Seven million days work undertaken by local government workers

The equivalent of seven million days were worked by local
government employees last year in overtime for no pay or time off
in lieu, according to a UNISON survey, writes Clare
Jerrom.

A third of the public sector union’s 10,000 members
surveyed by MORI worked an average of 4.6 hours unpaid overtime
each week.

“Our survey shows a local government workforce under
pressure, undervalued, under staffed and under resourced,”
said Heather Wakefield, UNISON’s head of local government.
“Each year our members do more for less and yet face greater
insecurity for the future.”

The survey found:-

• Almost 60 per cent had considered leaving their jobs in
the past six months

• Nearly three quarters felt under-valued

• One fifth reported daily staff shortages and

• Almost one third reported an increased use of temporary
staff.

Pay and pensions were local government workers’ greatest
concern.

Wakefield added: “Pension fears and dissatisfaction with
pay are running high, while staff shortages and lack of recognition
for the work they do can only add to the serious recruitment and
retention problems facing councils.”

“Attacks on the pension scheme are the final straw. We
want to negotiate with government, but if talks fail to reach a
satisfactory conclusion, strike action seems inevitable,” she
concluded.