UNISON members in England and Wales who are covered by the joint negotiating committee for local authority chief officers have voted to accept a two-year pay deal, giving them a 1% pay rise on basic salaries each year.
The settlement includes a commitment to produce joint employer/trade union guidance on workloads and stress.
“Our members voted to accept with some reluctance, having seen the real value of their pay fall every year,” said UNISON senior national officer Mike Short.
“But they realise that pay lower down the scales is in a much worse state, and so they have opted to take the offer and continue their campaign on workloads and stress among chief officers.
“These are members who work hard to implement tremendously difficult decisions, in the face of huge cuts in local government funding by central government. And they deserve a fair deal.”
UNISON has instructed branches to ensure councils implement the pay increase immediately.