10.04.18
Local government pay deal to be implemented as Unison accepts offer
Public service union Unison has confirmed that it has now accepted the LGA’s pay offer.
In January the union’s pay committee rejected the proposals before putting it to a members consultation.
The two-year pay offer, covering the period April 2018 to March 2020 and affecting hundreds of thousands of employees, will see those currently on the lowest scale point (SCP) 6 receive a pay increase of 16% over two years.
For those on the current SCPs 7-28 there will be a pay increase of between 4.3% and 15%, and employees above current SCP 29 will receive a pay rise of 4.04% over two years.
If the proposals go ahead there will be a new pay spine from 2019, with new SCPs 1-43 and even 2% pay gaps between SCPs 6-28.
Last month GMB’s postal ballot saw 94% of its members in favour of accepting the pay offer.
But today, Unite’s national committee has reaffirmed its rejection of the two-year offer.
Jim Kennedy, Unite’s national officer for local government, said: “However, we recognise the collective majority decision of the other unions and understand that this offer will now be implemented across local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“We will work closely in solidarity going forward with the other unions representing local government workers to achieve true pay justice for this dedicated workforce. We won’t allow the lack of generosity that motivated this below-inflation offer to divide us.”
He confirmed that Unite will continue to campaign for a fully-funded pay increase “that remedies the last eight years of ‘lost’ earnings.”
Kennedy added: “We will also actively fight back against the Tory cuts; and tackle councils, and their contractors, which refuse to pay the real living wage.”
Unison said it will meet with GMB and Unite to “agree and hopefully align our position this week” so that the LGA offer can be formally accepted and implemented.
Top image: Nick Ansell PA Wire
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