Unions Unison, Unite and GMB are now expected to meet this week to discuss the pay offer.
Unison’s national pay committee had narrowly voted to reject the offer, which would mean pay rises for more than 1 million council workers, in January this year. The original pay offer was for two years to start this month.
But now, following “further consultation”, the union has agree the move. GMB members voted last month by 94% to accept the rise. Unite has rejected it, but Unison has the biggest membership of local authority workers.
A spokesperson for Unison has told PF that “Unison’s national joint committee has voted to accept the local government pay offer”.
She also explained the three unions will meet this week to “consider the ‘trade union side’ position so that a collective agreement can be reached”.
The spokesperson added: “We want to get our members their pay increase as quickly as possible”.
The Unite union told PF this morning its local government national committee is meeting today and tomorrow “to consider the next steps”. The union is expected to make a statement on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the GMB confirmed to PF the three major local government worker unions would be meeting on Thursday to discuss the next steps.
A source from one of the unions - who did not wish to be named - also told PF as two out of the three major local government worker unions had agreed to accept the offer it “will go ahead”.
The unions are part of the National Joint Council, which is made up of trade unions and employers and determines local government pay. Unison has more than half the trade union seats on the NJC.
The offer, made in December 2017, covers more than 1 million council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Unite rejected the pay offer in January this year saying it did not keep track with inflation.
For 3,485 ‘fulltime equivalent’ employees currently on the bottom of the pay scale, the offer would increase their hourly rate from £7.78 now to £9.00 in April 2019 – an increase of 15.65%.
