Until the most recent talks this week, the LGA Employers would not agree to this commitment.

Although the detailed negotiations have now to take place, the unions agreed that members should not be asked to take further strike action whilst those talks take place.

Negotiations will be taking place on the basis of the attached statement as a matter of urgency, with a view to reporting to a Tripartite Committee, which involves the Government as well, in June.

Thanks to Members

There is no doubt that it has taken the huge level of support received for the strike action on March 28th, by over a million trade union members, to secure the progress that we have. That is not to say that we have won, but at least we now have negotiations underway on an acceptable basis.

Members of Napo can be particularly proud of the support we gave to the strike action at the end of March. Members of other unions have commented that across the country, Napo action was well organised, well supported, and Napo members and our placards were very much in evidence on picket lines and at rallies. (Not to mention the front page of the Guardian; congratulations to West Midlands Branch!)

Members who keep an eye on Napo's website will see that it has constantly changing pictures of Napo members supporting the strike action on March 28th on its front page.

So "Well Done", and please pass this thanks on to members.

More information will follow on the talks once they commence.

Thanks again to branches and members for their action to date to enable us to get to this position,

Yours sincerely,

JUDY McKNIGHT

General Secretary

Napo circular will follow.

Following further talks, Unison did not call its members in the Meat and Hygiene Service out on selective strike action this week.

If necessary, regional strike action will be called as follows:

Tues 25th April: South East, Eastern, South West and Greater
London

Wed 26th April: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Thu 27th April: Northern, North West, Yorkshire, Humberside,
East & West Midlands.

Discussions are still being held with the other unions in respect of the possible further strike action on May 3 and 4th .

For further info on how Probation Areas fit into the regional strike pattern, click here
For Family Court members – the CAFCASS regions match the regional strike format exactly. CAFCASS Wales is not party to this dispute.

JOINT UNION STRIKE TEAM REPSPONSE TO THE UNILATERAL REMOVAL OF RULE OF 85 FROM THE LGPS

The trade unions are extremely disappointed by the statement to the House of
Commons today laying the statutory Order to abolish the Rule of 85 from
October this year with only limited protection. The members of the LGPS
have shown their total opposition to this move in the industrial action
taken this week, in which hundreds of thousands of trade union members went
on strike. Instead of seeking a resolution of the dispute, the decision of
John Prescott to press ahead with the laying of the Order now is
provocative, premature, unnecessary and will inflame the situation.

On Wednesday, talks involving the trade unions, Phil Woolas and the LGA,
took place with a view to seeing whether a way forward could be agreed. The
discussions were also attended by Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the
TUC. In these discussions the trade unions proposed:

- That the Government lay an order now, limited to bringing in changes
required from April to reflect the new Inland Revenue regulations, including
the commutation provisions. This would represent a saving to the scheme of
over £3 Billion.

- If the Government decided to abolish the Rule of 85 from October 2006, any
Order could be laid in Parliament prior to the Summer recess, i.e., 27 July
2006 ¬ to take action prior to this date would be premature and unhelpful.

If accepted, this would have provided some four months for negotiations to
reach agreements on outstanding issues. The trade unions proposed that the
negotiations be held on the following basis that:

- Long-term protection of the benefits of existing scheme members be an
option ¬ something already agreed

- 50% of the savings arising from changes to the scheme be available for
protection and improved benefits in a new scheme ¬ something already agreed.
These savings would be over an agreed period and would include those arising
from the abolition of the Rule of 85 for new members and the commutation
arrangements.

- A process be agreed to resolve quickly any actuarial difference over the
costing of the changes.

The Local Government Association was not prepared to sign up to the
compromise put forward by the trade unions. It continued to insist that the
Deputy Prime Minister lay the Order now to abolish the Rule of 85 from 1
October with only limited protections. If this happened, they would then
agree to talks on a new scheme with nothing ruled in or ruled out - talks
which could take over one year.

