Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Local authoritiesLatest NewsEducationIndustrial action / strikesPublic sector

Council and school workers vote on strike action over pay

by Kavitha Sivasubramaniam 5 Sep 2024
by Kavitha Sivasubramaniam 5 Sep 2024 Shutterstock / S_Photo
Shutterstock / S_Photo

Local government staff in England and Wales have begun voting on whether to take strike action over pay.

More than 360,000 council and school support workers are expected to take part in the six-week ballot, which closes on 16 October.

According to Unison, the flat rate pay offer of £1,290 for 2024/25 – which equates to a 5.8% increase for the lowest paid employees – falls short of what they need and is outdated compared with the deals agreed with other public sector staff.

Although the wage increase was due to take place from April, the union says the process has been delayed because of the “disappointing offer”. When it consulted staff, 81% voted to reject the deal.

Staff at more than 4,000 organisations – including social workers, planning officers, teaching assistants, caretakers, refuse collectors and other employees – will now decide if they want to strike.

Latest industrial action news

Meanwhile, the union has insisted that local government employers need to increase their offer if they want to avoid strike action. It is also urging central government to fund a better deal and examine the longer-term investment it gives to councils.

Unison head of local government Mike Short said: “Local government finances are in a dire state, but that doesn’t mean staff should be denied a fair pay rise after 14 years of austerity and low wages. Employers still have time to come back with a better offer.

“Central government also needs to assist employers by providing stable, long-term funding settlements that allow councils and schools to retain expert staff and protect the vital services on which our communities rely.”

Last week, Unite also started balloting workers on strike action, while GMB members voted to accept the pay deal in July.

Unite national officer Clare Keogh said: “Council leaders need to wake up and be aware they are facing an autumn of strikes unless local government employers return to the negotiating table and propose a vastly improved pay offer.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

HR opportunities in the public sector on Personnel Today


Browse more HR opportunities in the public sector

Kavitha Sivasubramaniam

Kavitha Sivasubramaniam is an experienced journalist, editor and communications professional who has been working in B2B publishing for more than 17 years. After graduating from Bournemouth University with a degree in Multi Media Journalism, Kavitha started her career in local and regional newspapers, before moving to consumer magazines and later trade titles, as well as PR. Specialising in pay and reward, she has been editor of a number of HR publications including Pay & Benefits, Employee Benefits, Benefits Expert, Reward and CIPP’s membership magazine, Professional. In June 2024, she won Pay, Reward and Employee Benefits Journalist of the Year at the Willis Towers Watson media awards. She was also named one of Each Person’s top 20 influential HR bloggers and managed a highly commended content team of the year in 2019.

previous post
TUC calls for a Public Services Workforce Commission
next post
Reimagining the employee lifecycle as a public sector employer (webinar)

You may also like

Minister defends Employment Rights Bill at Acas conference

16 May 2025

Nurses threaten strikes if pay demands not met

12 May 2025

Resident doctors to ballot for strike action

2 May 2025

Ofgem workers ballot for strike action

2 May 2025

University of East Anglia set for nine days...

2 May 2025

Unite announces further Gatwick airport strikes

2 May 2025

Acas hosts talks to end Birmingham bin strike

1 May 2025

Scottish Water workers strike in dispute over pay

22 Apr 2025

Teachers could strike if pay award not improved

16 Apr 2025

Birmingham bin strike to continue as ‘totally inadequate’...

15 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+