£340M Spend on Council Agency Staff and Consultants – Tip of the Iceberg

The £340m spent by local councils across the East Midlands on agency staff and private consultants is just the “tip of the iceberg” says UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector union today (9 July). The shocking figures, revealed by a freedom of information request, highlight the amount of money spent locally by individual councils in the region since April 2005.

Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said:

“Local Government Employers say they cannot afford to give staff more than a below inflation 2.45% pay offer. However, severe staff shortages are forcing councils to use expensive agencies to find people to cover vacancies. Many of these temporary staff may be persuaded to become permanent if councils would only pay more. This would cut down on expensive agency fees and save large amounts of time and money on recruitment ads and interviewing.

“£340m is an awful lot of council taxpayers money to be spent in one region and this amount is just the tip of the iceberg. The frank truth is that councils are doing the same across the UK and the total amount being spent is likely to add up to billions.

“The employers claim that they want to make working for the council a job of choice. If they are to have any chance of attracting well trained, permanent staff to provide the quality services demanded by local residents, they must pay a fair wage.”

Local Government workers including teaching assistants, care workers, social workers, librarians, leisure staff, refuse collectors and street cleaners are taking strike action on July 16 – 17th over a 2.45% pay offer.

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Notes for Editors Almost 250,000 local government workers earn less than £6.50 an hour. Seventy five per cent are women.

UNISON’s pay claim is for 6% or 50p an hour whichever is the greater.