison (EN)
Local government unions have until 28 February 2007 to respond to the latest government proposals on changing the local government pension scheme. Earlier attempts by the government to cut back on early retirement provision for municipal workers was resisted by the unions with a one-day national strike and threat of further industrial action. UNISON has responded to the new proposals by saying there are positive elements but further negotiations are required over implementing the changes and the planned changes to ill-health early retirement. [Read more at > UNISON (EN)->http://www.unison.org
The European Commission has issued a green paper on pensions, inviting comments on a wide range of issues from sustainability of pension systems to the gender pensions gap. The Green Paper considers some recent trends and notes the shift in responsibility for pensions from employers to individuals. For EPSU some of the key points are about how to deal with the gender pensions gap and the problem of the spread of precarious jobs that tend to provide little or no pension entitlement. Read more at > EPSU (EN)
The local government pensions debate in the UK is reaching a crucial point as the government publishes new proposals for changes. One area where unions have already expressed concerns is the proposed removal of the right for individual local authorities to offer additional years of pension entitlement. Unions say that the proposed increase in the lump sum available at retirement will not be adequate compensation for this planned restriction. Read more at > UNISON (EN)
