UNISON welcomes Supreme Court decision on ethical LGPS investment

This is an important legal ruling that effectively stops the UK £300 billion Council pension funds being told they cannot decide where to invest  unless it is pleases the current foreign or defence secretary. Well done to Greater London UNISON activist ,Jackie Lewis, for her role in this victory.

"UNISON has welcomed a Supreme Court decision overturning a ban on Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) investment decisions which differ from government foreign and defence policy.

Yesterday’s decision overturned regulations introduced in 2016 which banned the funds from disinvesting in companies or countries on ethical grounds, except where the government has imposed official sanctions.

These were aimed at campaigns calling on pension funds to disinvest from companies which profit from, for instance, arms sales or the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

Reacting to the court’s decision, UNISON head of local government Jon Richards said the union “has always been clear that the LGPS is an independent pension scheme” adding that ministers have no right to interfere in its decisions.

“Pension funds should serve the best interests of their members and if those members want to ethically invest or disinvest then – as long as decisions don’t undermine the pension fund – they must be allowed to do so,” he added.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign and a member of its executive, Jackie Lewis who is also a UNISON member and a member of the LGPS pension scheme, asked for judicial review of the regulations which found that they were unlawful.

They were supported by the Quakers, the Campaign Against Arms Trade, and War on Want

However, the government won an appeal against that decision. The PSC and Ms Lewis then turned to the Supreme Court to overturn that appeal court decision, in a case that was heard last November. The court published its verdict yesterday.

“We congratulate Jackie on her victory,” added Mr Richards.

The LGPS in England and Wales has more than five million members and is made of 88 individual funds with assets estimated at £300bn. It has members in local government, education, police staff, the voluntary sector, environment agencies and private contractors".

Gaza PSC Protest and March - London 26 July

Today I spoke on behalf of UNISON at the protest outside the Israeli Embassy in London. I then joined the well supported march with West Ham Labour Party colleagues which went around Hyde Park, Whitehall and past Parliament.

This was my speech. "I bring solidarity and greetings on behalf of my trade union UNISON. My name is John Gray and I am the UNISON Vice Chair of the London International Committee and a National Executive member.

The actions in Gaza are disproportionate and illegal. The UN must act now. The EU must act. The UK government must act. The evidence shows that the actions of the Israeli Defence Force are illegal in international law so why is the international community dragging its feet?

The rising death toll of innocent civilians cannot be justified. Israel has a responsibility to respond to the rocket attacks judiciously – it has not done so, and the latest bombing of the UN school is disgraceful and beyond comprehension.

 UNISON has always supported the policy of a two-state solution. We recognise the right of Palestinians to establish a state in the West Bank and Gaza strip with its capital in Jerusalem. To have a viable Palestinian state Israel must comply with international law and withdraw to the 1967 borders.

The illegal settlements continue to dispossess, humiliate and terrorise the people who are the rightful owners of the land that has been occupied. We will continue to campaign against the illegal settlements.

Our links with Palestine have been established over many years. As a trade union we support workers in Palestine, in Israel and in the occupied territories to achieve their rights. We do this through delegations, projects and campaigns to support the rights of Palestinians and of Arabs within Israel who are often treated as 2nd class citizens.

We support the Workers’ Advice Centre WAC-MAAN who organise workers inside Israel. Their director, Assaf Adiv, and another WAC-MAAN activist Yoav Tamir were arrested this week on a picket line outside a garage, that was refusing to enter into negotiations with their workers. The fact that it was they who called the police because of thugs who were trying to break up the strike gives an indication of how victims are being portrayed as aggressors, and how basic rights are being violated.

We call on both sides to reach a cease fire. The only viable alternative to the current conflict in the region is a political arrangement: the principles of which are embedded in the long-existing UN resolutions.

No more lives must be lost. It is time to call a cease fire. It is time for international law to be upheld. It is time for the safety, dignity and rights of the people of Gaza to be restored.

The horror must end".

Update: I have been sent a link to a video of speech. Hat tip Simon Carr.