- Conference
- 2020 Higher Education Service Group Conference
- Date
- 16 September 2019
- Decision
- Carried
A Government consultation took place between May and July 2019 on changes to reform the Local Government Pension Scheme in England. The proposed changes would give higher education institutions, further education colleges and sixth form colleges the flexibility to not have to offer the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) to new staff. UNISON’s HESGE led the campaign to oppose the reforms and submitted a response to the consultation, encourage branches to send in their comments which many did and organised an online lobby of MPs.
These proposed changes to the scheme could have an impact on the cash flow and on remaining employees in the scheme. This would affect the lives of many of our members and future members.
Conference opposes the plans because;
a)this is an attack on the pension rights of working people delivering public services;
b)Whilst initial figures suggest approximately 3% of LGPS membership is at risk it could grow to around 20% of the potential membership of the LGPS if later extended to all admitted and scheduled bodies;
c)Changes would lead to serious cash flow issues for LGPS funds and impact on local services through increased costs;
d)Changes would lead to a two tier workforce in pensions with new starters being offered inferior and less cost effective schemes;
e)If not challenged, the changes could be discriminatory against support staff, particularly women and low paid workers, and will lead to many retiring into poverty with a cost to the individual and state in the form of additional benefit payments;
f)This would undermine universities and colleges who decide to still provide access to the LGPS including Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further Education (FE) Colleges in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland;
g)By not seeking the advice and views of the LGPS Scheme Advisory Board before consulting on this, the governance structure for the LGPS agreed by the government was undermined;
h)The proposed changes would potentially affect the future viability and security of the scheme;
UNISON is concerned that if this change proceeds that other groups of workers may, in time, also be excluded from accessing the LGPS or even forced out of the scheme altogether.
Should the government seek to implement these proposed changes, conference calls on the Service Group Executive (SGE) to:
i)Build a campaign with along with UNISON’s Service Group Liaison Committee and it’s LGPS forum, and in consultation and coordination with the other service groups and sectors where employers offer the LGPS to oppose any such changes to LGPS provision. In addition, the campaign should work closely with other education and public service unions to oppose such changes.
ii)Lobby MPs and Lords to oppose this and vote against any statutory changes to the scheduled status of HEIs and other educational institutions.
iii)Work with branches and regions to oppose plans by any HE employer to stop offering the LGPS to new staff. Support branches in their campaigns and lobby local and national employers to oppose any such plans.
iv)Work with other affected service groups and the Service Group Liaison Committee to consider requesting that the National Executive Committee supports the development of an industrial action strategy, up to and including balloting members for industrial action, within UNISON rules and the law.