Category: environment agency

Environment Agency staff start to vote on possible strike over pay, says UNISON 

Environment Agency staff are being asked to vote for industrial action in a ballot that could see the first strike over pay in the organisation’s 26-year history, says UNISON today (Monday).

A strike ballot of several thousand Agency employees across England – including river inspectors, flood forecasting officers, coastal risk management officers, sewage plant attendants and staff maintaining the Thames Barrier – opens today. The vote closes in a month’s time.

Earlier in the year, Environment Agency staff voted to reject a pay offer of 2% and an additional £345. This is substantially less than the lowest measure of inflation – currently 9.9% – and simply isn’t enough, says UNISON.

The latest offer follows years of no wage increases, or rises significantly below the cost of living, and has proved the final straw for the Agency’s employees, adds the union.

UNISON says low wages have led to large numbers of staff quitting the UK’s key environmental regulator. The Agency has struggled to fill vacancies, which has put the remaining workforce under intolerable pressure, says UNISON.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Environment Agency employees love their jobs. But harsh government budget cuts means it’s becoming increasingly difficult for them to do their work.

“Staff are no longer prepared to accept such poor treatment at the hands of ministers. It’s high time the government showed it values the important work they do, and increased funding to the Agency so all employees can get a decent wage rise.

“The staff work tirelessly to protect us all. They do crucial jobs protecting the environment, clearing up pollution spills, maintaining coastal defences, managing flooding risks and supporting affected communities. They deserve much better.”

Aside from UNISON, there are three unions – GMB, Prospect and Unite – representing Environment Agency workers. Other unions are expected to commence strike ballots soon.

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
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article Environment Agency staff start to vote on possible strike over pay, says UNISON  first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Environment Agency staff overwhelmingly reject pay offer

Thousands of Environment Agency (EA)  staff have voted in a consultation to overwhelmingly reject the current pay offer of 2% plus a £345 consolidated increase, together with increases to some allowances.

With inflation topping 10% and further increases on the way, the offer, together with an unconsolidated performance award, effectively represents a pay cut.

EA staff had asked for a pay increase above the rate of inflation after a 0% pay increase in 2021 and the current offer fell well short of those made to other public sector workers.

As frontline workers that protected communities and the environment throughout the pandemic, EA staff investigate and prosecute polluters, maintain our costal defenses and inland waterways, and regulate the UK’s nuclear industry and critical infrastructure such as the Thames Barrier.

UNISON national secretary for the environment Donna Rowe-Merriman said: “EA Staff across England have made clear that the current offer is simply not enough.

“This government massively undervalues the role of the agency and, as they set the pay for workers, have failed to provide sufficient funds for an offer to meet soaring inflation.

“Low pay has been a massive problem for the agency – with recruitment and retention having an impact on service delivery.”

And she continued: “Staff feel undervalued and demoralised for the key roles they deliver and now they are feeling the impacts of the cost of living crisis – with many unable to make ends meet and pay their bills and some resorting to foodbanks.

“Now is the time for the agency to step up and make the case for an increased pay offer.”

The article Environment Agency staff overwhelmingly reject pay offer first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Blog: I urge members to make sure they have their say on pay

UNISON members working for the Environment Agency, together with Scottish health members, are being consulted on their respective pay offers.

If you’re an NHS worker in Scotland, you only have a few days left to have your say on the 5% pay offer. UNISON, along with other health unions, asked for an above inflation pay award, so we’re asking members to reject the pay deal.

For EA members, the consultative ballot that opened this week closes on 2 September. The agency is underfunded, and its workers are undervalued and underpaid.

I’ve said before that poverty is created by political choices – and pay is decided by choices too. Choices are made by the Cabinet Office about how much money the agency gets to protect the environment, support our communities and reward staff.

I urge our EA members to reject the insulting pay offer of 2% plus £345, which follows a 0% rise for most staff in 2021, which itself came after a decade of below inflation pay deals.

Unsurprisingly, workers in both the NHS and the EA are suffering from the cost of living crisis. Wages are thousands of pounds below where they would be now if they’d kept up with inflation over the last decade. Earning enough to live in the present and plan for the future is not a reality for most public service workers.

