Local Government Pay Freeze Announced

Posted 21 January 2010

This is a copy of an email and press release received into our office today from Heather Wakefield the National Secretary of the Local Government Service Group.

Dear Colleague

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.

The press release below has been issued and 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.

Best wishes

Heather

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 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.”
 
Peter Allenson, National Officer for Unite the union, said:


“There has been absolutely no negotiation with the employers. We have had a position put to us that will effectively reduce our members’ living standards. There is no justification for what I would call a pay freeze, and our members would be angry and outraged to say the least.

“The employers should reconsider and come to negotiating table as soon as possible. In the mean time we will consult our members on the next steps.”


Brian Strutton, GMB National Secretary, said:

“Council workers will be absolutely furious about this and I'm personally appalled at the arrogance of the employers. There has been no discussion, no negotiation - just a political decision by conservative controlled local government.
 
“David Cameron needs to reign in his right-wing mavericks who run councils and have the audacity to think that this 2.5 % real terms pay cut for staff is how to deliver local services.
 
“We will now hold an urgent meeting of the trade union side to determine our plan of action. I guarantee the mood will be very angry.”

Proposed Staff Reductions in Devon County

Posted 30 October 2009

Devon County UNISON is mindful of the current economic pressures, and how they are being reflected in local government.

We are pressing for urgent talks with the authority to explore its proposals in more detail, and we stress that essential front line public services be maintained whilst retaining highly skilled staff, without who services would fail.

While of course it is essential that frontline services be preserved, the frontline will be unable to do their jobs effectively if the back office functions are eroded.

We will be making further representations to elected members and senior management regarding the future of our members as it is crucial in this dire economic climate that jobs are preserved which will in turn mean that the people of Devon will retain the quality services that the authority currently provides.

Our members,( some of whom are amongst the lowest paid in the county), provide essential services to the most vulnerable people in Devon, the quality of service provision would inevitably fall if staffing levels are cut.

It should also be noted that during previous hard economic times, that contrary to popular belief, it has been the public sector that keeps the economy going.

Large cuts in staff at Devon County will in turn have a detrimental effect on the local private sector business as it will greatly reduce the amount being spent.

We recognise that the DCC Budget will be very tight in the future, but through negotiations we will try to ensure that the authority maintains jobs for the staff and services for the public.

Local government unions accept pay offer

Posted 11 Sept 2009

(From UNISON Website posted 10 Sept 2009)

Members of the three local government unions, UNISON, UNITE & the GMB have voted to accept an improved pay offer for the 2009/2010 pay round.

The offer, 1.25% for those earning between £6.22 and £7.10 an hour and 1% above £7.10 pence, followed months of negotiation with the local government employers. A quarter of the workforce will also get an extra day annual leave, and the employers have committed to putting a national redundancy agreement in place by 1 December 2009.

Heather Wakefield, Brian Strutton and Peter Allenson, the three NJC Joint Secretaries said:

“Acceptance of the offer comes at a time when our members are facing daily threats to jobs and services. They are providing vital council services with the threat of redundancy constantly hanging over them. This vote reflects that threat. We will now be working hard to show the public and service users how much our members do – for so little – in the run-up to next year’s negotiations.

Notes to editors:

*Scale points 4-10 are earn between £11,961 - £13,336 (scale points 0-3 no longer exist). This includes people working as admin staff, care staff, support staff and trainee staff.

*Scale points 11- 49 earn between £14,197 - £41,083 This includes staff working as welfare assistants, day centre officers, social workers and staff working in environmental health.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: TUESDAY 28 JULY,  2009
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIONS’ JOINT STATEMENT ON PAY

Posted 28 July 2009

Local government unions, UNISON, GMB and UNITE, representing 1.6 million workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, today (28 July) formally agreed to consult members on an improved pay offer* for 2009/2010, calling it the “best available through negotiation”. The results of the unions’  consultations will be available in early to mid September.

The unions are warning that, after years of below inflation pay awards, local government workers are angry about the way they have been treated. They will be gearing up for a campaign to protect national bargaining and fight for a higher pay award next year.

Notes to  Editors

*Local government staff had been offered just 0.5%, but this was increased to 1.25% from scale points 4-10 and 1% from scale points 11 to 49. Workers were also offered an extra day of leave, and the employers agreed to put in place a national redundancy avoidance agreement by December 1, 2009.

The offer covers all grades of workers in local  government, including school meals workers, social workers, care workers,  administrators, cleaners, refuse collectors and street cleaners, teaching  assistants, parks and leisure staff and librarians

You might think we sometimes have a hard time but it's often much, much worse elsewhere - please help other trades unionists by spending a few minutes sending e-mails of protest to their governments / employers.

Here's proof these campaigns work - see www.labourstart.org/victories.pdf(opens in a new window)