Sunday is D-day for the LGPS

Continuing the positive and constructive approach which they have taken to debate around the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in the run up to this year's Local Government Conference, the Standing Orders Committee (SOC) have admitted a number of Emergency Motions on to the Conference agenda.

As a result of this, the debate on pensions, originally scheduled for Monday afternoon has been brought forward to Sunday afternoon. Ever fleet of foot, the Tower Hamlets and Havering branches have been able to bring forward their "eve of debate" pensions fringe meeting from Sunday evening to Sunday lunchtime.

The SOC for Local Government Conference (who could perhaps offer lessons in respect for lay democracy to some other SOCs in our Union) have tasked officers with preparing a number of Emergency Composites to facilitate the business of Conference, and a lively debate is in prospect.

As regular readers of this Blog (Sid and Doris Trotskyist-Trainspotter) will be aware, I am one of the "usual suspects" and as such have a finger in several of the potential "Emergency Composite" pies, some of which may not be palatable to the "top table".

I understand also that a large branch from a city in the North West may have an Emergency Motion seeking to shore up the position already adopted by the Service Group Executive.

All those branches which were able to convene quorate meetings at impossibly short notice to agree motions for submission to the Local Government Conference deserve every bit as much credit as the SOC for helping to ensure that a meaningful debate can take place on Sunday.

The large majority of unionised members of the LGPS in England and Wales are in UNISON and the large majority of UNISON members are in the Local Government Service Group. UNISON's Local Government Conference is therefore the least worst place at which delegates elected by the unionised members of the country's biggest pension scheme can come to a view about proposals for the future of the scheme.

Sunday may be an important day.

I would hazard a guess that amongst those hoping that the Conference does not recommend that our members vote to reject the cheapening of their pensions will be the employers, Government Ministers, national trade union officials and the majority of the Service Group Executive.

I beg to differ and will explain why here shortly.

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