A joint union* meeting, representing 1.3m Local Government workers in
England, Wales and Northern Ireland, today (7 April) warned the Employers
that the 0.5% pay offer is totally unacceptable and called on them to open
meaningful negotiations as a matter of urgency.
The unions called the offer ‘mean and paltry’ saying it meant just 3p an hour
for hundreds of thousands including nursery nurses, teaching assistants, care
home workers, care assistants, road sweepers and binmen, dinner ladies,
social work assistants, cleaners, admin staff and library assistants.
And for groups such as social workers and planners, where there are huge
vacancies, the increase amounts to no more than 7p an hour.
Heather Wakefield, UNISON Head of Local Government, said:
‘How can the employers expect their hard pressed workforce to exist on this
breathtakingly mean offer of a paltry 3p an hour extra – that is just over