News

Local government unions have rejected a pay rise of 2.5 per cent for local authority staff, in the first round of this year's pay talks.

Describing last week's offer as "derisory", public service union Unison - representing 1.3 million council workers - has asked members in England and Wales to lobby their local councils for a better deal.

The employers' offer is a response to the unions' December pay claim of an increase of £1,750 per year or 6 per cent, whichever is higher - described at the time as "completely unrealistic" by the Employers' Organisation for Local Government.

Unison's national secretary for local government Malcolm Wing said workers would be "disappointed and angry" at the figure offered by the employers.

"It will do nothing to close the growing pay gap between local government workers and other workers in both the public sector and the wider economy," he added.

Councillor Brian Baldwin, chairperson of the employers' side, said the offer was "fair and realistic".

"Our lowest paid worker receives 20 per cent more than the national minimum wage," added Baldwin.

The unions' claim would add 12 per cent to the council pay bill, he said, resulting in either a huge increase in council taxes, or cuts in services leading to redundancies.

The next round of talks is due on 28 February.