- Conference
- 2015 Special Local Government Conference
- Date
- 5 February 2015
- Decision
- Carried
Conference recognises that the pay of local government workers has been in decline for many years as part of a deliberate politically driven policy of successive governments and that the challenge facing UNISON is to reverse this trend. This is not an issue that should be seen as an annual pay round but a longer term aim to restore and improve the relative levels of wages in local government.
UNISON members need to be persuaded of the justice of our case. This involves an understanding of the arguments around how fair pay and the health of the economy are linked as well as the justice of our claims. Members have been subject to years of right wing propaganda that has said that fair pay cannot be afforded. We need to win our members to the alternative view.
Ultimately it is politicians that we need to persuade, encourage and force to pay our members a fair pay. We therefore need to seek ways to influence the political parties, the supporters of these parties and the politicians who take the decisions on pay in councils and governments. Increasing the relative levels of pay should be a political priority of politicians who seek our member’s votes.
Conference recognises the need for improved industrial action strategies to take forward the case for fair pay for local government workers throughout Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England. These must include a greater engagement of our members in ballots and action and must be effective in winning the support of our members for ongoing campaigns.
Conference notes the political strategy that was developed as part of the Scottish campaign for fair pay in the past year. This involved branches lobbying councillors in every council and encouraging members to participate in stunts, events and lobbying to draw attention to our claim and the arguments for it. This involved the use of letters, leaflets, social media and petitions. This political strategy sought to identify supportive councillors who could be encouraged to put pressure on the employer’s side in the negotiations.
Conference further notes the work conducted by the union at a UK level in lobbying politicians, making submissions to the various review bodies and the National Minimum Wage Commission, the support given to the Living wage Campaign, the research commissioned in partnership with other organisations to highlight the effects of low pay and poverty.
However conference recognises that fair pay in the public sector is fundamentally a political issue and therefore requires a consistent, sustained and coherent political strategy, allied to our bargaining and industrial strategies.
Conference believes these political campaigns and strategies need to be developed further and should be seen as a long term project aimed at addressing the 30 year trends of suppressing wages and increasing profits.
Conference calls upon the Local Government Service Group Executive to liaise with the sector committees to develop a political strategy that will bring on board our members, develop support within political parties and build an alternative political consensus in local government to increase the relative level of wages of our members.