Worcester council workers reject pay increase
Unite Union 43% of councils are at risk of bankruptcy
A pay offer of 3.2 percent was made in April to local authority staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
But Unite says 84 percent of its members have rejected the deal in a consultative ballot.
Unite says that following discussions with other unions in the local authority sector, ballots for industrial action could take place from late summer.
The National Employers, part of the Local Government Association, negotiate pay and conditions on behalf of 350 local authorities that employ about 1.5 million people.
These include Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire’s six district, city and borough councils – Worcester, Malvern Hills, Wychavon, Redditch, Bromsgrove and Wyre Forest.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Local government workers have had years of real terms pay cuts and this offer has completely failed to address that.
“Council workers must not be made to pay the price for a funding crisis in local government that is not of their making and Unite will back them all the way in their fight for fair pay.”
Cllr James Lewis, chair of the National Employers for local government services, said of the pay offer: “For the lowest paid (currently earning £23,656 per annum), the offer means their pay will have increased by more than £6,000 (33 percent) over the four years since April 2021.
“The National Employers are acutely aware of the additional pressure this year’s offer will place on already hard-pressed council finances, as it would need to be paid for from existing budgets.
“However, they believe their offer is fair to employees, given the wider economic backdrop.”
Unite said the pay offer was made against a backdrop of cuts to council services and budgets.
Worcester City Council has made redundancies as it tries to plug a £970,000 funding gap and Worcestershire County Council cut the hours of around 100 staff last year using controversial fire and rehire tactics.
Unite said 43 percent of councils are at risk of bankruptcy and is calling on the government to reform the way local authorities are funded.
Worcestershire County Council, Worcester City Council and Wyre Forest District Council declined to comment. We have also asked Redditch, Bromsgrove, Wychavon and Malvern Hills councils for comment.
Categories: Employment Finance
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Authorities: Worcestershire County Council