Workers in councils and schools should reject low pay offer, says UNISON

Council and school staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are worth far more than the “disappointing” pay increase they’ve been offered by employers, says UNISON today (Thursday).

The union is to consult hundreds of thousands of workers in local government over the £1,290 offer made last week, with a recommendation they vote to reject it.

UNISON is calling for an improvement to pay that fairly rewards council and school staff, many of whom are in low-wage roles, for the essential services they provide.

UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “The offer is disappointing and falls short of the level council and school workers deserve.

“Staff have seen the value of their pay plummet, while often being asked to do even more. They provide vital services to their communities by supporting the most vulnerable, educating children and keeping people safe.

“Council and school workers need a pay rise that reflects this.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contact:  
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Workers in councils and schools should reject low pay offer, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Workers in councils and schools should reject low pay offer, says UNISON

Council and school staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are worth far more than the “disappointing” pay increase they’ve been offered by employers, says UNISON today (Thursday).

The union is to consult hundreds of thousands of workers in local government over the £1,290 offer made last week, with a recommendation they vote to reject it.

UNISON is calling for an improvement to pay that fairly rewards council and school staff, many of whom are in low-wage roles, for the essential services they provide.

UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “The offer is disappointing and falls short of the level council and school workers deserve.

“Staff have seen the value of their pay plummet, while often being asked to do even more. They provide vital services to their communities by supporting the most vulnerable, educating children and keeping people safe.

“Council and school workers need a pay rise that reflects this.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contact:  
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Workers in councils and schools should reject low pay offer, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Council and school staff pay offer falls short

Commenting on the announcement today (Thursday) by local government employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of a pay offer of at least £1,290 for council and school staff, UNISON head of local government Mike Short said:

“Council and school staff deserve a decent pay rise for the vital support they provide to communities. But this offer falls short of the union’s reasonable claim.

“Many workers will feel let down because their household bills continue to rise. UNISON will consult representatives over the coming days before deciding the next steps.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Council and school staff pay offer falls short first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Council and school staff pay offer falls short

Commenting on the announcement today (Thursday) by local government employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of a pay offer of at least £1,290 for council and school staff, UNISON head of local government Mike Short said:

“Council and school staff deserve a decent pay rise for the vital support they provide to communities. But this offer falls short of the union’s reasonable claim.

“Many workers will feel let down because their household bills continue to rise. UNISON will consult representatives over the coming days before deciding the next steps.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Fatima Ayad M: 07508 080383 E: f.ayad@unison.co.uk

The article Council and school staff pay offer falls short first appeared on the UNISON National site.

A significant pay rise is essential for local government and school staff, say unions

The three local government unions, representing 1.4m council and school employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have called for a significant wage rise as they submitted their annual pay claim today (Thursday).

UNISON, GMB and Unite say a decent pay award is essential as staff continue to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis, while the value of their wages has plummeted for more than a decade.

Unless councils and schools can pay competitive rates, employees will find better-paid, less-stressful work elsewhere and new recruits will be thin on the ground, the unions say.

Their joint pay claim, which would apply from the start of April, is for all council employees to receive a wage rise of £3,000 or 10%, whichever is higher.

Council employees – including refuse collectors, librarians, teaching assistants, care workers, cleaners and catering staff – must be properly rewarded for the vital community services they provide, say the unions.

In their submission to the local government employers, the unions point out that council staff have seen 25% wiped from the value of their pay since 2010.

A wage rise well above inflation is the only way to maintain the staff levels necessary to deliver services to the public, the unions say.

Many council employees have experienced considerable increases in their workloads as a result of budget cuts and their own personal finances have taken a severe hit from the cost-of-living crisis.

Council and school workers are often in low-paid roles, with many earning little more than the minimum wage. Any failure to keep pace with costs can be disastrous for them, the three unions say.

UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “Communities rely on the services provided by council and school workers. But if staff don’t feel valued and can find better-paid work elsewhere, there’ll be no one to carry out these vital functions.

“Everyone will be worse off if local authorities don’t have enough employees to look after the most vulnerable, give children the education they need and keep neighbourhoods safe.

“A decent pay offer is essential. And with so many councils struggling financially it’s more important than ever that the Westminster government invests properly in the local government and school workforce.”

GMB national officer Sharon Wilde said: “Our vital school support staff and council workers must be offered a decent pay rise for this year.

“Members tell us their jobs have become even more stressful in the past year they are really struggling to make ends meet in this cost-of-living crisis.

“Staff are being torn between leaving the job that they love or going to other sectors where the work is less stressful and the pay is better. It’s got to stop.”

Unite national officer Clare Keogh said: “After years of real-term pay cuts, local government employers need to recognise that there is growing anger among local government workers about the way they are treated year after year in pay negotiations.

