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		Protecting Our Pensions   Email your MSP on pensions To: Click arrow to select MSP Brian Adam Bill Aitken Wendy Alexander Andrew Arbuckle Jackie Baillie Shiona Baird Richard Baker Chris Ballance Mark Ballard Scott Barrie Sarah Boyack Rhona Brankin Ted Brocklebank Robert Brown Derek Brownlee Bill Butler Rosemary Byrne Dennis Canavan Malcolm Chisholm Cathie Craigie Bruce Crawford JP Roseanna Cunningham Frances Curran Margaret Curran David Davidson Susan Deacon Lord James Douglas-Hamilton Helen Eadie Fergus Ewing Margaret Ewing Linda Fabiani Patricia Ferguson Alex Fergusson Ross Finnie Colin Fox Murdo Fraser Phil Gallie Rob Gibson Karen Gillon Marlyn Glen Trish Godman Annabel Goldie Charlie Gordon Donald Gorrie Christine Grahame Robin Harper Patrick Harvie Hugh Henry John Home Robertson Janis Hughes Fiona Hyslop Adam Ingram Sylvia Jackson Gordon Jackson Cathy Jamieson Margaret Jamieson Alex Johnstone Rosie Kane Andy Kerr Johann Lamont Carolyn Leckie Marilyn Livingstone Richard Lochhead George Lyon Kenny MacAskill Frank McAveety Tom McCabe Jack McConnell Lewis Macdonald Margo MacDonald Bruce McFee Jamie McGrigor Kenneth Macintosh Kate Maclean David McLetchie Michael McMahon Maureen Macmillan Duncan McNeil Pauline McNeill Des McNulty Campbell Martin Paul Martin Tricia Marwick Jim Mather Michael Matheson Stewart Maxwell Christine May Nanette Milne Margaret Mitchell Brian Monteith Alasdair Morgan Alasdair Morrison Bristow Muldoon Mary Mulligan John Farquhar Munro Elaine Murray Alex Neil Irene Oldfather Peter Peacock Cathy Peattie Mike Pringle Jeremy Purvis Nora Radcliffe George Reid Shona Robison Euan Robson Mike Rumbles Mr Mark Ruskell Mary Scanlon Eleanor Scott John Scott Tavish Scott Tommy Sheridan Elaine Smith Iain Smith Margaret Smith Nicol Stephen Stewart Stevenson Jamie Stone Nicola Sturgeon John Swinburne John Swinney Murray Tosh Jean Turner Jim Wallace Andrew Welsh Sandra White Karen Whitefield Allan Wilson Webtest (If you don't know your MSP(s) use the links on the right) Then complete the form below and click the SEND button at the bottom. Your email will be sent to the MSP you put in the box above with a copy to UNISONScotland. Your Name Address Postcode   Your Email address JUSTICE FOR LGPS MEMBERS As one of your constituents I am writing to ask for your urgent help in securing justice for members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in Scotland. As you may know negotiations have been taking place over the future of the LGPS, alongside separate talks through the Public Services Forum (PSF) with Alan Johnston, Secretary of State at the DTI, over the other public sector pension schemes. On 18 October the PSF reached an agreement, endorsed by the Cabinet, on the future of the NHS, civil service and teachers pension schemes which included life-time protection of existing scheme benefits and pensions age for existing members. However in the negotiations on the LGPS, members are facing detrimental proposals for the reform of their pension. These include the removal of the 85 Rule and no protection for existing scheme members. Although these LGPS negotiations technically only affect the scheme in England and Wales at this stage, Tom McCabe MSP, the Scottish Executive Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform, has stated that he will remove the rule of 85 from the LGPS in Scotland. Mr McCabe, following a similar decision taken by the UK Government in respect of the LGPS in England and Wales, has decided that retaining the rule would be incompatible with a forthcoming EU Directive on Age Discrimination. However both UNISON and CoSLA believe that the rule of 85 does not conflict with the EU Directive and have legal opinion to confirm this. This view was further strengthened when Katharina von Schnurbein, the EU's spokeswoman on employment, social affairs and equal opportunities, said the Scottish Executive was wrong. She cited Article 6 of the directive, which states that governments can treat people differently on the grounds of age in certain circumstances. Von Schnurbein added: "It's an artificial debate [and one that] is only going on in Britain. The directive has no influence on pension value or pension age. It is completely up to the member state. If they think it is reasonable for people to retire at 60, under EU law that is perfectly legal." The abolition of the rule of 85 cannot and should not be allowed to happen. Local government, police support staff, some Scottish NDPBs, HE and FE support staff and those in community and voluntary sector jobs covered by the LGPS are increasingly being asked to work in joined up service delivery arrangements. Low paid LGPS members, such as cleaners, janitors and classroom assistants in schools work alongside teachers. They will be required to work 10 years longer than teachers if the government's proposals are allowed to proceed. Joint initiatives across health and local government would see current inequalities in pay and access to career development made even worse by pension differences. It is vital that we secure an agreement for equal treatment for LGPS members. If not, there will be demoralisation and anger across our public services hindering the reform process and leading to industrial action ballots by the unions across the public services. Already the LGPS is the least favourable of all the public sector pension schemes, despite being the only funded scheme, with less Government financing than other schemes. Our members are not pension fat cats, 75% get a pension below £5000. The average pension for a woman is a derisory £1,616 according to ODPM figures. I would urge you to do everything you can to bring justice and equal treatment to LGPS members in Scotland. The Scottish LGPS is administered by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency with ministerial responsibility resting with Tom McCabe MSP, Minister for Finance and Public Service Reform. Therefore could you please write to Tom McCabe urging him to treat Scottish LGPS members in the same way as other public sector workers. Support the UNISON Scotland campaign by signing either of the two motions (S2M-3872 Janis Hughes: Local Government Pension Scheme and S2M-3845 Carolyn Leckie: The Local Government Pension Scheme and Abolition of Rule of 85) in the Scottish Parliament which call on the Scottish Executive to initiate urgent discussions with COSLA and the relevant trade unions to achieve a solution agreeable to all. Please can you let me know your response and any action you have taken to forward this campaign. Yours Sincerely   ......           Pensions Home How do I find my MSP? MSPs are elected on a constituency first past the post and by proportional representation on a regional basis. You will have a constituency MSP and some Regional MSPs. Using the links below, note your MSPs and use the drop down list on the form on the left to select their name. To find your MSPs from your postcode click here to be taken to the postcode search on the Scottish Parliament site If you know your constituency and region, click here and a list of MSPs will come up in a new window. Using either of the above, note your MSPs and use the MSP drop-down list to select their name, fill in the form and click 'send'. Click here for a letter to print out and send if you prefer.