26 July 2002
However, on the back of last week's walkout by 750,000 council staff, a second strike by members of Unison, the GMB and the T&G has been planned for August 14, with a third scheduled for September.
The potential breakthrough in the pay dispute followed parallel talks held at the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service on July 23.
A delegation of local government employers told Acas that they would consider either a longer-term pay deal for union members, similar to that which settled the Scottish local government dispute last year, or a 'bottom-loaded' settlement that could see councils match the minimum demands of the unions.
The three unions have demanded pay rises of 6% or £1,750, whichever is the greater, but councils have offered workers just 3% – a deal first proposed back in February.
A spokesman for the Employers Organisation told Public Finance: 'We informed Acas that councils simply couldn't afford more than 3% this year. But we would look at the possibility of a multi-year deal, along the lines of the one that ended the Scottish pay dispute last year.'
Heather Wakefield, Unison's national local government secretary, said: 'We are not convinced that the employers are serious about reaching a settlement. In the light of progress so far, we are pressing ahead with our plans for industrial action.'
PFjul2002
