26 September 2008
The prospect of concerted public sector action on pay receded this week when unions decided to put the local government dispute into arbitration – despite a warning from employers that staff could have to wait ten months for any rise.
Unison, GMB and Unite referred the issue to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service. Any award made by Acas would be binding on both sides. But they remain far apart, with the employers having offered 2.45% plus £100 for the lowest three grades, while the unions seek a 6% rise, citing higher inflation rates.
Brian Strutton, the GMB's national secretary for public services, said arbitration was 'now the right way to determine the 2008 pay award' and called on the employers to pay their offer to staff on account pending Acas's ruling.
A spokesman for Local Government Employers said: 'We did not want this to go to arbitration as it will take months to get a decision.'
Local government craft workers this week settled for a 2.45% increase plus a 3% rise in tool allowances. Council chief executives settled for 2.45% earlier this month.
The Acas referral does not cover Scotland, where a further one-day strike took place on Wednesday in opposition to the 2.5% offer made by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
But Whitehall departments still face disruption over pay. The Public and Commercial Services union was due this week to send ballot papers to its 270,000 members asking them to authorise industrial action.
A PCS spokesman said: 'We have more than 200 sets of negotiations, but their common feature is the government's policy of capping pay increases at 2%.'
PFsep2008