The industrial action has been prompted by the Government¹s intention to
abolish the Rule of 85 unilaterally with only limited protection for
existing scheme members. Our aim as joint trade unions is to find an agreed
way forward that allows for change and also security for existing members of
the scheme ¬ something that has been achieved for members of all other
public sector pension schemes. Laying the Order today is completely
unnecessary, provocative and premature.

Estimates are that well over 80%, and 90% plus in many areas, of Napo members were on strike today.

We were part of a strike force of over a million members across the public sector.

Thanks to the many members who are putting their own experience of the action on Napo’s Discussion Forum.

I spent the morning going round a number of picket lines in London, both Probation and CAFCASS, where in both Services the strike was exceptionally well supported.

I attach some photos so far, including some that have been emailed in to us.

I attach below a note on the feedback so far which Kath Falcon and Margaret Pearce compiled at lunchtime today.

I spoke at the London rally this afternoon, a rally that was packed out and had many Napo members there, and the notes I used for my speech are also attached below.

Lets us hope that the Government and the Employers will know sit up and realise the anger that LGPS members feel abut the way they have been treated. Let us hope that a negotiated settlement may still be possible.

Probation and CAFCASS members together in Manchester

Probation members in Slough:

Probation members in Ebbw Valley:

Probation members London Great Peter Street:

CAFCASS London,Wells St:

CAFCASS London, Principal Registry

London Mitre House:

East Midlands
Chesterfield
Rally and balloon release in New Square, at 12 noon, followed by public meeting at Saltergate Football Club, at 12:30 pm

Derby
Derby Market Place (opposite The Council Offices) at 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm

Leicester
Town Hall Square at 12 noon – 2 pm

Lincoln
The front of Lincolnshire County Council Offices at 12 noon.

Northampton
Piazza in front of All Saints Church, Northampton City Centre, at 10:30 am to 12 noon

Nottingham
March from Forest Recreation Ground (Goose Fair Site); assemble at 11:00 am, march starts at 11:30 am. Rally at the Albert Hall from 12 noon to 1 pm

Nottingham City branch - Nottingham City Homes - picket.

Ashfield
Ashfield UNISON branch - Ashfield Homes - joint picket with some depot workers
Greater London
London
Rally at Westminster Central Hall, Storey's Gate, SW1 (opposite Westminster Abbey) 2pm - 4pm.
West Midlands
Joint union rallies

Birmingham
Victoria Square, outside the Council House, 12 noon.

Stafford
Market Square 12 noon - 1.30pm

Worcester
Outside the Guildhall, Worcester High Street

Sandwell
Oldbury Council House, 11.15am

Hereford
Hightown, 11.00 am

Wolverhampton
Piazza, outside civic centre, 12 noon
South West
Torbay
Rally, Torquay Town Hall, Torbay 10.00am

Bristol
March and rally Castle Green, Bristol, 11.30am - 12.30pm

The last, and only time that Napo called a one day strike, was April 27th 1983 over cuts in Trainees’ pay. Although there have been more campaigns involving industrial action since then, and some branches have been involved in strike action, it is therefore 26 years since our last national strike involving all members.

This demonstrates that as a trade union, we do not overplay our hand in terms of strike action. We have demonstrated that it is a measure of last resort.

Napo, along with all the other unions tried to resolve this dispute by negotiations. It has been the Local Authority Pension Scheme employers who have refused to negotiate and to date the Government has not been prepared to overrule the employers on this matter.

I know from branch feed back that tomorrow’s strike has overwhelming support from most members. Thank you for that support.

If you are one of the members who are still uncertain about taking strike action, I hope that you will support your colleagues and the democratic process that we have followed.

Tomorrow, members going on strike will be part of a group of over 1million other public sector workers, striking in support of the LGPS.

Let us ensure that the strike is as solid as possible and let’s ensure that the Government and the LGPS employers know how strongly members feel about defending their pension.

Attached below is a copy of Napo's Press release on the strike.

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Download file

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Both circulars are also reproduced below.

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More advice will follow.

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