Category: strike

Yoga instructors pose a strike problem for unbending council

Yoga, Pilates and aerobics instructors employed by Colchester City Council are to take strike action later this month after nearly a decade without a pay rise, UNISON announced today.The fitness instructors will walk out for seven days from Wednesday 28 February until Tuesday 5 March. Although the Leisure World and Northern Gateway Leisure Park trainers are directly employed by the council, they are not part of the same pay scheme as other staff.UNISON says unbending bosses at the local authority have refused to increase pay for yoga and Pilates coaches from £25 per session since 2015, while aerobics instructors have been earning just £22.50.The council initially rejected any rise for yoga and Pilates workers, proposing a mere £2.50 a time extra for aerobics trainers.But following a ballot of the instructors last month, in which 86% of the staff voted for strike action, the council increased its offer to £26 for all three disciplines, plus an element of performance-related pay.The fitness workers say this could still see them earning £4 a session less than instructors at neighbouring Tendring and Chelmsford councils.The instructors say the session rates don’t take account for the preparation and clear-up time involved in each class, as well as that spent with participants before and after each session. And UNISON says the proposed rise is still considerably lower than if the rate had kept pace with inflation.Melinda Harrison, an aerobics instructor at the council for the past nine years, said: “Every other employee has had a pay rise, but we’ve been completely ignored. It’s like we don’t exist. We don’t get reviewed. It’s like the council has forgotten us.“Ten years is a long time to go without a pay rise and the cost of living has shot up. It’s completely unfair to leave us out when everyone else has had a wage increase.”UNISON Eastern area organiser Emma Aboubaker said: “Fitness instructors aren’t immune to the rising bills and prices. They’ve been left with no option but to strike.“It’s now crunch time for the council. Bosses there need to get a jog on if they want to avoid strikes.”

The article Yoga instructors pose a strike problem for unbending council first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Yoga instructors pose a strike problem for unbending council

Yoga, Pilates and aerobics instructors employed by Colchester City Council are to take strike action later this month after nearly a decade without a pay rise, UNISON announced today.The fitness instructors will walk out for seven days from Wednesday 28 February until Tuesday 5 March. Although the Leisure World and Northern Gateway Leisure Park trainers are directly employed by the council, they are not part of the same pay scheme as other staff.UNISON says unbending bosses at the local authority have refused to increase pay for yoga and Pilates coaches from £25 per session since 2015, while aerobics instructors have been earning just £22.50.The council initially rejected any rise for yoga and Pilates workers, proposing a mere £2.50 a time extra for aerobics trainers.But following a ballot of the instructors last month, in which 86% of the staff voted for strike action, the council increased its offer to £26 for all three disciplines, plus an element of performance-related pay.The fitness workers say this could still see them earning £4 a session less than instructors at neighbouring Tendring and Chelmsford councils.The instructors say the session rates don’t take account for the preparation and clear-up time involved in each class, as well as that spent with participants before and after each session. And UNISON says the proposed rise is still considerably lower than if the rate had kept pace with inflation.Melinda Harrison, an aerobics instructor at the council for the past nine years, said: “Every other employee has had a pay rise, but we’ve been completely ignored. It’s like we don’t exist. We don’t get reviewed. It’s like the council has forgotten us.“Ten years is a long time to go without a pay rise and the cost of living has shot up. It’s completely unfair to leave us out when everyone else has had a wage increase.”UNISON Eastern area organiser Emma Aboubaker said: “Fitness instructors aren’t immune to the rising bills and prices. They’ve been left with no option but to strike.“It’s now crunch time for the council. Bosses there need to get a jog on if they want to avoid strikes.”

The article Yoga instructors pose a strike problem for unbending council first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Inflexible bosses keep yoga instructors’ pay down

Yoga, aerobics and Pilates instructors at Colchester City Council are voting on strike action after nearly a decade without a pay rise, UNISON has announced.The Leisure World instructors are all directly employed by the council, but their pay is determined differently to the scales used for other staff at the local authority.UNISON says inflexible bosses have kept yoga and Pilates rates at £25 per-session since 2015, refusing to even review this figure until last year.When the council did finally assess pay in August 2023, senior managers offered no rise at all, says the union.Aerobics instructors are paid £22.50 per session. Following the review, they rejected an offer of an extra £2.50, saying it fell a long way behind the levels paid to instructors for private training sessions, and was still nearly £5 lower than neighbouring Tendring Council.Instructors say the rate fails to recognise the long stretches of time they put into preparing classes. They say the time it takes to learn and devise routines, set up, clear up and answer queries from participants after sessions, means upwards of two hours’ work goes into each hour-long session.Workers have been left with no choice but to vote on strikes, says UNISON.

