Unison members vote to accept revised pay offer

Unison local government members in England and Wales have voted
overwhelmingly to accept this year’s pay offer of 3.5 per cent or
£380, whichever is greater, backdated to 1 April.

Members of the Transport and General Workers Union have already
agreed to accept the offer, leaving only GMB members to make their
final decision, which is also expected this week.

The agreement comes at the end of one of the most protracted
series of pay talks in recent years. When talks began last year,
the employers seemed determined not to go above a 3 per cent rise,
but backed down in the face of threatened strike action or the
possibility of arbitration.

“These talks were the most difficult set of negotiations for
some time. We are pleased our members have voted by such a large
majority to accept the offer,” said Unison head of local government
Malcolm Wing. “However, tens of thousands of local authority staff
delivering vital services to their communities will still be paid
less than five pounds an hour, a target we must exceed next
year.”