Unions urge local government employers to up pay offer

On
the eve of the first national strike in local government for 23 years, union
leaders from the T&G, Unison and the GMB are calling on local government
employers to return to the negotiating table with an improved pay offer.

T&G
General Secretary Bill Morris, Unison’s Dave Prentis, and John Edmonds from the
GMB say if no offer is received councils face a day of chaos which will bring
local services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland grinding to a halt.

Up
to 1.3 million workers are expected to take part in tomorrow’s day of action.

T&G,
Unison and GMB members, which include street cleaners, home helps, dinner
helpers, environmental health, housing officers, planning departments, school
cleaners, traffic wardens, leisure centre workers, refuse collectors, and
school caterers are demanding an end to low pay.

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Union
members rejected a 3 per cent pay offer and are demanding a rise of 6 per cent
to bring the minimum wage in local government to £11,017 a year. Two-thirds of
the local government workforce earn the same average salary as the average
allowance paid to council leaders (£12,403).

By Quentin Reade