Council workers represented by the Unite union have voted to accept proposed reforms to the Local Government Pension Scheme today.
The union announced this afternoon that 84% of its local government members who took part in the ballot voted in favour of the proposals. Unite represents some 80,000 council workers in the UK.
Unite joined with other public sector unions to protest the government's pension reforms on November 30 last year in a one-day strike. Following this action, scheme-specific talks began, the outcome of which was subject to a ballot of members.
Peter Allenson, Unite's national officer, said the result was a 'positive step forward'.
'Our members took strike action and, as a result they got a better deal. However, the strike action was followed by constructive negotiations which we are pleased ended in an agreement acceptable to our members,' he said.
The deal which was originally struck between ministers, councils and trade unions in May, and then approved today, will see the average contribution of 6.5% of salary maintained, although some higher-earning local government employees may pay more, with their lower-earning counterparts paying less.
The scheme will shift from a final salary basis to one based on career-average earnings and members' pension age will be linked to the state pension age.
Outsourced council employees will also be able to remain in the LGPS on first and subsequent transfers.