“These workers provide vital services and yet are not valued by their employer. Many union members are reporting that they cannot pay their bills, they are struggling to pay their mortgage or rent costs and some have even had to rely on food banks. We will not stand by and allow this to happen.”

Notes to editors:
– The claim also calls on employers to agree a clear plan to reach a minimum pay rate of £15 an hour in a maximum of two years, as well as an additional day of annual leave for all staff regardless of their current entitlement.

Research by Landman Economics, commissioned ahead of the pay claim, shows the cost of living has risen by 59.4% since 2010 while pay for local government staff on the national joint council rates used by most authorities has risen by just 27% in that time.

Media contacts:
UNISON M: 07834 864794 E: 
a.barnes@unison.co.uk
GMB M: 07958 156846 E: press.office@gmb.org.uk
Unite M 07718 666592 E: David.Carnell@unitetheunion.org

The article A significant pay rise is essential for local government and school staff, say unions first appeared on the UNISON National site.

A significant pay rise is essential for local government and school staff, say unions

The three local government unions, representing 1.4m council and school employees in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have called for a significant wage rise as they submitted their annual pay claim today (Thursday).

UNISON, GMB and Unite say a decent pay award is essential as staff continue to struggle with the cost-of-living crisis, while the value of their wages has plummeted for more than a decade.

Unless councils and schools can pay competitive rates, employees will find better-paid, less-stressful work elsewhere and new recruits will be thin on the ground, the unions say.

Their joint pay claim, which would apply from the start of April, is for all council employees to receive a wage rise of £3,000 or 10%, whichever is higher.

Council employees – including refuse collectors, librarians, teaching assistants, care workers, cleaners and catering staff – must be properly rewarded for the vital community services they provide, say the unions.

In their submission to the local government employers, the unions point out that council staff have seen 25% wiped from the value of their pay since 2010.

A wage rise well above inflation is the only way to maintain the staff levels necessary to deliver services to the public, the unions say.

Many council employees have experienced considerable increases in their workloads as a result of budget cuts and their own personal finances have taken a severe hit from the cost-of-living crisis.

Council and school workers are often in low-paid roles, with many earning little more than the minimum wage. Any failure to keep pace with costs can be disastrous for them, the three unions say.

UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “Communities rely on the services provided by council and school workers. But if staff don’t feel valued and can find better-paid work elsewhere, there’ll be no one to carry out these vital functions.

“Everyone will be worse off if local authorities don’t have enough employees to look after the most vulnerable, give children the education they need and keep neighbourhoods safe.

“A decent pay offer is essential. And with so many councils struggling financially it’s more important than ever that the Westminster government invests properly in the local government and school workforce.”

GMB national officer Sharon Wilde said: “Our vital school support staff and council workers must be offered a decent pay rise for this year.

“Members tell us their jobs have become even more stressful in the past year they are really struggling to make ends meet in this cost-of-living crisis.

“Staff are being torn between leaving the job that they love or going to other sectors where the work is less stressful and the pay is better. It’s got to stop.”

Unite national officer Clare Keogh said: “After years of real-term pay cuts, local government employers need to recognise that there is growing anger among local government workers about the way they are treated year after year in pay negotiations.

“These workers provide vital services and yet are not valued by their employer. Many union members are reporting that they cannot pay their bills, they are struggling to pay their mortgage or rent costs and some have even had to rely on food banks. We will not stand by and allow this to happen.”

Notes to editors:
– The claim also calls on employers to agree a clear plan to reach a minimum pay rate of £15 an hour in a maximum of two years, as well as an additional day of annual leave for all staff regardless of their current entitlement.

Research by Landman Economics, commissioned ahead of the pay claim, shows the cost of living has risen by 59.4% since 2010 while pay for local government staff on the national joint council rates used by most authorities has risen by just 27% in that time.

Media contacts:
UNISON M: 07834 864794 E: 
a.barnes@unison.co.uk
GMB M: 07958 156846 E: press.office@gmb.org.uk
Unite M 07718 666592 E: David.Carnell@unitetheunion.org

The article A significant pay rise is essential for local government and school staff, say unions first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Local government unions agree to accept pay offer for 2023

UNISON and the other local government unions, GMB and Unite, yesterday decided to accept the employers’ pay offer for 2023, for council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The decision does not affect the ongoing local government pay dispute in Scotland.

It means an increase of £1,925 on all NJC (National Joint Council) pay points, pro rata’d for part-time and term time only staff. This will be backdated to 1 April 2023.

Following the results of its ballots in the summer, UNISON’s NJC committee made the decision not to pursue industrial action.

In their joint statement, the unions thanked members for their patience while they worked to resolve the dispute.

UNISON’s head of local government Mike Short said today: “The local government unions have agreed a pay increase of £1,925 for council and school workers for 2023. Our first priority is to get this money into members’ pay packets as soon as possible.

“But pay in local government remains a major concern for UNISON, and we’re planning a strong, positive campaign for a fair pay rise in 2024.”

