Pensions - key decision approaching

Following considerable detailed negotiations between CoSLA and the trade unions agreement over the main constituents of the new Local Government Pension Scheme, a broad understanding has been reached on most of the outstanding issues.

These are mainly the provisions for ill-health retirement, how the transfer from the old to the new scheme will operate and the tiered contribution rates (see Pensions Bulletin No. 8 - at www.unison-scotland.org.uk/pensions for more details of the agreements), but there remains a significant amount of detailed work to complete.

The next stage is to draw up a heads of agreement document that will form the basis for the draft regulations that should be completed by the end of the year.

The Cabinet Secretary will be asked to approve the regulations in January and there will be a statutory consultation period to be completed by 21 March 2008.

The final regulations will then be laid in the Scottish parliament by the end of May 2008. The regulations will come into force in April 2009.

Delegates from all branches with members in the LGPS are due to meet on Friday 18 January 2008 in Glasgow to consider the heads of agreement and the arrangements for the ballot of members.

headlines . top