Unite boosting pay

Unite, the foremost experts on negotiating pay in London and the East of England, have launched a blueprint for boosting workers’ pay amid rising inflation and slow pay growth in 2017.

Unite protected thousands of workers’ pay packets throughout 2016 and into 2017 through the union’s negotiations with employers across London and the East of England. Now the union has launched a ‘Pay Claim Guide’ to support Unite representatives in how to formulate arguments and table demands to improve pay and conditions.

The leading think tank the Resolution Foundation has warned that falling living standards for low and middle income families are being threatened with the biggest rise in inequality since Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. But having a strong trade union in the workplace gives workers an advantage when it comes to negotiating pay in the workplace.

“Unite is determined to give workers the tools they need to improve their working lives,” said Unite general secretary Len McCluskey.

“Inflation is on the rise at a time when pay is growing at a snail’s pace and for many workers not at all. Unite has achieved some real progress in pay for thousands of workers across London and the East of England.

“Unite has also launched a powerful new online tool to help workers protect and improve pay,” he explained. “The new database will give union negotiators unparalleled access to pay data for their region and their industry giving workers more power at the bargaining table with employers.”

A new online tool available to Unite negotiators shows that 96 per cent of Unite’s 50 biggest workplaces across London and the East secured increases keeping up with, or outstripping inflation during 2016 and into 2017. A third of workplaces secured pay deals at three percent or above.

Unite recently secured a three year deal with a 7.9 per cent increase in basic pay beginning in January 2017 for easyJet flight attendants, as well as significant increases in other elements of pay. The union also negotiated a pay deal to recognise the additional responsibilities of easyJet cabin managers.

Workers at Stansted Airport employed by Manchester Airport Group will get an increase of 3.5 per cent from April this year.

Electricians, mechanical engineers and plumbers working on the new Whitechapel Crossrail station will receive productivity payments worth ÂŁ867 a month thanks to their union Unite.

Last year talks between Unite, Transport for London, London’s bus operators and the Mayor of London delivered a new ‘minimum professional London bus driver wage’ applying to all new TfL contracts awarded to bus companies from this April.