Southampton UNISON and Unite hope to sign a joint statement with the council later this week on proposals to restore members’ pay and conditions, which had been cut by the previous Conservative council in July last year.
Branch secretary Mike Tucker reports that talks between the unions and the council on the proposals are coming to conclusion and stewards of both unions are due to meet on Wednesday (8 August).
The meeting will consider the outcome of the negotiations and determine what proposals will be put to membership ballots.
The planned timetable is:
- week of 20 August – publication of the council’s proposals;
- 5-14 September – joint UNISON/Unite membership meetings to explain the proposals;
- 14 September-5 October – postal ballot of UNISON and Unite members on acceptance or rejection of the settlement terms.
The latest moves follow more than a year of campaigning, including joint industrial action, in the run-up to May’s local elections, which saw the Tory council replaced by a Labour one.