LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRIKE CONTINUES IN AUGUST

Local government workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will stage a second day of national strike action on August 14 over their claim for a £1,750 or 6% pay rise.

The three main unions in local government Ð UNISON, the GMB and the TGWU Ð today agreed that a second national strike and further selective action would go ahead on August 14.

A third day of national strike action is also being planned for September.

750,000 local government workers took part in a one day strike on Wednesday, July 17 in support of the pay claim. The employersÕ offer of 3% has been overwhelmingly rejected by members of the three unions.

UNISON National Secretary for Local Government, Heather Wakefield, said:

ÒIn the face of the employersÕ failure to re-open negotiations we are escalating our campaign of industrial action.

ÒIt would be a disaster if the employers and the government took off on their summer holidays and left in their wake chaos on this huge scale in local government.

ÒOur door remains firmly open but the employers must be in no doubt that something significant has to come from them to prevent this action.Ó