Council workers in uproar over proposed wage freeze

21 Jan 10
Local government workers have reacted with outrage after their employers told them to expect a pay freeze in 2010/11
By David Williams

21 January 2010

Local government workers have reacted with outrage after their employers told them to expect a pay freeze in 2010/11.

Public sector unions Unison, GMB and Unite had asked for a 2.5% increase. But as negotiations opened on January 20, Local Government Employers snubbed the request, saying it could compromise frontline services.

Unison’s local government head, Heather Wakefield, described it as ‘a slap in the face for hard-working council employees’. Unison cited official figures showing councils’ cash reserves had more than doubled since 2002 to £12.8bn.

GMB national secretary Brian Strutton called on Conservative leader David Cameron to ‘rein in his Right-wing mavericks who run councils’.
The news came on the same day that the Department for Communities and Local Government confirmed a 4% increase in the revenue formula grant for English councils, bringing the total funding to £76.2bn.

Local government minister Barbara Follett told authorities they should keep their council tax bills as low as possible in return for the above-inflation settlement.

She said she expected the average Band D council tax rise for 2010/11 to be the lowest in 16 years and threatened to cap ‘excessive’ increases.

DCLG figures show that ministers had increased council funding by £8.6bn over the 2008/09 to 2010/11 Spending Review period.

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