Loading ...A second union has come out against employers “full and final” pay offer to local government staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The GMB has joined Unite in recommending members reject the 3.2% offer in a consultative vote, and will also seek support to take strike action in protest against employers’ proposal.
The third and biggest local government union, UNISON, will set out its plans shortly.
Employers have warned that the offer will put pressure on council budgets and claimed it is fair to staff. It is just above the rate of inflation (2.6%) in the year to March 2025, according to the government’s preferred consumer prices index (CPI) measure.
While acknowledging this, GMB national officer Kevin Brandstatter said the proposal was inadequate given the years of real-terms pay cuts local government staff had suffered.
3.2% pay offer ‘is not enough’
Like counterparts in Unite, he also criticised the lack of negotiation from employers before they tabled the offer.
“GMB’s committees were unanimous; this offer isn’t enough and it’s shocking this full and final pay offer was made without any negotiation.
“We will now ask members if they are willing to strike to get more.”
The GMB ballot opens on 12 May and will close on 20 June. Should members indicate they are willing to take industrial action, the union would have to hold a formal strike ballot to obtain a mandate for a walkout.
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3.2% is not enough… minimum wage is being increased by 6.7 percent, so why do we have to settle for 3.2% and have our worth be decreased year on year
The National Minimum wage (21 and over) has had an increase of 6.7%, yet we are offered 3.2% and expected to be happy with it and continue to work hard in a difficult sector. Year on year we have lost out on pay in real terms and now this. It is offensive that the government expects the high level of service and work from council workers, but refuses to pay staff what they are worth.
Before long mid level workers will fall back to being paid minimum wage for higher skilled work, where is the fairness in that. It just devalues the work that staff do, and they still want us to perform at the standards we do, but for in real terms, less pay.
The government claim they are making work pay, but I fail to see that. I’m already worse off this year than last year given the cost of bills still increasing, supermarkets still putting prices up month on month, and with an even lower pay rise this year, it’s just awful.
I agree with everything you said there Sam. Our wages are also being devalued as they aren’t increasing at the same rate as private sector salaries, the rate of increase in the private sector is considerably more than 3.2% this year. Furthermore, local authority social workers are paid less than NHS social workers despite the same level of training. We have a raw deal for sure.
When social workers are balloted along with all other council workers our voices are lost in the crowd. When will we be recognised as a profession in our own right, like teachers, doctors and nurses. The sad fact is some of those on the lowest pay scales in councils can’t afford to strike even for a day so are never going to vote for it and nothing is ever going to change as is proven year on year with these ridiculous offers that are always in the end accepted and we get a few hundred pounds as it’s always backdated and taxed heavily, it’s a joke! I still think everyone deserves a vote but the current system changes nothing and isn’t balanced.
Yes I agree with sam what you have said hope all the unions read this and members and not accept this offer because not before long low payed council workers will be on minimum wage so hope everyone votes against this poor offer