No pay rise this year for council staff: Local Government Employers

Local Government Employers (LGE) has informed trade unions that the pay of the 1.4m local authority staff covered by national pay bargaining will be frozen this year, rejecting union claims for a £250 across-the-board increase.

In a statement, the organisation said that a combination of cuts to council funding and the rising cost of delivering services meant that  local government employees will not be offered an increase in pay from April, 2011.

It said: “In light of a £6.5bn funding gap (the difference between the amount of money councils will receive in the next financial year and the cost of maintaining services at their current level), local government employers have decided they are unable to offer staff an annual pay rise.”

Jan Parkinson, Managing Director of Local Government Employers, added: “Hard-working council employees help make local government the most efficient part of the public sector. This decision has not been taken lightly. Councils are facing extremely tough choices this year and have to ask their whole workforce to recognise the need to limit spending in all areas.”

Local government trade unions – Unison, GMB and Unite – had asked for a pay rise of at least £250 a year on all salary points from 1 April 2011, which would add 1.23% or £265m to the local government pay bill.

LGE represents most local authorities and related employers in negotiations with trade unions and the government over pay and conditions. Teachers and fire fighters are covered by separate national pay arrangements.