Michael Bow questions public sector pensions policy
The Treasury has agreed to hold separate negotiations with unions on reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme after acknowledging its funded status made it different to other public sector schemes.
The government could respond to planned industrial action over public sector pension changes by strengthening anti-strike laws, business secretary Vince Cable has warned.
One in four council workers already opt out of the Local Government Pension Scheme, with the lowest participation rates in the country at just 46%, figures show.
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The Hutton Report has been welcomed by the industry, which claims it could increase pensions for the low paid, but left unions warning of industrial action.
Local councils could leave themselves open to maladministration claims if they adopt blanket policies on discretionary pension payments for redundant workers, a lawyer warns.
Strike action over defined benefit scheme changes at pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca is over after members of the GMB union voted to end the dispute.
Raising worker contribution rates for local government pension schemes would stoke a wave of industrial action and withdrawals from schemes, unions warn.