Melinda (pictured above, outside Leisure World) has been an aerobics instructor at the council for the last nine years, said: “All the instructors give 100% — we get there early and stay late.

“As a council worker, every other employee has had a pay rise and we’re completely ignored. It’s like we don’t exist. We don’t get reviewed. It’s like they’ve forgotten us.

“There are some instructors who work in the gym as personal trainers. They’ve had a pay rise every year for that, but when they come to teach a class, it’s been the same pay for 10 years.

“That 10 years is a long time – how much has the cost of living gone up? It’s completely unfair when everyone else in the building has had a pay rise.

“We’re the face of Leisure World, we keep thousands of people coming back. It’s time we were recognised for it.”

Yoga instructor Arlene, who has worked for Colchester Council since 2016, said: “It’s a wonderful community at Leisure World and the people taking classes are so supportive of each other.“But I don’t even reach the minimum wage for the classes I teach, with all the preparation that goes into them.“It doesn’t feel like we’re even considered to be working for the council. They’ve never increased the market rate. Everyone else in the building gets a pay rise but we’re forgotten.”

UNISON Eastern area organiser Emma Aboubaker said: “Instructors are bending over backwards to provide the best service they can for people trying to get fit and healthy in Colchester. But bosses can’t stretch to more than one pay rise a decade.“Fitness instructors provide a vital service for the city’s public health, but they’re also bringing paying residents into leisure centres. They deserve a proper pay rise.”

The article Inflexible bosses keep yoga instructors’ pay down first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Inflexible bosses keep yoga instructors’ pay down

Yoga, aerobics and Pilates instructors at Colchester City Council are voting on strike action after nearly a decade without a pay rise, UNISON has announced.The Leisure World instructors are all directly employed by the council, but their pay is determined differently to the scales used for other staff at the local authority.UNISON says inflexible bosses have kept yoga and Pilates rates at £25 per-session since 2015, refusing to even review this figure until last year.When the council did finally assess pay in August 2023, senior managers offered no rise at all, says the union.Aerobics instructors are paid £22.50 per session. Following the review, they rejected an offer of an extra £2.50, saying it fell a long way behind the levels paid to instructors for private training sessions, and was still nearly £5 lower than neighbouring Tendring Council.Instructors say the rate fails to recognise the long stretches of time they put into preparing classes. They say the time it takes to learn and devise routines, set up, clear up and answer queries from participants after sessions, means upwards of two hours’ work goes into each hour-long session.Workers have been left with no choice but to vote on strikes, says UNISON.

Melinda (pictured above, outside Leisure World) has been an aerobics instructor at the council for the last nine years, said: “All the instructors give 100% — we get there early and stay late.

“As a council worker, every other employee has had a pay rise and we’re completely ignored. It’s like we don’t exist. We don’t get reviewed. It’s like they’ve forgotten us.

“There are some instructors who work in the gym as personal trainers. They’ve had a pay rise every year for that, but when they come to teach a class, it’s been the same pay for 10 years.

“That 10 years is a long time – how much has the cost of living gone up? It’s completely unfair when everyone else in the building has had a pay rise.

“We’re the face of Leisure World, we keep thousands of people coming back. It’s time we were recognised for it.”

Yoga instructor Arlene, who has worked for Colchester Council since 2016, said: “It’s a wonderful community at Leisure World and the people taking classes are so supportive of each other.“But I don’t even reach the minimum wage for the classes I teach, with all the preparation that goes into them.“It doesn’t feel like we’re even considered to be working for the council. They’ve never increased the market rate. Everyone else in the building gets a pay rise but we’re forgotten.”

UNISON Eastern area organiser Emma Aboubaker said: “Instructors are bending over backwards to provide the best service they can for people trying to get fit and healthy in Colchester. But bosses can’t stretch to more than one pay rise a decade.“Fitness instructors provide a vital service for the city’s public health, but they’re also bringing paying residents into leisure centres. They deserve a proper pay rise.”

The article Inflexible bosses keep yoga instructors’ pay down first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Poole education members strike over low pay

UNISON members at The Victoria Education Centre in Poole are taking strike action today, after their employer failed to deliver a pay rise for staff.

The special education school is run by disability charity Livability, but it has not made a pay offer that addresses historic low wages by comparison to other school settings across Dorset and nationally.

A membership recruitment campaign began in 2021 and saw a recognition agreement signed with the employer in March 2022.

Regional organiser Mike Cracknell said: “The strength of feeling was so high that a formal industrial action ballot generated a whopping 81% response rate, of which 97% showed their anger and voted in favour of taking action.

