16 July 2004
The bitter local government pay dispute that has been dragging on for six months was resolved on July 14 when employers and union representatives concluded a deal.
The way was cleared for the deal to be signed when Unison, the largest of the local government unions, confirmed just before the meeting that its members had backed the agreement thrashed out earlier this year.
Around 1.3 million local government staff will receive an 8.9% pay rise spread over three years, backdated to April. Under the deal, all authorities will now undertake reviews and draw up new pay structures by March 2007 to comply with the Single Status Agreement signed in 1997.
Union demands for enhanced maternity, paternity and annual leave will be addressed in a joint review closing in April 2005. The contentious issue of premium rates will be negotiated locally. There will also be a national agreement on training and development.
Unison's decision to sign up to the deal provided the final piece in the jigsaw, following agreement earlier in the week by the T&G and the Employers Organisation. The GMB union had earlier said it would back the deal.
But all sides made clear that they were accepting the package reluctantly because they believed it was the best available. Heather Wakefield, Unison's national organiser for local government, said attention would now turn to ensuring that the upcoming pay reviews achieved equal pay. 'It is shameful that… we still have an enormous gender pay gap across the sector.'
Councillor Brian Baldwin, chair of the employers' negotiators, said the talks had been 'tough but productive'. He added: 'It gives us all an affordable, reforming and fair three-year deal.'
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