Members lobby employers’ conference

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(02/07/08) UNISON members working in local government today lobbied delegates at the Local Government Association conference in Bournemouth.

In the latest stage of the dispute over pay, conference delegates were given peanuts and bananas to show how little the 2. 45% pay offer means.

Council workers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland will stage a 48-hour walkout on 16 and 17 July over their below-inflation pay offer.

They include homecare and care home workers, refuse collectors, teaching assistants, librarians, social workers and environmental health officers.

Despite the imminent strike, the three-day employers’ conference did not include pay on the agenda.

UNISON’s head of local government, Heather Wakefield, said: “With a two-day strike around the corner, it is unbelievable that local government employers are sticking their heads in the sand and are not discussing pay at their conference.

”Our members would be in big trouble if they did the same every time another final demand dropped onto their doormat.

“Even bananas went up in price today,” she continued. “With the cost of basic essentials going up weekly, our members cannot afford to take another pay hit.

“We have made it clear that we are willing to talk, but the ball is in the employers’ court.”

Scottish strike ballot opens today

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(01/07/08) Ballot papers start to go out today asking more than 100, 000 council workers in Scotland if they are willing to strike in rejection of an “inadequate” pay offer that would lock them into taking a pay cut for the next three years.

The ballot, which closes on 31 July, will include UNISON members working for Scotland’s 32 local councils, local joint valuation boards and fire and rescue staff.

The union’s local government members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have already voted to take strike action over a similar below-inflation pay rise – 600, 000 are preparing to walk out on 16 and 17 July.

“Scottish employers have failed to respond to the rejection of their inadequate offer with anything meaningful to address our members’ concerns,” said UNISON regional organiser Dougie Black.

“In particular, they have failed to tackle the issue that the offer increases the gap between the higher and lower paid – at the bottom end the offer means a mere 15p per hour increase in the first year,” he said.

“It is clear that UNISON members in Scotland need to deliver a clear ‘Yes’ vote in the ballot to push Scottish employers into taking their concerns seriously.”

UNISON and the other local government unions claimed an increase of 5% or £1, 000, whichever was the greater, from 1 April 2008. Scottish local councils have offered an increase of 2. 5% a year for the next three years.

Council strikes confirmed

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(27/06/08) UNISON’s industrial action committee has today confirmed that local government strike action will go ahead on 16 and 17 July in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“Throughout the union and across the country our members working in local government have given sustained strike action the green light,” said UNISON general secretary Dave Prentis.

The action affects 600, 000 of the union’s local government members, including social workers, librarians, school meals workers, refuse collectors, surveyors and teaching assistants.

They will walk out to protest this year’s below-inflation pay offer of 2. 45%.

“This decision has not been taken lightly, but years of pay cuts and recent hikes in fuel, food and housing costs has left them with little choice,” Mr Prentis continued.

“The employers must realise that we mean business. They must also understand they can resolve this dispute by coming up with a decent offer. Our members are loyal public service workers and our case for fair pay is strong.”

The government’s Office of National Statistics’ own figures show that Retail Price Index inflation reached 4. 3% in May. In the same month, the CPI measure of inflation, which the government uses to set its inflation target, hit 3. 3%

Local government workers in Scotland are being balloted in July on taking strike action after rejecting a three-year offer worth 2. 5% in each year.