OUTRAGED AT PAY FREEZE

The Local Government Employers have today told the unions that there will be a pay freeze in 2010/2011 for NJC staff and for other local government groups.  This was announced without any negotiations taking place.  There will be a meeting of the full NJC Trade Union Side on the afternoon of 3 February, following the NJC UNISON Committee meeting earlier that day.  This is clearly a massive slap in the face for our hard-working members who have kept local services going through the crisis and in the face of widespread redundancies.   The NJC Committee and Trade Union Side will decide the next steps on 3 February.  

WEDNESDAY 20 JANUARY, 2010 LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIONS OUTRAGED AT PAY FREEZE

Local government unions, UNISON, GMB and UNITE, representing 1.6 million workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have today been told that their members face a pay freeze in 2010/2011.  

The unions are calling on the local government employers to think again, saying that local government workers will struggle to afford basic essentials, with nearly 3% inflation rendering the pay freeze a real terms pay cut. The unions are calling for them to come to their senses and make a reasonable offer, saying that there is room in council budgets to give workers decent pay.     

UNISON Head of Local Government, Heather Wakefield, said:  

“The employer’s decision to cut our members' pay without negotiation is a slap in the face for hard working council employees who have kept local communities together through the crisis.  

“Two thirds already earn less than £18k a year. Last year George Osborne, Tory shadow chancellor said the Tories would not freeze pay for those earning in this pay bracket, now the Tory LGA is doing just that.  

“Our members are already covering posts left vacant by wide-spread redundancies. 75% of the workforce are women so this is an outright attack on women's pay.  

“We know that councils can afford an increase. Council reserves have grown, while many have chosen to cut their own income by freezing council tax. Our members will be outraged by this threatened pay freeze.  

“The trade unions will meet urgently to consider the next steps.”

UNISON, UNITE and GMB public service unions submitted a claim in October last year for 2.5% or £500. The claim covers local government staff working as care assistants, cleaners, teaching assistants, librarians, social workers and refuse collectors among others, many of whom are at the bottom of the public sector pay league.