Local government employers and trade unions held crucial pensions talks this week, during which the scope of the retirement savings demanded by town halls were due to be finalised – a decision which could make or break staff threats to strike.

As The MJ went to press, representatives from the Local Government Employers (LGE) were preparing to meet senior officials from Unison, the GMB and Unite after taking Treasury advice on the scope of Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) savings sought by chancellor, George Osborne.