Local government workers should receive a 7% pay rise as well as two extra days’ holiday, union members have insisted.
The GMB union today set out its stall for negotiations that will decide terms and conditions for council staff from April 2008.
Its unanimously approved list of demands, which will be put before a committee of local authority unions after Christmas, includes:
- A 7% or 75p/hour increase, whichever is the greater
- A 35-hour week
- Two days’ additional annual leave
- Improvements to car mileage payments
- An increase to the night shift allowance to achieve double time over three years
- An increase to the sleep-in allowance to £60 per shift.
GMB national secretary Brian Strutton said: “It was very clear from the meeting that GMB members do not want a repeat of this year’s delays in the negotiating process.
“2008 is likely to be a tough negotiating round again. GMB goes into that with a strong but fair pay claim and with the clear support of all GMB senior stewards for a robust campaign.”
