Trade unions met last week to arrange a strike ballot timetable following
the rejection of the employers’ latest pay offer.
More than a fifth of the sector’s 1 million employees voted in the pay
ballots with nine out of 10 GMB and T&G members rejecting the councils’ 3
per cent annual pay offer and backing a strike vote. Unison members also voted
3-1 in favour of rejecting the pay deal and ballot for strike action.
Keith Handley, immediate past president of local government HR body Socpo,
urged employees in the sector to accept the offer on the table and warned
unions that strike action will not improve the image of the sector.
"The offer of 3 per cent is unshakable and authorities cannot afford to
increase it. It is double the rate of inflation and protects jobs.
"This message now needs to be clearly ‘got home’ to all local authority
employees."
Jack Dromey national organiser at the T&G, warned local authorities that
the sector is set for its first strike in more than 20 years if the pay offer
is not increased.
He said: "This landslide vote demonstrates that employees have had
enough."
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