Winter of poverty

Thousands of local government works will be forced to choose between heating their homes and eating after the coalition government has allowed their pay to fall to the national minimum wage of just ÂŁ6.50 an hour.

 
Care workers, cleaners, librarians and teaching assistants, the people who ensure the smooth running of our local authorities and provide vital services, will face a winter of poverty.

 
“It is a disgrace and a searing indictment that the Tories have allowed the wages of vital public servants who underpin council services 365 days a year to fall to such levels,” said Fiona Farmer, Unite’s national officer for local government.

 
Fair pay not poverty pay

 
Since 2010 local government workers have seen their pay eroded by 20 per cent. They have suffered three straight years of wage freezes while working harder to deliver vital local services.

 
“The majority of the workforce – 77 per cent – is made up of women, many working part-time, who are bearing the brunt of the austerity measures, while George Osborne’s chums, the wealthy elite, live it up thanks to generous tax breaks,” added Fiona Farmer.

 
Enough is enough

 
Unite’s 80,000 members in local authorities say enough is enough and will be taking strike action on Tuesday October 14 alongside members from the GMB and Unison. They are fighting for a £1-an-hour increase.

 
“The UK is the world’s seventh richest country – surely we can do so much better as a nation to help the low paid?” asked Fiona.

 
The unions have petitioned employers to end their assault on local government workers’ wages, offering to settle the dispute through ACAS, the government’s arbitration and conciliation service. But employers have refused to budge.

 
Britain needs a pay rise

 
Local government workers will join thousands of protesters on Saturday October 18. There will be nationwide demonstrations calling for an end to austerity and a pay rise for the many UK workers who are struggling to pay for essentials like food and heating, while the rich elite cash in on massive tax breaks.