Union to ballot 600,000 local government members on strike action

A union has announced plans to ballot 600,000 local government and school staff for strike action after 70% of members rejected this year’s pay offer.

Unison said the offer would mean 50,000 of the lowest paid local government workers received a rise that was slightly above inflation, but the remainder of the workforce would receive a 1% increase. 

Local government workers covered by the offer include teaching assistants, planners, administrators, social workers and engineers. 

Unison said local government workers had already seen three consecutive years of pay freezes, followed by below-inflation rises in 2013 and 2014, “leaving their pay reduced by almost 20% since the coalition came to power”.

Heather Wakefield, the union’s head of local government, said: "Our members have made it clear that this pay offer is the straw that breaks the camel's back after years of pay freezes and below-inflation rises.

"This offer is effectively another pay freeze for the majority of our local government and school members, and they have used this consultation to send a strong message that it is insulting and unacceptable.”

Wakefield added: "Local government workers have kept services running in our communities in the face of the Government's harsh austerity agenda, and they deserve more than just a bare minimum pay increase."

In response to Unison's statement, a Local Government Association spokesman said: "In an unprecedentedly tough financial climate, councils are committing to ensuring that employees receive a pay rise and that the lowest paid receive the biggest increase. It is frustrating that Unison has failed to recognise this.

"We know that these have been difficult times for the local government workforce who have worked wonders to keep vital local services running while councils are tackling the biggest cuts in living memory."

The LGA spokesman added: "The pay offer we have made would increase by 1% the pay of most employees while those on the lowest pay would receive a larger increase. We believe that this is a fair deal for our employees, given the limits of what we can afford, and a fair deal for the taxpayers and residents who use and pay for the crucial services which local government provides.

"In calling for strike action, Unison is further delaying the process of council employees receiving a pay increase this year."