Living Wage

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Conference
2011 Local Government Service Group Conference
Date
24 February 2011
Decision
Carried as Amended

This Conference notes with concern the National Employers Bodies- NJC and SJC- failures to properly negotiate an affordable pay settlement.

In 2010 the Scottish Employers side stepped the established negotiating body and imposed a 3 year settlement including a 2 year pay freeze. In reality UNISON members in local government are suffering a multi year pay cut compounded by inflation rate and cost of living increases.

Local Government workers are under attack from savage cuts in public spending, locally employers are using the economic crisis to cut terms and conditions, increase privatisation of services as a cheaper easy solution to balancing tight budgets – to the detriment of the workforce and service users.

Conference agrees it is also important to ensure that apprentices and interns are not used as a source of cheap labour to cover up for cuts and budget restrictions, and to ensure they are on properly-negotiated pay and conditions.

Conference notes that some Employers in Scotland have agreed to introduce a Living Wage set at £7.15 per hour. In principle we welcome this move however we are aware that the implementation costs are being met by cuts elsewhere.

The Scottish Local Government Committee has consulted its membership on 2011 pay claim and will submit a claim based on the introduction of the Living Wage to address low pay and a claim of £500 flat rate for all conditioned to the Red Book.

Conference calls on the SGE to provide information and campaign materials to support branches in pursuance of a Living Wage being introduced by all employers.

Conference also calls on the SGE to request that the NEC (i) declare support for the ‘Intern Aware’ (www.internaware.org) campaign and (ii) consider devoting appropriate resources to promoting the campaign.