Local government representatives of Unite, the UK’s leading union, are recommending that members reject this year’s local government pay offer.

Council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been offered a pay increase of 3.2 per cent from 1 April 2025.

Unite will now hold consultative ballots for its thousands of local authority members, with the recommendation that they reject this offer, which was tabled by national employers without any negotiation with unions. Industrial action could then follow this summer.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Yet again, this year’s pay offer fails to tackle low pay for local government workers, who have endured years of below-inflation rises on top of the cost-of-living crisis.

 “We will back members in local authorities all the way in their fight for the fair pay rise they deserve.”

The pay offer has been made against a backdrop of swingeing cuts to local council services and budgets, which has led to local government workers seeing their pay decrease by around 30 per cent in real terms since 2010.

Unite national officer for local authorities Clare Keogh said: “This is a very disappointing pay offer for our members, which is why our local government representatives have rightfully and unanimously recommended rejection.”

“For the fourth year in a row, the national employers have also disgracefully failed to negotiate with Unite, attempting to force through these pitiful pay rises. Any industrial action will be of their own making. We are calling on council leaders to come to the negotiating table and offer fair pay.”

ENDS