Strike on hold

Unite and other unions suspended next week’s impending public sector strike action today (October 9), after a new pay deal was put forward to be considered by members.
The offer, which would lift the wages of thousands of local government workers now on poverty pay, may entail a rise of up to ÂŁ1,065 a year from January 1, 2015. The deal will be put forward to members in a consultative ballot.
The strike suspension and subsequent improved offer comes in the wake of heated industrial action earlier this year, when hundreds of thousands of public sector workers from across the nation took part in an unprecedented strike on July 10.
Unite national officer Fiona Farmer celebrated the success of July 10 and other actions short of a strike, which were instrumental in securing today’s possible deal.
“This new improved offer would not have been achieved without the resolve of our members who stood together to force the employers back around the negotiating table,” she said.
Unite’s 80,000 local government workers, which include refuse collectors, traffic enforcers, school supporters, carers and other public servants charged with dispensing vital local authority services, have suffered for years from deep pay cuts.
In fact, they are the lowest-paid public sector workers despite taking on some of the most strenuous—and necessary—roles. They’ve seen their wages frozen without a single pay rise above inflation since 2009. Before the latest pay offer on the table, employers offered a measly 1 per cent pay rise, while further up the line in government ranks, MPs had rewarded themselves with a hefty 11 per cent rise.
When the minimum wage went up by paltry few pence to £6.50 an hour on October 1, thousands of local government workers found themselves earning the bare minimum, which Farmer called a “disgrace.”
“The majority of the [local government] 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 amongst the wealthy elite live it up because of generous tax breaks,” Farmer noted.
Although welcoming the possibility of reaching a deal, Farmer warned the union would not back down until consistently fair pay among all local government workers was achieved.
“We believe the offer is the best achievable by negotiation, but local government employers and the government should be under no illusions that we will continue to campaign against poverty pay in local government,” she said.
Stay tuned on UNITElive for the latest news on the upcoming consultative ballot.