Members with questions about the pay offer can contact their branch directly, or check the FAQs at the bottom of the NJC pay page.

The article Local government unions agree to accept pay offer for 2023 first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Local government unions agree to accept pay offer for 2023

UNISON and the other local government unions, GMB and Unite, yesterday decided to accept the employers’ pay offer for 2023, for council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The decision does not affect the ongoing local government pay dispute in Scotland.

It means an increase of £1,925 on all NJC (National Joint Council) pay points, pro rata’d for part-time and term time only staff. This will be backdated to 1 April 2023.

Following the results of its ballots in the summer, UNISON’s NJC committee made the decision not to pursue industrial action.

In their joint statement, the unions thanked members for their patience while they worked to resolve the dispute.

UNISON’s head of local government Mike Short said today: “The local government unions have agreed a pay increase of £1,925 for council and school workers for 2023. Our first priority is to get this money into members’ pay packets as soon as possible.

“But pay in local government remains a major concern for UNISON, and we’re planning a strong, positive campaign for a fair pay rise in 2024.”

Members with questions about the pay offer can contact their branch directly, or check the FAQs at the bottom of the NJC pay page.

The article Local government unions agree to accept pay offer for 2023 first appeared on the UNISON National site.

General secretary urges delegates to ‘get the vote out’

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea, urged delegates at the union’s local government conference to ”get the vote out” in its latest strike ballot, which ends on 4 July.

“We need you, talking to members, face to face in their workplaces, explaining why this vote matters,” she said. The National Joint Council, which covers council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is calling for a pay increase of inflation plus 2%.

“The case for better pay is compelling and clear cut,” said Ms McAnea. “Staff vacancies are endemic. Recruiting and keeping social workers, care workers, planning officers, environmental health staff, HGV drivers and so many more, is becoming so difficult that services and communities are suffering.”

She added that the damage caused by this recruitment crisis “isn’t easily fixed – it endures through generations”.

The government says that it can’t afford to meet this pay claim, said McAnea, but in fact it could recoup about half the cost of the claim by raising more in tax and paying less in in-work benefits as people would earn more and go above the threshold for benefits.

What’s more, she added: “When money goes to public service workers, they’ll go and spend it in their local communities, driving economic prosperity.”

Christina acknowledged that there was “a mountain to climb” to achieve the 50% threshold needed for a strike when the previous turnout 18 months ago was disappointingly low. However, she says the mood has shifted since then.

“Inflation is now much higher than it was. And we’ve seen waves of strikes – sweeping across so many sectors – that have built public support, changed history, and delivered change.”

As well as calling for strike action, Ms McAnea thanked delegates for the work they do in UNISON branches across the UK: “Successful insourcing campaigns, negotiating reorganisations and putting millions on the pay bill, the huge graft that went into getting term time workers the right pay, the campaigns to stop car parking charges, and regrading claims, that all have a long-term impact – putting more money in people’s pay packets, and on to their pensions too.”

She also mentioned UNISON campaigns in Northern Ireland for free school meals for every child; in Cymru Wales, to get a social partnership model up and running, to give public service workers and unions a say in the key policies of the Welsh government; and in Scotland: “the brilliant campaign against the Scottish government’s flawed model for a national care service”.

Christina finished her speech by saying: “I look forward to coming out and seeing you on our picket lines when we take action.”

The article General secretary urges delegates to ‘get the vote out’ first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Time to fight for a fair pay rise

Delegates at UNISON’s local government conference, which opened in Liverpool yesterday, were urged to vote yes to strike action in the union’s latest ballot, and to encourage other members to do so.

The National Joint Council, which covers council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, is calling for a pay increase of inflation plus 2%. The ballot ends on July 4.

Glen Williams, chair of the union’s local government service group executive (pictured), said: “It’s time to rage against inequality and rage against the hypocrisy of the Tory government. It’s time for us to refuse to be made poorer by this government.”

He cited the example of UNISON members in Scotland, who voted for strike action in a Scottish Joint Council ballot last year, after being offered an insulting  2% pay award. After the strike, the initial offer was increased by more than fourfold, an offer which members then accepted.

Delegates at the conference voted for a motion which aims to improve the coordination of pay claims within UNISON.

It calls on the service group executive to ensure that pay claims are submitted in good time so that members receive their pay increase on the settlement date; to call for a £15 an hour minimum wage and to conduct reviews of strike ballots where the 50% turnout threshold has been met in order to learn lessons for future ballots.

They also passed a separate motion calling on the executive to ensure best practise on beating the ballot thresholds.

As one speaker at the conference said: “The government wants public sector workers to pay for the cost of living crisis even though we didn’t cause it.

“Every single union activity needs to focus completely on beating the ballot thresholds. Let’s make the Tories regret they decided to start a fight on pay.”

The article Time to fight for a fair pay rise first appeared on the UNISON National site.