“Members strive daily to create a nurturing and inclusive environment for children with dedicated and skilled support staff as the backbone of the school community, working tirelessly to ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive.”

School support staff salaries have not kept pace with the rising cost of living, leaving many staff struggling to make ends meet. It is nearly two years since some staff received a pay increase.

This financial strain is driving staff away, as they seek better opportunities elsewhere.

Senior teaching assistant and UNISON workplace representative Rhian Rothery said: “We have been paid low in comparison to local schools for a very long time.

“After a lot of time and effort over the last year and a half, trying to reach an agreement without success, our members felt the next step was to strike. We love our job and that is why we are here – strike is the last thing we want to do but we deserve fair pay.

“We would all much prefer to be doing what we love, caring for and supporting our students.”

The article Poole education members strike over low pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Poole education members strike over low pay

UNISON members at The Victoria Education Centre in Poole are taking strike action today, after their employer failed to deliver a pay rise for staff.

The special education school is run by disability charity Livability, but it has not made a pay offer that addresses historic low wages by comparison to other school settings across Dorset and nationally.

A membership recruitment campaign began in 2021 and saw a recognition agreement signed with the employer in March 2022.

Regional organiser Mike Cracknell said: “The strength of feeling was so high that a formal industrial action ballot generated a whopping 81% response rate, of which 97% showed their anger and voted in favour of taking action.

“Members strive daily to create a nurturing and inclusive environment for children with dedicated and skilled support staff as the backbone of the school community, working tirelessly to ensure that every child receives the support they need to thrive.”

School support staff salaries have not kept pace with the rising cost of living, leaving many staff struggling to make ends meet. It is nearly two years since some staff received a pay increase.

This financial strain is driving staff away, as they seek better opportunities elsewhere.

Senior teaching assistant and UNISON workplace representative Rhian Rothery said: “We have been paid low in comparison to local schools for a very long time.

“After a lot of time and effort over the last year and a half, trying to reach an agreement without success, our members felt the next step was to strike. We love our job and that is why we are here – strike is the last thing we want to do but we deserve fair pay.

“We would all much prefer to be doing what we love, caring for and supporting our students.”

The article Poole education members strike over low pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Scottish Water staff to strike for four days in November

UNISON sent notices to Scottish Water this week, to inform it that members will be taking strike action for four days starting on 10 November.

The strikes come after UNISON members at Scottish Water voted overwhelmingly (78%) for action over a pay and grading dispute earlier this month.

The dispute comes after Scottish Water proposed changes to employment contracts without properly engaging with unions, causing anger amongst staff. The union says the proposals will cause years of wrangling over pay grades and push the lowest paid onto even lower wages and cause significant problems around equality legislation.

UNISON has also written to the cabinet secretary with responsibility for Scottish Water, Màiri McAllan MSP, to ask her to intervene, in a last effort to avert industrial action.

The union says that the four-day strike, from 10 to 13 November, will have serious implications for water and sewage services – emergency repairs will not be done, water quality checks will not take place and, if the public report problems with their water supply, sewage or drainage, they will not be dealt with while staff are on strike.

Branch secretary for UNISON Scottish Water branch, Patricia McArthur said: “I am dismayed it has come to this. Scottish Water managers are imposing a new pay structure with no involvement from staff, which is not acceptable. It is storing up problems for the future.

“Scottish Water is a public utility and supposed to be the jewel in our public services. Yet staff are being treated worse than if we worked for one of the private water companies down south.”

UNISON regional organiser Emma Phillips said: “Industrial relations in Scottish Water are at rock bottom. Scottish Water staff know sewage when they see it and have strongly rejected their employers slap dash proposals.

“However, Scottish Water are insisting they are still going to implement the changes to employment contracts and pay structures.

“We have written to the Scottish government asking the cabinet secretary to – at very least – talk to unions to explore if we [can] get meaningful talks started. We have stressed to her that Scottish Water are ripping up the government’s fair work and equality guidance.

“If the Scottish government don’t intervene, then they have been warned that they are storing up problems over pay structures and future equal pay, and strikes will go ahead. Re-grading has to be done properly with the full involvement of staff and unions.”

The article Scottish Water staff to strike for four days in November first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Scottish Water staff to strike for four days in November

UNISON sent notices to Scottish Water this week, to inform it that members will be taking strike action for four days starting on 10 November.

The strikes come after UNISON members at Scottish Water voted overwhelmingly (78%) for action over a pay and grading dispute earlier this month.

The dispute comes after Scottish Water proposed changes to employment contracts without properly engaging with unions, causing anger amongst staff. The union says the proposals will cause years of wrangling over pay grades and push the lowest paid onto even lower wages and cause significant problems around equality legislation.

