Pay News 2008/9

4th July 2008

Industrial Action Update

Pay Claim Bulletin No 7 Strike Special (45kb)

23rd June 2008

Local Government Workers Vote For Sustained Strike Action Over Pay

UNISON’s local government members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
have voted by 55% to 45% for a programme of sustained strike action over a
2.45% pay offer.

The union’s negotiating team will decide tomorrow (24 June) what action to
recommend to the national strike committee that meets on Friday 27 June.

UNISON General Secretary, Dave Prentis, said:

“This is a solid vote for action and a clear message to the local government
employers that our members are willing to fight for a decent pay rise. They
are fed up and angry that they are expected to accept pay cut after pay cut,
while bread and butter prices go through the roof.

“Most of them are low paid workers, who are hit hardest by food and fuel
price hikes and they see the unfairness of boardroom bonanzas and big city
bonuses. Other local government workers who have to use their cars for work
are being hit hard too by spiralling fuel costs and they end up subsidising
their employers.”

UNISON Head of Local Government, Heather Wakefield, said:

“The employers should be in no doubt, the members have voted for a programme
of sustained and escalating strike action because they are sick of being
treated as the poor relations of the public sector. Their case for a
realistic pay increase is indisputable. We are, of course, willing to meet
with the employers at any time, but we will decide tomorrow what
recommendations to make to our national strike committee.”

Almost 250,000 earn less than £6.50 an hour. Seventy five per cent are
women. The unions’ pay claim was for 6% or 50p an hour whichever was the
greater.

Nearly 600,000 workers were balloted; they include include social workers,
housing benefit workers, rent collectors, binmen, dinner ladies, teaching
assistants, cooks, cleaners, architects, surveyors.

NJC Pay 2008/9 Offer and Consultation

Employers make improved and fianl offer - consultation begins ....
Pay Bulletin No. 3 (618kb)

Unison Pay Talks

Employers make inital offer ....
Pay Bulletin No. 2 (38kb)

NJC 2008 Pay Claim

This outline Unison's proposed options for the local government play claim 2008/9 .....
Pay Bulletin No. 1 (41kb)