Torbay Local Government Branch

Attached is UNISON’s LGPS newsletter 18 – it is the 3rd ‘Watch this Space’ newsletter in a row BUT reading this one carefully at says rather more than the last two and I think that the new proposals will be out for consultation in about two weeks (maybe sooner). An Equality Impact Assessment is being done on them at present which means there must be something pretty solid ready to release. Only trade union members will get the chance to vote to agree or reject these proposals – which will be due for implementation in 2014. Non-members will not have any say in the matter.

From UNISON National Website
(26/03/12) Karen Jennings, assistant general secretary for negotiation and bargaining at UNISON is calling on UNISON members to back women's magazine Cosmopolitan's call for the government to make equal pay auditing compulsory.

Equal pay auditing means comparing the pay scales of men and women within the same organisation to make sure that women are not paid less than men on grounds of gender for doing the same work.

From the Local Government section of UNISON to UNISON LGPS members
We are looking to include a short-term, ‘low cost option’ in the new LGPS from 2014. The intention would be to enable non-members to join the LGPS on a 50% contribution and benefits basis as a way of moving towards full membership of the scheme. It would also enable members to reduce contributions for up to three years at times of financial hardship.

The latest bi-weekly newsletter is attached - this contains information about the annual changes to the LGPS contribution bands and gives a table of the bands applicable from Apr 2012 - these changes re not part of the proposals to change the scheme and are in the current agreement. Some members may move to a lower contribution rate and nett pay levels will rise slightly. There is also a small reduction in the National Insurance rebate in place from Apr 12 and this will also affect take-home pay but in the other direction.

The latest bi-weekly Pensions newsletter is attached below - this newsletter sets out very clearly all the critical areas of negotiations and gives a bit of information about them. Also there is the first indication of when you may get YOUR chance to have a say as it looks like there will be a postal ballot in March. Come to the Branch AGM on 7th March for more information.