UNISON has also written to the cabinet secretary with responsibility for Scottish Water, Màiri McAllan MSP, to ask her to intervene, in a last effort to avert industrial action.

The union says that the four-day strike, from 10 to 13 November, will have serious implications for water and sewage services – emergency repairs will not be done, water quality checks will not take place and, if the public report problems with their water supply, sewage or drainage, they will not be dealt with while staff are on strike.

Branch secretary for UNISON Scottish Water branch, Patricia McArthur said: “I am dismayed it has come to this. Scottish Water managers are imposing a new pay structure with no involvement from staff, which is not acceptable. It is storing up problems for the future.

“Scottish Water is a public utility and supposed to be the jewel in our public services. Yet staff are being treated worse than if we worked for one of the private water companies down south.”

UNISON regional organiser Emma Phillips said: “Industrial relations in Scottish Water are at rock bottom. Scottish Water staff know sewage when they see it and have strongly rejected their employers slap dash proposals.

“However, Scottish Water are insisting they are still going to implement the changes to employment contracts and pay structures.

“We have written to the Scottish government asking the cabinet secretary to – at very least – talk to unions to explore if we [can] get meaningful talks started. We have stressed to her that Scottish Water are ripping up the government’s fair work and equality guidance.

“If the Scottish government don’t intervene, then they have been warned that they are storing up problems over pay structures and future equal pay, and strikes will go ahead. Re-grading has to be done properly with the full involvement of staff and unions.”

The article Scottish Water staff to strike for four days in November first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Rotherham cemetery staff secure major pay victory

Cemetery maintenance staff in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, including gravediggers, have accepted a pay offer from their employer, UNISON announced today.

The workers, who are employed by private contractor Glendale Grounds Maintenance, have been involved in a long-running dispute over pay, but the company has finally put forward an offer that the staff have accepted.

The accepted offer will be in place for two years and means staff will be paid what was the real living wage – £10.90 per hour – at the time the offer was made, plus 20p, from 25 October, when the offer was accepted.

Staff will also receive the real living wage backdated to 1 April 2023, which amounts to over £400 for some of the lowest-paid workers.

Wages will also be updated in April next year to the revised real living wage, plus 20p.

Payments made to staff to be available if needed on weekends and bank holidays will also double, from £20 to £40 – and the rate for staff responsible for opening and closing cemetery gates will also increase.

The agreed pay rise means the lowest-paid workers will see their salary increase by almost 30% over the two-year period.

As a result of the deal, strike action planned for October and November has been cancelled.

UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Dan Wood said: “This is a fantastic outcome for staff who were sick of missing out simply because they’re employed by a private company rather than the council.

“Workers were ready to walk out to make their feelings known. Luckily, Glendale has seen sense and put forward an offer that staff are happy with, so the dispute can be put to bed.”

Rotherham branch secretary Ruth Askwith said: “Workers have stood up for themselves and got the result they wanted.

“It means they can now concentrate on doing the job they care passionately about – and will get a fair wage for doing it.”

The article Rotherham cemetery staff secure major pay victory first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Rotherham cemetery staff secure major pay victory

Cemetery maintenance staff in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, including gravediggers, have accepted a pay offer from their employer, UNISON announced today.

The workers, who are employed by private contractor Glendale Grounds Maintenance, have been involved in a long-running dispute over pay, but the company has finally put forward an offer that the staff have accepted.

The accepted offer will be in place for two years and means staff will be paid what was the real living wage – £10.90 per hour – at the time the offer was made, plus 20p, from 25 October, when the offer was accepted.

Staff will also receive the real living wage backdated to 1 April 2023, which amounts to over £400 for some of the lowest-paid workers.

Wages will also be updated in April next year to the revised real living wage, plus 20p.

Payments made to staff to be available if needed on weekends and bank holidays will also double, from £20 to £40 – and the rate for staff responsible for opening and closing cemetery gates will also increase.

The agreed pay rise means the lowest-paid workers will see their salary increase by almost 30% over the two-year period.

As a result of the deal, strike action planned for October and November has been cancelled.

UNISON Yorkshire and Humberside regional organiser Dan Wood said: “This is a fantastic outcome for staff who were sick of missing out simply because they’re employed by a private company rather than the council.

“Workers were ready to walk out to make their feelings known. Luckily, Glendale has seen sense and put forward an offer that staff are happy with, so the dispute can be put to bed.”

Rotherham branch secretary Ruth Askwith said: “Workers have stood up for themselves and got the result they wanted.

“It means they can now concentrate on doing the job they care passionately about – and will get a fair wage for doing it.”

The article Rotherham cemetery staff secure major pay victory first appeared on the UNISON National site.