NHS and EA staff work in very different circumstances, but have the shared aim of protecting people’s health. Their work is interlinked, as a poor environment doesn’t support a healthy population. Losing staff because of poor wages and declining standards of living is a risk to everyone.

Our members are always key to delivering huge public programmes that benefit millions, whether it’s the COVID vaccine roll out, or huge flood defence improvement programmes. Their work is always 24/7.

Squeezing public sector budgets undermines the ability of both the NHS and the agency to protect people, support our communities, and reward staff to make sure experienced and skilled staff are retained.

The government needs to put its money where its mouth is and recognise the value to our society of having well-paid, well-resourced workforces able to deliver every day and ready to deal with crises when they come.

Until they do, we need to keep up the pressure and make sure every member responds to our consultations.

You will have received an email ballot, but if you haven’t, then contact UNISON Direct on 0800 0 857 857.

The article Blog: I urge members to make sure they have their say on pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON recommends that EA members reject ‘insulting’ offer

UNISON members working for the Environment Agency (EA) are being consulted on the latest pay offer, with the union recommending that they reject the employer’s offer of 2%, plus a £345 one-off consolidated payment, and take part in industrial action to seek improvements.

The offer falls short of the claim the EA unions jointly submitted in March this year and follows a 0% rise for most staff in 2021 after a decade of below inflation pay rises.

UNISON national secretary Donna Rowe-Merriman said: “EA Members are seeing this offer as an insult – especially as offers for other public sector workers are higher.

“The EA is underfunded, and staff feel undervalued and underpaid. How much money the agency receives to protect the environment, support our communities, and reward staff, is decided by political choices made by the UK government.

“The money is there for the EA to be properly resourced – including staff salaries.”

Ms Rowe-Merriman noted that, in the last two years, members have seen attacks on their terms and conditions, as well as a “lack of parity in pay between field operations staff and other staff grades.”

She said: “The government needs to put its money where its mouth is and recognise the value to our society of having a well-paid, well-resourced workforce, able to deliver environmental protection 24/7 and protect communities in times of environmental crisis.”

UNISON members are being consulted via an online ballot, which is running from 1 August to 2 September 2022.

Visit the campaign page

The article UNISON recommends that EA members reject ‘insulting’ offer first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Environment Agency pay offer is ‘simply not enough’, says UNISON

UNISON’s Environment Agency (EA) sector committee has recommended that members reject the latest pay offer from the agency, saying the offer is “simply not enough” to address the cost of living crisis.

Pay negotiations for 2022/23 with the EA concluded last week when a full and final offer was made that equated to an average increase of 2% plus £345 consolidated increase and some modest increases to allowances.

However, the offer falls far short of the claim the EA unions jointly submitted in March and, on top of that, most agency members got a 0% rise, last year, after a decade of below inflation pay rises.

A recent survey of EA members highlighted that staff have seen living standards drop – with the hardest hit having to make decisions between eating and paying the household bills.

Many more are finding salary levels are insufficient and are choosing to leave the agency, leaving thousands of posts vacant.

UNISON national officer Donna Rowe-Merriman said: “Wages have failed to keep up with inflation for years and agency staff have lost out as a result.

“The offer falls behind those offered to other public sector workers for the second year in a row. This government has failed to recognise the contribution of agency staff protecting the environment and communities and is unwilling to properly reward them.

“Enough is enough. We are at a point where members can’t cope on what they are being paid. It is time for the Environment Agency and the government to realise that staff need to be paid enough to be able to live without hardship and poverty.”

Chair of UNISON’s EA sector committee Jackie Hamer commented: “The rise in energy and fuel prices has led to members struggling to afford to travel to work, and trying to manage without heat, light and fuel in their homes. Many are wondering how on earth they can pay their bills.

“In addition, the large number of vacancies is putting many members under pressure when they are at work so this is a perfect storm of difficulties. They deserve much better.”

UNISON members will be consulted in August with the ballot running from 1 August to 2 September 2022.

The article Environment Agency pay offer is ‘simply not enough’, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Will a shower of April wins help us flower in May?

Another busy month saw UNISON celebrating victories – and launching new campaigns The article Will a shower of April wins help us flower in May? first appeared on the UNISON National site.