Unison this week said it would accept the 2% pay offer from employers, and GMB voted 94% in favour in an earlier ballot of members. It covers two years.
The third union, Unite, said it still rejected the offer but recognised it would be implemented as the two other unions had accepted it.
Unite’s national officer for local government Jim Kennedy said: “Unite’s local government national committee has this week strongly reaffirmed its rejection of the two year pay offer from the employers.
“However, we recognise the collective majority decision of the other unions and understand that this offer will now be implemented across local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.”
Kennedy said Unite would “continue to campaign for a fully funded pay increase that remedies the last eight years of ‘lost’ earnings”.
Meanwhile, the Association of Local Authority Chief Executives has rejected a 1% increase offered by employers for its members’ separate pay negotiation.
The 1% offer was for 2018-19 only, compared with the two year 2% offer to other local government staff.
Chair Tracey Lee said “Our claim made clear that the pressures facing heads of paid service in leading their organisations through very challenging times continue unabated.
“We are very disappointed with the employers’ offer because it treats chief executives less favourably than other staff.”
