By Richard Johnstone | 24 April 2014
Trade union Unison has announced that it is to ballot 600,000 council workers over strike action after members rejected a pay offer by the local government employers.
The union said that, following a consultative ballot, 70% of members had rejected the offer from the Local Government Association of a 1% pay increase for around 90% of staff, with higher increases for the lowest paid.
As a result, the union will now ballot members – covering roles such as teaching assistants, planners and social workers – over possible strike action.
Heather Wakefield, the union’s head of local government, said council workers had endured pay freezes for three consecutive years from 2010, followed by below-inflation rises in 2013 and 2014.
‘Our members have made it clear that this pay offer is the straw that breaks the camel’s back after years of pay freezes and below-inflation rises,’ she said.
‘This offer is effectively another pay freeze for the majority of our local government and school members, and they have used this consultation to send a strong message that it is insulting and unacceptable.’
Responding to the announcement, a Local Government Association spokesman said councils faced an unprecedentedly tough financial climate but were committing to ensuring that employees receive a pay rise.
‘It is frustrating that Unison has failed to recognise this,’ he added.
‘We know that these have been difficult times for the local government workforce who have worked wonders to keep vital local services running while councils are tackling the biggest cuts in living memory.
‘The pay offer we have made would increase by 1% the pay of most employees while those on the lowest pay would receive a larger increase. We believe that this is a fair deal for our employees, given the limits of what we can afford, and a fair deal for the taxpayers and residents who use and pay for the crucial services which local government provides.’
