Three local government unions, UNISON, GMB and UNITE, representing more than 1.6 million workers, have today lodged a claim for a modest pay boost of at least £250 for all council workers in 2011/12, as well as calling for conditions to be reviewed.
The Tory-led local government employers have so far refused to pay council workers earning less than £21,000 the £250 wage increase promised to them in George Osborne’s budget, earlier this year. The unions are calling on the employers not to freeze council workers’ pay for the second year running, saying it will hit the overwhelmingly women, and overwhelmingly low paid, workforce hard.
67% of local council workers, including librarians, home carers, teaching assistants, nursery and school meals workers, refuse collectors, and leisure centre workers earn less than £21,000.
Heather Wakefield, UNISON head of local government, said:
“Councils can afford this small increase. They have billions in their reserve funds stashed away. Surely this is the rainy day they’ve been saving for? There is also enough money to keep services running – but many council workers are in constant fear of losing their jobs. At the same time they are working harder than ever to help the local communities they work in pick up the pieces after the recession.
“Financial pressures are piling up for council workers too – 67% earn less than George Osborne’s £21,000 threshold. They have already endured a year of frozen pay, and high inflation will only make matters worse. A second year of frozen pay will see the heat or eat dilemma return for these workers next winter.
“George Osborne promised low paid public sector workers a £250 pay boost this year, but he has washed his hands of responsibility for Britain’s army of council workers. He must bring the Tory-led local government employers into line and honour his pay pledge.”
Peter Allenson National Organiser for Unite, said:
“Our members’ pay and conditions have been attacked nationally and locally. Nationally, pay has not kept up with inflation, for example, last year the employers implemented a pay freeze, but when inflation was taken into account, it was a pay cut in real terms.
“Locally, employers have been targeting the workforce by reducing shift and overtime payments, including members of staff that deliver home and personal care.
“We have reached the stage, in many cases, where local government staff can go and work in their local supermarket and receive better pay and conditions. Unite demands that this callous treatment stops now and the first step is for the employers to pay this claim in full”.
GMB National Secretary Brian Strutton, said:
“GMB members working in councils throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland are depressed and demoralised by the threat of thousands of job losses. They have just had a pay freeze imposed on them in 2010 meaning a 5% real terms pay cut over the last two years.
“With pay rates now only 37p above the national minimum wage it really is becoming difficult for council workers to make ends meet and tens of thousands of them are on benefits. For all these reasons our members need a reasonable pay rise in 2011”.
ENDS
